15/02/2006

Former journalist Beki Probst has been running the European Film Market (EFM) since 1988 and, under her auspices, the Berlin Film Festival’s parallel film fair has become one of the biggest film markets in the world. Probst, who now lives in Switzerland where she works as an exhibitor, is also a member of the Berlin Film Festival’s selection committee and has served on many other festivals juries including Locarno, Toronto, Jerusalem and San Sebastian. In 1992, she was decorated Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Cultural Minister.

Cineuropa: EFM participants expressed general satisfaction over the new European Film Market but the key question for many is will there be the same double venues next year, at the Martin Gropius Bau (MGB) and EFM Business offices?
BP: We decided to use the EFM Business offices because, in mid-November, we had to make a quick decision on where to welcome the 90 companies on the waiting list, and would have found it difficult to get hotel rooms for office use. We were actually lucky to get the EFM Business offices, which are not in a "no man’s land" and already house other festival events such as the Panorama. I do not pretend that we took all the companies on the waiting list and the selection was on a first come, first served basis.

For next year, we’ll see what we can do according to the demand, based on this year’s experience as well. But we might be able to use the third floor of the MGB building.

As you’re mentioning the upper levels of the MGB, some companies with stands at the first level complained about the lack of traffic and UK companies under the British umbrella resented the lack of space and ban on putting up posters or company names on the walls…
The British stand in Berlin was designed by Paul Howson from the British Council and, of course, being under an umbrella is not like having an individual stand. Perhaps there were indeed too many companies under the British umbrella (over 12), just like with the French umbrella. But again, when you move into a new home, you need to see what you can get out of that space, and exhibitors will certainly learn from experience next year and make changes accordingly.

Our priorities in terms of space were to remain faithful to the people who have supported us over the years and to have flagship companies at strategic areas of the MGB, such as TF1 International, Studio Canal Plus or The Weinstein Company.

In general, what do you think of the new calendar year for films markets without MIFED and AFM in November?
Obviously, everything was different this year and everyone wanted to come here. In the 16 years that I have been running the market, we’ve always had the threat of AFM right after Berlin, but now it’s fine. I hope that AFM will not change its dates once more…