Focus on Europe
	at ShowEast 1999 - Atlantic City, 18-21 October 1999

The seventh Focus on Europe event took place in Atlantic City. For the third time, the event was held within the context of ShowEast, the convention that every year gathers over 2 300 professionals, representing the cinema exhibition and distribution market from the US East Coast.

ShowEast features two main sections: the screening of films to be released in the US and the "Trade Show", where, at over 300 stands, state-of-the-art technical equipment, cinema machinery and theatrical ancillary services are displayed.

MEDIA Salles' stand at ShowEast 1999 hosted most of the initiatives that make up the "Focus on Europe" programme:

• the screening of video trailers of European films;
• the distribution of information materials on recent European productions;
• the hands-on presentation of the "European Cinema On-line Database", which highlights on the Internet over 4 000 European films and 10 500 companies operating in the European film industry, from production to screen;

• the presentation of the 1999 advance edition of the "European Cinema Yearbook", the statistical analysis that includes more than 40 different kinds of indicators, giving an overview of trends in the industry in 30 European countries.

MEDIA Salles in conjunction with the executive committee of ShowEast has created awards to single out both exhibitors and distributors that make special efforts to expose audiences to talents all over the world.

Monday 18 October, 7.00 – 8.30 p.m., Tiara Ballroom

During the cocktail reception sponsored by MEDIA Salles, Jens Rykaer, Treasurer of MEDIA Salles, presented the "International Achievement Awards in Exhibition and Distribution", which went to George Mansour, Cinema Selections and to Mark Ordesky, Fine Line Features.

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics and Mike McClellan of Landmark Theatres introduced the awards.
 
 

The 1999 advance edition of the "European Cinema Yearbook"
presented at ShowEast 1999

Tuesday 19 October, 11.00 - 11.45 a.m., Bronze room

An overview of the European cinema industry, through the statistical information collected in MEDIA Salles' "European Cinema Yearbook", was presented to an audience of cinema exhibitors representing the US market. The Press Release announcing the Yearbook's 1999 advance edition follows.

The European Cinema Yearbook, 1999 – advance edition is the most detailed and up-to-date overview of cinema exhibition in Europe. It is produced by MEDIA Salles, a MEDIA II project with the support of the Italian Government.

30 countries are analysed, using over 40 statistical indicators. As from this year the results and trends of cinema exhibition in Latvia and Yugoslavia are included. Also to be found is a useful comparison of the most important world markets: USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong.

From the data contained in the Yearbook a trend towards a positive situation emerges as far as the Western European market is concerned, with audiences on the increase: 843 million in ’98 - 56 more than in the previous year - which confirms the general growth that has characterised the nineties, apart from some negative moments. France confirms itself as the most important market in Europe: with 170 million spectators, it increases its lead over Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain - the other four territories which are each worth more than 100 million tickets sold.

Of these territories, the most significant in terms of spectators (148,9 million in 1998, compared to 143,1 in 1997) is Germany, where the balance of screen closures and new openings shows an increase of 116 screens.

It was a record 1998 for Italy, too, where the figures show a market growing by 15%, as well as a positive result for Spain, whose exhibiting theatres have seen an increase in admissions of around 50% in the last 10 years.

The opposite trend can be seen on the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, where audiences fell almost everywhere in 1998 but where the investors continue to have strong faith: amongst the latter, Kinemaxx - the new name emerging from the partnership between Kinepolis and Cinemaxx - has announced a project that foresees the building of 20 complexes over the next 3 or 4 years in the countries of Northern and Eastern Europe. An increase in the number of theatres and audiences has also marked - although not without some important differences - the most important world markets: the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong.
 

Big Screen Showings of European Films

With the promotional support of MEDIA Salles, ShowEast 1999 hosted three European films soon in release on the US market.

