“Going green is no longer a matter of choice,” stated Nevina Satta, CEO of the Sardegna Film Commission, at the Sustainability in Vision panel discussion, which took place at the Cannes Film Festival. Hosted by Green Film Shooting and Cine-Regio Green, in collaboration with the Italian Film Commissions and Luce Cinecittà, the event saw various European experts from Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain exchange their experiences with sustainable film and TV production, and green cinema.

While Luca Ferrario, project manager at the Trentino Film Fund, presented the brand-new T-Green Film initiative, set to be launched in September (read the news), French producer Mylène Ollivier reported that Minuscule, les mandibules du bout du monde, the sequel to the 3D animation/live-action adventure flick Minuscule – Valley of the Lost Ants [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud, will also be produced in an environmentally friendly way. “We are getting some great support from Ecoprod,” stressed Ollivier.

Meanwhile, the Hamburg Film Commission has awarded about 70 Green Shooting Cards to feature films, TV series, short films, TV entertainment shows, and animated and 3D films, as Christiane Dopp from the Hamburg Film Commission pointed out. In Great Britain, EastEnders, the most popular soap opera on the BBC, was presented with the albert+ mark, which has been highlighted in its credits for the first time. Developed by BAFTA, this certification scheme rewards productions with stars for their green activities.

But cinemas are also able to undertake several actions in order to go green. Movie theatres can be powered with renewable energy, conduct an energy audit, offer sustainable concession products and implement waste management. At the general assembly of the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) in Cannes, the board gave the green light to develop tools for the implementation of green actions in cinemas. This includes a handbook for cinemas as well as a green label for quality cinemas, which will be developed in collaboration with Green Film Shooting. In addition, CICAE will provide green training sessions for up-and-coming movie theatre managers at the workshop week during the Venice Film Festival. 

“Sustainability is getting more important for all of us,” stated German exhibitor Christian Bräuer, president of arthouse cinema organisation AG Kino and a CICAE board member. Arthouse cinemas in particular are showing a lot of documentaries that deal with issues such as climate change. “We also have a responsibility for our planet and for our society,” stressed the exhibitor. “Our company already switched to renewable energy some years ago, and we are trying to convince our audience to do the same.” In Germany, AG Kino negotiated contracts with better price conditions for its members, and “that is a win-win situation for all concerned”.