09/01/2006

An afternoon of debates will be held at the French film museum today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the SPI (SPI). The SPI is a French trade union grouping 350 cinema and audiovisual professionals across France, independent of any distribution and telecommunications operators. The SPI, currently presided over by Emmanuel Priou (Bonne Pioche Productions) – the proud producer of March of the Penguins – has since its beginnings fought for creative freedom, cinema diversity and the independence of production companies in the film industry. These objectives have made the SPI a particularly incisive and tenacious actor in the safeguarding of the "French model" of production funding. It was these objectives that led to its integration in BLOC, an office representing a variety of film organisations in France, along with the CSPF (French film producers’ union), the SRF (French film directors' company) and the UPF (French union of independent producers). As far as cinema is concerned, the feature film council of the SPI brings together all the main personalities in the profession, including Marie Masmonteil (Elzevir Films), Alain Benguigui (Sombrero Productions), Pauline Duhault (Elia Films), Milena Poylo (TS Productions), Carole Scotta (Haut et Court), Antoine Rein (Delante Films), Patrick Sobelman (Agat Films & Cie) et Emmanuel Giraud (Les Films de la Croisade), an office representing a hundred or so companies, which include Diaphana, Why Not Productions, ADR, Sunday Morning, Gloria, Archipel 35, Mille et une productions, La Mouche du Coche and Les Films du Veyrier.

There will be no shortage of personalities to speak at this afternoon's debates at the film museum, held to mark the SPI's 10th anniversary. The three debates on the agenda include "Independent producers: entrepreneurs, patrons, or risk-takers?", "broadcast versus broadband: how to adapt the French model of cinema funding?" and "Is the range of exploitation types enough to ensure the diversity of supply? Main speakers include the managing director of the French national film centre, the CNC, Véronique Cayla, Denis Offroy (Cofiloisir), Guy Verrecchia (UGC), Patrice Duhamel (France Télévisions), directors Olivier Ducastel, Rodolphe Belmer and Olivier Courson (Canal +), Jean-Pierre Cottet (Lagardère Active), Alain Rocca (Lazennec), Marin Karmitz (MK2), Régine Vial (Les Films du Losange) and the filmmaker William Karel.

(Translated from French)