San Sebastian Film Festival and EFP provide forum for European distributors
European Film Promotion announces participants 2010
The majority of exciting films made in Europe still can't be seen in cinemas outside of their home countries. With the programme “European Distributors: Up Next!”, European Film Promotion (EFP) and the San Sebastian International Film Festival raise the issue of how to promote the circulation of European films and see them cross borders. In the third edition of the two-day-event running on September 20 and 21 during the festival in San Sebastian, ten independent distributors from ten different European countries will discuss the potential of new technical formats, social community platforms and business models. Experts from the film industry are being invited to lead the discussions (see list of participating distributors further below).

The participants, who come from Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, have films like The Milk of Sorrow by Claudia Llosa, Brothers by Susanne Bier or Empties by Jan Sverák in their international portfolio and have been selected by the associated EFP members and the festival. The initiative is financially supported by the MEDIA programme of the EU.

“Distribution these days is confronted by enormous changes”, says Renate Rose, managing director of EFP. “It is a great challenge deciding which will be the successful way of distribution for the future and how to improve international circulation. EFP sees the need to support the discourse among these professionals who must operate with creativity, courage and sensibility in order to strengthen their position in a complex market dominated by the major studios.”

“European Distributors: Up Next!” offers various networking opportunities and platforms for the exchange of experiences and ideas. Variety editor John Hopewell will moderate a roundtable on the distribution situation in the different countries in the light of national particularities. Another panel will focus on the role of film festivals in this context. International sales agents and other film professionals are invited to join selected seminars.

The programme also includes a seminar focussing on the expectations and experiences regarding new media in distribution and is also supported by Europa Distribution. As the initiative's main media partner, the international trade magazine Variety is profiling the participating distributors and their contribution to independent European cinema published soon at www.variety.com.

Individual interviews with the distributors are available at the daily online magazine Cineuropa, www.cineuropa.org



Selected “European Distributors: Up Next!” 2010



Austria, Michael Stejskal, Filmladen Filmverleih GmbH

Croatia, Martin Milinković, Continental Film d.o.o.

Denmark, Line Daugbjerg Christensen, Øst for Paradis

France, Didier Costet, Swift Distribution

Germany, Torsten Frehse, Neue Visionen Filmverleih GmbH

Greece, Irini Souganidou, Feelgood Entertainment A.E.

Italy, Simona Calcagni, Bolero Film

Sweden, Katrina Mathsson, Folkets Bio

Switzerland, Bea Cuttat, Look Now! Filmverleih

United Kingdom, Oli Harbottle, Dogwoof