French Minister announces shake-up of cinema funding regulations

IFACCA/Artshub, 04 April 2005,France

The Minister for Culture and Communication, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, has announced there will be funding for non-European film companies but has asked Catherine Colonna the general manager of the National Centre of Cinematography to establish the conditions under which such funding will be made available. For several years the regulations covering access to grants has aroused concerns about the coherence of the French system of cinema funding, which gives preference to the nationality of invested capital over the nature of the work produced, whereas, in parallel, the Government pursues its direction in favour of national productions, amounting to more than 40 million Euros in new policies for 2004. Following the consultation conducted earlier this year by the National Centre of Cinematography and after hearing from organisations with concerns regarding the question of funding openings to non-European companies, the Minister said he considers it both necessary and desirable for the current regulation to be revised. For this purpose the Minister asked Catherine Colonna to appoint a manager to prepare these regulatory modifications before mid-June 2005 in full cooperation with all of the professional organizations concerned. He said the conditions of the new regulation should in particular aim to avoid any destabilization of the French or European production companies already established in France. He also warned that it is necessary to work to ensure that the conditions of funding for productions involving non-European companies gives precedence to investment into works made in the French language, and with expenditure taking place in France, whilst remaining attractive to foreign investors. For further information, CLICK HERE

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