Experts from across the audiovisual value chain gathered in Brussels last night to debate the state of European cinema, its links to public service media and how to improve cross-border promotion of European films.  

Taking place at the BOZAR centre for fine arts during Eurovision Film Week the debate was attended by, among others, Oscar-winning Czech director and Eurovision Film Week Ambassador Jiří Menzel (pictured right), EBU President and RTBF Director Jean-Paul Philippot and Xavier Troussard, Head of the European Commission’s Creative Europe programme.

President Philippot said the EBU had launched Eurovision Film Week to enable European audiences to discover a largely untapped, rich pool of film productions from across the continent. He also explained the thinking behind an opinion editorial on the ‘delicate symbiosis’ between PSM and other key European film sector players.

Twenty directors general and presidents of public service broadcasters, including Mr Philippot, signed the editorial, which has been published in media outlets and on EBU Members’ website across Europe.

Eurovision Film Week, which culminates in the European Film Awards on 7 December, sees 26 EBU Members showing selected feature-length films – including from 26 movies shared on the Eurovision Showcase platform – on television and online platforms. In addition, radio and television channels are running debates, documentaries about films and interviews with stars, directors and writers.

Pointing out that almost 60% of airtime for film on European public service media channels is dedicated to European productions, Mr Philippot said, “Public service media help finance, diffuse and promote European film. One could consider that they are the world’s largest movie theatre.”

Czech director Jiří Menzel said touching the audience with stories it can relate to is crucial to ensuring European cinema’s success.

“All movies need to dig into their culture and diversity; films that go back to the roots touch everybody,” he said.

For Xavier Troussard of the European Commission, strengthening the position of European film on the global market will first depend on better circulation and market strength within Europe. He said the recently adopted Creative Europe programme would help achieve this end by addressing the multiplatform lifespan of films while increasing the sustainability of the cross-border audiovisual value chain.

For his part, UGC France Director Alain Sussfeld focused on the need for an investment-friendly regulatory framework that nurtures the economic partnership between film producers, broadcasters and distributors.

Also attending was German MEP, Helga Trüpel, who asserted that European cultural diversity is an asset for the European film industry. EU trade policy should be mindful that cultural diversity, as enshrined in the UNESCO Convention, is a shared value with trade partners, she said, adding that important trade partners, like the US, had not signed up to this commitment.

BOZAR Artistic Director Paul Dujardin said supporting film was a way to resuscitate the European project at a time when Europe was leaning towards nationalist reflexes.

All panellists agreed that the potential of European film has yet to be fully realized, and that concerted political efforts will help strengthen the European audiovisual sector.

The event ended with a screening of "Viva la libertà” by Roberto Andò, an acclaimed Italian political comedy that was co-produced by RAI Cinema.