Editor

Jeanne Moreau today blew the starting whistle for the Tour de France of European filmmakers in Cannes, of which she is president. The event was attended by Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, Ambassador for culture under the French presidency of the European Union, Viviane Reding, European Commissioner responsible for Information Society and Media, Denis Simonneau, representing Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Minister of State responsible for European affairs, and Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Director of Culturesfrance.

This operation, organised by Europa Cinemas as part of the European Cultural Season, under the French Presidency of the European Union (July 1st to December 31, 2008), thanks to the support of Culturesfrance, the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and the CNC, the French Centre for Cinematography, and in partnership with Orange, will allow French audiences to see 27 films from across Europe in French cinemas and to meet their directors, invited as part of the programme.

Jeanne Moreau, who this year is celebrating 60 years in the world of film, stated: ‘It is the idea of “crossing boundaries” which pleased me with this project and for that reason I agreed to be president. I know the importance of travelling, of exchanges with others in the life of an artist and his work: it is vital to creation. And also I remain sensitive to contact between films and the public in those privileged places, which are film theatres. Especially as France has much more than Paris alone to offer to European films'.

And in fact, of all France, from Toulouse to Lille and from Nancy to Bordeaux, it will be mostly film theatres in the Europa Cinemas network, which will host this Tour. Film theatres which, as part of the European Union’s MEDIA programme, represent the largest international network of film theatres scheduling mainly European films.
In the name of Claude Miller, Chairman of Europa Cinemas, Claude-Eric Poiroux stated he wished this kind of operation could be extended to the countries next in charge of the European Union presidency.

Jeanne Moreau also announced the titles of the first films selected for this operation, whose release will benefit from financial support including: Gomorra (Matteo Garrone, Italy), Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, United Kingdom), Tricks (Andrzej Jakimowski, Poland), Exile Family Movie (documentary by Arash T Riahi, Austria), Desmond and the Swamp Creature (animated film by Magnus Carlsson, Sweden), as well as three first european features: The Unpolished (Pia Marais, Germany), Songs of Songs (Josh Appignanesi, United Kingdom) and Ca m’est égal si demain n’arrive jamais (Guillaume Malandrin, Belgium).

The other films selected will be announced subsequently, with registration open to distributors who are preparing to release a non-national European film during the second half of this year. This operation will benefit from a wide national promotion campaign, particularly thanks to Orange, a partner in the operation, which today was welcoming this launch on its Cannes beach, thus emphasising its commitment to the world of film.

Serge Toubiana, Director of the French Cinematheque, took the opportunity to present « Cinedition », the European book, cinema magazine and DVD event and the programming entitled “One century in Europe, one century of cinema”, which will be hosted at the Cinematheque in Paris from July,2nd to 31st, also part of the European Cultural Season. This programming will honour Europe, as a cinema character, through the works of the greatest European directors, such as, among others, Manoel de Oliveira, Luc Dardenne, Danis Tanovic, Yervant Gianikian or Theo Angelopoulos who will talk in front of the audience of the Cinematheque about their special relationship with the idea of Europe.