European Commission to fund European film industry’s move to digital
The European Commission has announced the launch of a new strategy to support owners of European film theatres in the move to digital and to encourage a greater number of them to screen films made in Europe, thereby expanding their offer to filmgoers. Conscious of the fact that the cost of installing digital equipment is prohibitive for many small theatres, the new strategy aims to provide various forms of financial assistance, including state aid in addition to funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Union’s MEDIA programme, the latter of which supports the European cinema industry. One of the advantages of digitalisation is that it makes it possible to facilitate the conversion of films dating from the early days of cinema and conserve them for future generations.
The development of digital in Europe is impeded by two factors: the cost of conversion and the varying needs of cinemas. A new digital installation, with projector and server, is worth an estimated €75,000, which represents a considerable investment for the owners of smaller theatres.
Since 2007, the Commission has provided support of €25m through its MEDIA programme to initiatives in the field of digital cinema, as well as other innovative projects. At the end of 2010, it plans to launch a new programme devoted to digitalisation which will be equipped with a further €4m. This will be aimed in particular at theatres that primarily screen European titles.
Beyond its financial aspect, the Commission’s strategy also seeks to:
- maximise standardisation;
- shorten as much as possible the time required for the move to digital with a view to avoiding costs incurred by the simultaneous production of films in celluloid and digital prints and by a double system of distribution and exploitation;
- preserve and diversify European programming in cinemas equipped with screening facilities for digital films;
- invest in research, resources and professional training, the objective being to boost the conservation of cinematographic heritage.
The new MEDIA Fund of production guarantees will allocate a sum of €8m in the form of loan guarantees to support European film companies and facilitate access to bank loans for the period 2010-2013. This fund could also become one of the future tools to speed up the digital move.
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