18 October, 5.00 – 7.00 p.m.
Trimark Pictures presented
"The Last September" by Deborah Warner
Release date in the United States: 31^st March 2000

18 October, 8.30 – 10.30 p.m.
Sony Pictures Classics presented
"Todo Sobre Mi Madre" (All About My Mother) by Pedro Almodóvar
Release date in the United States: 19 November 1999

19 October, 9.00 – 10.45 a.m.
Fox Searchlight Pictures presented
"The Closer You Get" by Aileen Ritchie
Release date in the United States: 28 February 2000

European Films presented at MEDIA Salles stand
Trailers - catalogues - posters
and information available on the "European Cinema On-line Database" http://www.mediasalles.it

ADRIANA CHIESA ENTERPRISES
BO BA BU by Ali Khamraev
COMMEDIA (Deceit) by Claudia Florio
COSI E’ LA VITA (That's Life) by Aldo Baglio, Giacomo Poretti, Giovanni Storti, Massimo Venier
FERDINANDO E CAROLINA (Ferdinando And Carolina) by Lina Wertmüller
GARAGE OLIMPO by Marco Bechis
IN PRINCIPIO ERANO LE MUTANDE (In The Beginning There Was Underwear) by Anna Negri
LA BALLATA DEI LAVAVETRI (The Ballad Of The Windshield Washers) by Peter Del Monte
ORMAI E’ FATTA (Outlaw) by Enzo Monteleone
PER TUTTO IL TEMPO CHE CI RESTA (Acts Of Justice) by Vincenzo Terracino

BRUSSELS AVE
KEÏD ENSA (Women’s Wiles) by Farida Benlyazid
LA PETITE VENDEUSE DE SOLEIL (The Little Girl Who Sold The Sun) by Djibril Diop Mambéty
SUZIE WASHINGTON by Florian Flicker
THE DANDELION GAME by Peter van Wijk

EL DESEO e G2 FILMS
TODO SOBRE MI MADRE (All About My Mother) by Pedro Almodóvar

GREEK FILM CENTRE
…Among the others …
APO TIN AKRI TIS POLIS (At The Edge Of The City) by Constantinos Giannaris
AS PERIMENOUN I YINEKES (Let The Women Wait) by Stavros Tsiolis
I GONIA TOU PARADISSOU (A Corner Of Paradise) by Lena Voudori
MIA AEONIOTITA KE MIA MERA (Eternity And A Day) by Theo Angelopoulos
PROMTHEUS ENANTIODROMON (Prometheus Retrogressing) by Costas Sfikas

ITALIAN CINEMA Promotion Agency
ACI E ABBRACCI (Kisses and Hugs) by Paolo Virzi
BAGNOMARIA by Giorgio Panariello
BASSA MAREA (Low Tide) by Nico Cirasola
CREATURE DEGLI ABISSI (Creature From The Abyss) by Al Passeri
DIO SOLO SA (God Only Knows) by Enzo D’Ambrosio
ECCO FATTO (That's It) by Gabriele Muccino
UORI DAL MONDO (Not Of This World) by Giuseppe Piccioni
GALLO CEDRONE (The Rooster) by Carlo Verdone
GRAZIE DI TUTTO (Thanks for Everything) by Luca Manfredi
HAREM SUARE by Ferzan Ozpetek
IL DOLCE RUMORE DELLA VITA (The Sweet Noise Of Life) by Giuseppe Bertolucci
IL FANTASMA DELL'OPERA (The Phantom Of The Opera) by Dario Argento
IL MIO WEST (My West) by Giovanni Veronesi
IL TEMPO DELL’AMORE by Giacomo Campiotti
INCONTRI PROIBITI (Sure As Fate) by Alberto Sordi
L’ALBERO DELLE PERE (Shooting the Moon) by Francesca Archibugi
L’AMANTE PERDUTO by Roberto Faenza
L’ANNIVERSARIO (The Anniversary) by Mario Orfini
L’ODORE DELLA NOTTE (The Scent of the Night) by Claudio Caligari
L’ULTIMO CAPODANNO (KAPUT MUNDI) by Marco Risi
LA BALIA (The Nanny) by Marco Bellocchio
LA CENA (The Dinner) by Ettore Scola
LA FAME E LA SETE (The Thirst and The Hunger) by Antonio Albanese
LA GABBIANELLA E IL GATTO (Lucky and Zorba) by Enzo D'Alò
LA LEGGENDA DEL PIANISTA SULL’OCEANO (The Legend Of 1900) by Giuseppe Tornatore
LIBERO BURRO (Free Style) by Sergio Castellitto
MARE LARGO (Open Sea) by Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani
MATRIMONI (Marriages) by Cristina Comencini
MILONGA by Emidio Greco
ORMAI È FATTA! by Enzo Monteleone
PICCOLI MAESTRI (Little Teachers) by Daniele Luchetti
THE PROTAGONISTS by Luca Guadagnino
TOTO’ CHE VISSE DUE VOLTE (Totò Who Lived Twice) by Daniele Ciprì, Franco Maresco
TU RIDI (You 're Laughing) by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
UN TÈ CON MUSSOLINI (Tea With Mussolini) by Franco Zeffirelli
VIOL@ by Donatella Maiorca
VUOTI A PERDERE (No Deposit, No Return) by Massimo Costa

