22/05/2019 - CANNES 2019: The regional film fund network is also calling to reinforce the cultural exception in Europe

As the 48 regional film funds that comprise the CineRegio network meet for their General Assembly during the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, they can celebrate the impact that their work has had, and the evidence is the total of 45 titles (39 feature films and 6 short films) selected for this year's edition of the French gathering - many of which are cross-border co-productions.

The regional film funds have invested in 45 titles. These titles include 11 of the films in this year's Competition (52% of selected films): Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Film i Väst), the Dardenne brothers' Young Ahmed [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
film profile] (Screen.brussels, Wallimage), Arnaud Desplechin's Oh Mercy! [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud Desplechin
film profile] (Pictanovo Région Hauts-de-France), Mati Diop's Atlantics [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mati Diop
film profile] (Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Jessica Hausner's Little Joe [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Hausner
film profile] (Filmfonds-Wien, Lower Austrian Film Fund), Ladj Ly's Les Misérables [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ladj Ly
film profile] (Ile-de-France Film Fund), Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung), Corneliu Porumboiu's The Whistlers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
film profile] (Film i Väst), Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile] (Ile-de-France Film Fund), Elia Suleiman's It Must Be Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elia Suleiman
film profile] (MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienfoerderung) and Justine Triet's Sibyl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile] (Ile-de-France Film Fund & Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma). The list of feature films is rounded off by 2 films Out of Competition, one in Special Screenings, 5 in Un Certain Regard, 12 titles in the Directors' Fortnight (equivalent to 50%), and 4 in Critics' Week competition (equivalent to 57%). Find the complete list of supported titles here.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

General Secretary Charlotte Appelgren stated, “CineRegio and its members' work for cultural diversity and having so many films selected in Cannes 2019 reflects the importance of regional film funds for the European audio-visual sector and highlights the significant financial contribution and role of the regional film agencies in creating and defending European cultural diversity and the European Co-production model. Regional film funding has proven crucial to upheld and stimulate co-operation within Europe. From our perspective, the European co-production model is the key to cultural diversity, however, the challenge throughout the year, is the interpretation and monitoring of EU state aid rules for film production, where film is compared to washing machines, airports and roads, and hence, put selective film funding schemes defending cultural diversity at risk. This despite 'the cultural exception'. Therefore - let us here at the Cannes Film Festival, the crown jewel of cultural diversity - remind the European institutions to respect 'the cultural exception' and why 'this right' was created in the first place. In these times where cultural diversity and open society is under pressure in many member states, the European Institutions jointly have an obligation to defend the European co-production model."