19/11/2003

On Thursday 20 November, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) is going to host a one day conference, with the European Investment Bank (EIB), called Film Financing in Europe: policy, strategy and effect. The event will be held at the BAFTA awards in London.

Following introductions by UK Arts Minister, Estelle Morris, and Wolfgang Closs, the executive director of the EAO, the morning session will focus on national film funds with a panel discussion including John Woodward, the chief executive of the UK Film Council, David Kessler, the director general of the French CNC - Centre National de la Cinématographie, and Rolf Bähr, the executive director of the German Federal Film Board. Tim Westcott, from the EAO, will also be presenting a recent EAO report on public film funding.

The late morning session will be dedicated to regional film funds, with participation by Philippe Reynard, the director of Wallimage (Belgium), Steven McIntyre from Scottish Screen , Ken Hay from EM Media and Gina Fegan, the chief executive of Screen South.

In the afternoon, following a presentation by Olivier Debande from the EIB on banks and film financing, a third panel discussion will focus on European film support, with key note speeches by Jacques Delmoly, the unit head from the EU’s Media Plus Programme, Renate Roginas, the executive secretary of Eurimages, Constantin Christofidis from the EIB and John McVay from the UK producers association, PACT.