KEVIN WILLIAMS ASSOCIATES
LA LOLA SE VA A LOS PUERTOS by Josefina Molina
LA SAL DE LA VIDA (The spice of life) by Eugenio Martín
LOS HIJOS DEL VIENTO (Children of the wind) by Fernando Merinero
MAITE by Carlos Zabala and Eneko Olasagasti
MATAME MUCHO (Kill me over and over again) by José Angel Bohollo
ESCRITO EN EL AGUA (Written on the water) by Marcos Loayza
ESKORPION by Ernesto Telleria
ESPERANZA Y SARDINAS (Hope and sardines) by Roberto Romeo
HAZLO POR MI (Do it for me) by Angel Fdez. Santos
HOTEL ROOM by Cesc Gay and Daniel Gimelberg
LA FABULOSA HISTORIA DE DIEGO MARIN by Fidel Cordero

NORDISK FILM INTERNATIONAL SALES
DEN ENESTE ENE (The One And Only) by Susanne Bier
ZINGO by Christjan Wegner
FORBUDT FOR BØRN (Little Big Sister) by Jesper Nielson
RUKAJÄRVEN TIE (Ambush) by Olli Saarela
NATTENS ENGEL (Angel Of The Night) by Shaky González
OLSENBANDENS SIDSTE STIK (The Olsen Gang – Final Mission) by Tom Hedegaard
SPORLAUST (No Trace) by Hilmar Oddsson
UNDER OVERFLADEN (Fast Lane) by Morten Køhlert
SJÖN (The Lake) by Hans Äke Gabrielsson

TRUST FILM SALES
BESAT (Possessed) by Anders Rønnow-Klarlund
HELA HÄRLIGHETEN (Love Fools) by Leif Magnusson
FUCKING ÅMAL (Show Me Love) by Lukas Moodysson

Round table on the distribution of European Films in the United States
Washington DC, 22 October 1999 – Headquarters of the European Union

MEDIA Salles organised, in co-operation with MediaFusion, a round table in Washington DC to meet with representatives of the United States motion pictures industry and institutions. The proposed topics were:

• Presentation of an overview of theatrical exhibition in Europe and the US
• European initiatives to support theatrical distribution
• American initiatives to support film culture
• Distribution of European films in the United States

All the participants received a copy of the "European Cinema Yearbook" – 1999 advance edition.
 
 

*Release dates are subject to change.

Data updated at Oct. 99. Elaborated by MEDIA Salles from the following sources: ACNielsen EDI, Film Journal Int'l, Film Finders, Internet Movie Database.