10/04/2006

European Films Crossing Borders will hold a new training session in Cannes from May 15-17 (see news). Co-financed by the MEDIA programme and organised by Fundación Autor, this initiative aims to teach participants how to distribute and sell a film abroad. Cineuropa met with Brigitte Veyne, project manager of European Films Crossing Borders, and head of training of the Fundación Autor.

Cineuropa: What distinguishes "European Films Crossing Borders" from other training courses financed by MEDIA?
Brigitte Veyne: Our programme is a special training initiative in international audiovisual distribution and promotion. We want our participants (producers, directors, scriptwriters, managers, etc.) to start thinking as early as possible about the possibilities for the international distribution of their films. A strong selling point of these seminars is that they take place just before the most important European film festivals: Cannes, Berlin, San Sebastian. We tell them how they get the most out of these festivals.

Since this year you have organised a seminar for professionals of the southern Mediterranean within the framework of the Euromed Audiovisual programme. What is the level of participants and what are their expectations?
The objective of Mediterranean Films Crossing Borders (MFCB) is to train 100 audiovisual professionals in this region and the number of applications received (65 from which we could only select 25) shows that this training course responds to a real need. We have noticed that the level of professionals in the Mediterranean is no different to that of their Mediterranean colleagues. For this first programme, participants come from Algeria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. The expectations of these applicants are the same as those of European applicants: to meet their Mediterranean and European colleagues, to learn techniques that will allow them to sell their film outside their country of origin, and have access to experts in the audiovisual industry.