11/03/2005

The head committee of the Fund Eurimages which depends on the European Council met in Strasbourg at the end of February to select 10 features, all European coproductions. This European Fund is worth 3.444.000 euros. The choices made by Eurimages seem always to have been determined by a certain vision of what European cinema is, for all directors and producers who benefitted from that support are involved in quality cinema.

The next production by the German company Pandora Filmproduktion got 190 thousand euros —20% of which went to Cineworx, its Swiss co-producer— for Maria Speth’s second feature film, Madonnen, which is still being developed at the moment but should start shooting soon in Frankfurt and the Netherlands. The director, who graduated from the German Federal Film Board as a specialised editor, won good approval with her first feature, The Day Between (In dent ah hinein) which won a Tiger Award in Rotterdam and was the Jury’s Best Prize in Créteil in 2001. Another German coproduction, Island of Lost Souls by the Danish director Nikolaj Arcel, was granted 480 thousand euros, 52% of which went to its majority producer, Lars Von Trier’s company, Zentropa Productions. The other coproducers are Memphis Film (Sweden), Pain Unlimited (DE), and Island of Lost Souls ltd (UK).

An other project from accross the Channel, Brendan and the Secret of Kells by Tomm Moore won 500 thousand euros, shared between Cartoon Saloon (32%) in Ireland, Les Armateurs (36%) in France, and Vivi Film (32%) in Belgium. Belgium proves really dynamic for it had two more movies chosen by Eurimages. First, Blind, by Tamar Van Den Dop (NL) received 380 thousand euros, shared between Phanta Vision Film, MMG Film & TV Produktion (BE), and Klas Film (BG). Secondly, Lucas Belvaux’s next project, La Raison du plus faible, coproduced by Entre Chien et Loup (BE) and Agat Films & Cie (FR) got a 370-thousand-euro support.

France has another coproduction funded by Eurimages, The Golden Door by Emanuele Crialese, which involves, for 50% each, Fandango (IT) and Memento Films (FR). Crialese’s third film, after Respiro [+see also:
trailer
film profile] which was a great success both with the public and the critics, was granted the maximum, 550 thousand euros. Transe by Teresa Villaverde (PT) received 400 thousand euros. It is produced by Paolo Branco through Madragoa (PT) and Gémini (FR) and by the Italian Revolver.

Last but not least, the new European members have benefitted from Eurimages too. Fly By Rossinant by Georgi Stoev-Djaky from Bulgaria (D&D Agency/Radiovision (BG), Komuna (CZ), Amour Fou Filmproduktion) (AT)), Opowiesci Galicyjskie by Dariusz Jablonski from Poland (an Apple Film production with Trigon Production in Slovaquia), and Rehepapp by Rainer Sarnet from Estonia produced by Rudolf Konimois with Crea Video (FI) and Carlo D`Ursi Produzioni (IT), were allowed, respectively, 186, 230, and 158 thousand euros.

(Translated from French)