Amsterdam on 29 June this year saw the launch of the third Focus
on Europe event, a promotional initiative on behalf of European cinema
created by MEDIA Salles, the Milan-based project which operates in the
framework of the European Union's MEDIA Programme, with the support of
the Italian Government.
The aim of Focus on Europe is to provide a showcase for recent European
productions, raising their visibility with distributors and exhibitors
on major world markets.
In Amsterdam, Focus on Europe placed forthcoming European titles on
show to some 1,300 exhibitors and distributors from countries all over
Europe who took part in the Cinema Expo International convention from 29
June to 2 July 1997.
Two screenings on 29 June, of the films La Tregua (The Truce)
and Bean, were followed by trailers for over 40 features from a
variety of countries, such as Devil's Island by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson,
Il Bagno Turco by Ozpetek Ferzan, Funny Games by Michael
Haneke, The Cherry Pick by Arno Kranenborg. Interested visitors
were able to pick up information at the MEDIA Salles stand on the titles
on release in Europe over the next few months. An Internet link-up also
allowed visitors to "explore" MEDIA Salles' European Cinema On-line Database,
an information tool which provides details of over 1300 recently produced
European films, and more than 2000 companies involved in distribution,
world sales and theatrical exhibition of European titles. The Database
is a key effort in MEDIA Salles' strategy in favour of improved dissemination
of European product throughout the continent.
MEDIA Salles' testimonial guest for this third event of Focus on Europe
was Maria Schneider. Proceedings began with a round table on European Cinema
in the global market. This was the setting for a big screen presentation
of the European Cinema On-line Database by Rosella Gioffré, in charge
of the project at MEDIA Salles. She was followed by Mike Vickers, the Association's
vice-president, who contextualised the Database in the overall framework
of the MEDIA Salles ventures which answer the need for marketing strategies,
increased visibility and a competitive edge for European product. Joachim
Ph. Wolff, president of UNIC, took MEDIA Salles' European Cinema Yearbook
as the starting point for an overview of current patterns of distribution
for European cinema on its home continent, while Kirsten Dalgaard, exhibitor
and distributor in Copenhagen, and Timo Mänty, president of FinnKino,
a company with diversified interests throughout Finland's cinema industry,
illustrated strategies which have been successfully adopted for European
product on the supply side. The round table also provided a suitable occasion
for MEDIA Salles' president Romano Fattorossi to announce the formation
of a Committee of Honour for MEDIA Salles; among the personalities who
have already accepted the Association's invitation are Gillo Pontecorvo,
Margarethe von Trotta, Krzysztof Zanussi, Theo Angelopoulos and Maria Schneider,
who join together in lending their moral support to MEDIA Salles' initiatives
to promote "cinema at the cinema" and the dissemination of European films.
The central role played by the cinema theatre has always been a chief
focus of MEDIA Salles' activity. This characteristic was underscored by
the creation of a prize for innovation in cinema exhibition. The first
ever award was presented on 30 June, during Focus on Europe in Amsterdam,
to Piero Fumagalli in recognition of his Arcadia multiplex, recently inaugurated
in Melzo, Italy.