Dear creatives, Dear professionals, Dear festival-goers, It is my honour to address you in the context of the 71st edition of the Festival de Cannes, which comes in an everchanging world. The digital shift has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges for our economies and for the audiovisual sector, in particular. A positive wind for women’s empowerment has been blowing in all sectors, and the disequilibrium at stake is no longer acceptable. Women but also men, who used to be tossed about, have legitimately increased their level of demand towards achieving more balanced societies and economies. Cinema is at the heart of these transformations. Filmmakers have been reaping the benefits of the digital shift in experimenting not only with new technologies, but also new ways of storytelling. The audiovisual industry was at the genesis of the women’s emancipation blow of fresh air. I pay tribute to the audiovisual sector, for it was able to spot its problems, and undertake actions. In doing so, you have dragged the world in your wake.

Cinema is leading the way for our modern societies. It holds the unique power to shed light and give flesh to our common values, acting as a catalyst for social cohesion in communities. Both for outreach and identity, cinema is instrumental to build up and convey the refl ection of a continent, whose self-confi dence and faith in its institutions and the future, are more and more tangible. All this lies behind my visit to the 71st edition of the Festival de Cannes.

As a woman in politics, I am thrilled to share my message with those, who shape the stories that make us dream. I deeply believe that each individual should be given the opportunity to unleash his and her full potential, and I trust the contribution of our European approach, which is rooted in our common values, to do so. Cultural heritage, which is being celebrated in 2018, in a dedicated European year, is the corner-stone of our understanding of our history, hence what we are made of. It is also instrumental to the better future that we are relentlessly working to built.

Therefore, it will be a matter of priority in my exchange with the professionals in this Festival. My services are moving forward to develop, hand in hand with the sector, the tools that will facilitate access to European works, and hence create added European value. Last but not least, let me shed light on the budgetary negotiations, which are currently taking place at European level.

The European strategic investments are decided on a multi-annual basis of seven years. The discussions that will preside over the European budget for the period 2020-2027, are happening now, in 2018.

The MEDIA programme, which has been supporting the development and distribution of European works since 1991, is subsequently under revision. I am personally committed to ensure the best budget for MEDIA. My teams spare no eff orts in this regard, but your support is crucial. Your mobilisation is making a diff erence, and I very much hope that next year will mark the conclusion of a positive deal for the audiovisual sector in the next multiannual fi nancial framework, for the ultimate benefi ts of the European citizens. I wish you a fruitful festival! See you in Cannes!

MARIYA GABRIEL European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society

Full program attached