On this occasion, the Minister presented the reform of the support mechanisms for cinemas of the
world, which aims to amplify and expand support for foreign films. The
new system, which is due to come into force in the first quarter of 2012, incorporates the
South Fund schemes, managed by the CNC, and Foreign Language Film Assistance, piloted
by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The new aid programme
cinemas of the world will be accessible to foreign creators in a wider way, in order to
that they may submit to France projects of works which, without this support, do not
could be carried out according to their wishes. He will give full place to the
projects from countries with the most fragile cinematography, in particular from
Sub-Saharan Africa. Assistance to the “Cinemas of the World” will have a budget of 6
EUR 12 million in the form of grants, almost double the aid
It is made possible by the joint competition of the CNC, the Ministry of
Foreign and European Affairs and now the French Institute.
At the meeting of the contributors to the financing of the southern cinemas, were
Directorate-General for Development and
the European Commission, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF), the
funds or structures backed respectively by international film festivals of
Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam, Turin, Amiens and Tarifa, the Belgian association Africalia, the fund
Swiss Vision Sud Est or the Fonds Sud co-managed by the CNC and the French Institute.
Also honored this meeting and singularly nourished the reflections of the
European partners, through their experience, several African and Caribbean
Raoul Peck and Abderrahmane Sissako, representatives of festivals
South, Central and West Africa, as well as certain associations
active in the diffusion of local cinematography in Africa.
According to the wish formed last February by Frédéric Mitterrand, during the last
Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou, members present at this meeting
have all expressed their common desire to contribute, in the long term, to the revitalization
films from ACP countries and sub-Saharan Africa in particular.
To this end, all participants agreed to
flow of information between the managers of the various funds, on the one hand, and
benefit of African creators, on the other hand, by exploring the possibilities
provided by databases and portals for dissemination or electronic access;
consider, with all interested parties, a possible revision in 2012 of the
procedures for access to all or part of the various European funds; and to coordinate
more closely the medium and long-term actions to encourage
structuring the film industries, institutions and public policies
through strengthening and, if necessary, rationalizing local
training schemes financed by these funds.
A first follow-up meeting on these commitments should be held in the first quarter
2012, on the sidelines of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.