09/02/05 Speaker: Renate Roginas, Executive Secretary

EURIMAGES

How We Fund European

Co-productions

AFCI Cineposium 2005

Glasgow, August 24

09/02/05

Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe (exists since 1989)

Annual Budget: 20M € (~ 90% =>co-production support)

3 Support Programms: Co-production / Distribution / Exhibition

Currently 32 European member States:

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, SIovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey.

1.Who We Are: An Overview

Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia and

Herzegovina joined the Fund

retroactively on 1st January 2005.

UK is not a member

of EURIMAGES since 1998

09/02/05

EURIMAGES

2.Co-production Support Scheme

09/02/05

To promote the European film industry by fostering and encouraging creative, technical and financial cooperation between professionals of different countries

To increase the circulation of European films in Europe

To ensure compliance with the legislation of the co-producing countries in order to access different sources of financing, especially that of public funding

To decrease the co-producers own investment and their risk

To close the financing gap

Eurimages support: does not take exploitation rights. Interest free (« soft » loan, conditionally repayable with

pro rata recoupment corridor from the 1st € in 1st position).

Our Objectives

09/02/05

Films Supported

1037 European co-productions supported since 1989

877 feature films 160 documentaries for a total amount of 299 489 652 €

Grbavica Grbavica AT/DE/HR/BA

Jasmila Zbanic 150 000€

Agata e la tempestaAgata e la tempesta IT/CH/GBSilvio Soldini 450 000€

Five ObstructionsFive Obstructions DK/BE Jörgen Leth & Lars von Trier 220 000€

L’Enfer L’Enfer FR/IT/BE/JPDanis Tanovic 600 000€

Mar Adentro Mar Adentro ES/FR/IT Alejandro Amenabar 750 000€Peuple MigrateurPeuple Migrateur FR/DE J. Perrin, G. Vienne, M. Debats 609 796€

Vodka LemonVodka Lemon FR/CH/IT/ArmenieHiner Salem 234 000€

09/02/05

Statistics

Feature Films and Documentaries Supported (2000-2004)

27 5 6 53 1 2 2

9

40

4945 48

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

Nbr of Co-productions

Documentaries

Animation

Feature films

09/02/05

The Nature of Co-productions

Fiction, Animation and Documentaries: Min. 70’, Intended for cinema release

Co-production between: Min. 2 Eurimages member States

Co-production percentages: Max 80% and Min. 10%Max cumulated 30% participation from non-member State producers

Start of principal photography:Max. 6 months after the support decision

Excluded content: Pornography, promotion of violence or violation of human

rights

Key Eligibility Criteria (1)

09/02/05

European Origin

European Co-producers: Majority European shareholders required

European Director:By nationality or permanent residence (geographical Europe – COE 46 member States)

Project must be European in terms of:•Origin/culture •Financing and rights, and must originate from within an Eurimages member State•15/19 points according to the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production

Key Eligibility Criteria (2)

09/02/05

Key Eligibility Criteria (3)

Feature films

Creative group (7pts)* Director (3)* Scriptwriter (3) * Composer (1)

Performing group(6pts)* First role (3)* Second role (2)* Third role (1)

Technical group (6pts):* Cameraman (1) * Sound recordist (1) * Editor (1) * Art Director (1) * Studio/location (1) * Post-prod. (1)

Calculation of European Elements according to the

European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production (ETS 147)19 points

Full-text cf. http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/147.htm

Ratifications, explanatory report etc. http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ListeTraites.asp

09/02/05

Feature Films, Animation, Documentaries

Support Awarded - Amounts

Max. for all projects: 700 000€

Budgets ABOVE 1.5M€:

Max . 15 % of the total production cost

Budgets BELOW 1.5M€:

Max . 20 % of the total production cost

09/02/05

Allocation between the Co-producers

Generally proportionally between producers from EURIMAGES member States

To assist producers from countries with low cinematographic production levels, possible exceptions for disproportional allocation of support for producers from “small” EURIMAGES member States within certain limits No allocation of support to co-producers from non-EURIMAGES member States

France, Italy, Germany and Spain are considered as countries with high cinematographic production levels.

Support Awarded

09/02/05

Financial Structure

Third Party Financing: national support and/or presale/MG required in each co-production country

51 % of the financing must originate from EURIMAGES member State financiers

Deferrals (including producer’s fee, overheads) and in-kind contributions are accepted as confirmed financing up to 15 % of the total production budget during the assessment period.

Level of confirmation of announced financing:EURIMAGES provides top-financing

Min. 50% confirmed financing threshold for all co-producers, including non-Eurimages member State co-producers

Financial Requirements

Furthermore, applying

producers must have no outstanding

debt vis-à-vis EURIMAGES

09/02/05

Min. between 2 co-producers from different EURIMAGES’ member States Assessed by the EURIMAGES Secretariat on the basis of the nationality and/or residence of - the heads of departments (director, scriptwriter, composer, director of photography, sound engineer, editor, art director, costumes) and of - the main roles (first, second and third role), as well as on the studio or shooting location, post-production location and services providers.

Respects the requirements set by co-production treaties

Financial co-productions, now also possible as tripartite financial co-productions, but only on condition that national recognition can be obtained

Technical & Artistic Cooperation

09/02/05

Receipt of application by the deadline

ALL documents requested (translations!) and mailing out of elements 1-7 to all Board Members

Exchange Rates (cf. http://www.coe.int/eurimages)

Verification of eligibility criteria and analysis by the Secretariat

Application Process

09/02/05

Assessment of creative, artistic and technical aspects of the co-production (director, co-producers, shooting, locations, post-production, laboratory, European character of the project)

Co-production Aspects (agreement)

Chain of title

Circulation of the film (international sales agent, distributors, TVs)

Budget (breakdown of expenditure between the co-producers, producers’ fees, overheads, contingencies, others)

Confirmation of financing threshold (Min. 50% in each

co-production country)

If necessary: Additional inquiries by the Secretariat

Application Process – Work of the Secretariat

09/02/05

The delegate co-producer => intermediary for EURIMAGES applicationBoard of Management => composed of national representatives to be contacted in advance of submitting a project (cf. list on EURIMAGES website)

Secretariat in Strasbourg:President: Mr. Jacques TOUBONExecutive Secretary: Mrs. Renate ROGINASAdministrators: Mrs. Iris CADOUX

Mrs. Katia DOLGOVAMr. Roberto OLLAMr. Andreas ATZWANGERMs. Katarzyna OZGA

When and Where

5 Deadlines per year

1 more to come in 2005

17.10.2005    (Meeting 04.- 08.12.2005)

09/02/05

Selection Criteria

Artistic merits of the project

The experience of the director, of the producers, of the artistic (authors, casting, etc.) and technical teams

The circulation potential of the project

The commercial potential of the project

The artistic and/or technical co-operation between the co-producers

The overall level of confirmed financing for the project

! No order of priority ! !Special attention for feature films for children!

Support Decisions by the Board of Management

Co-production Working Group Detailed assessment of the projects

Rotating composition of 7 members of the EURIMAGES Boardof Management

Voting Procedure

09/02/05

Support decision valid for 6 months

Support agreement: streamlining of procedure to ensure finalisation during Principal Photography

Reimbursement pro rata recoupment corridor in 1st position

Increase of time-frame for deductions from EURIMAGES’s recoupment: all presales and/or MGs concluded before completion of the answer print may be deducted, on condition that they contribute to the full financing of the project.

After the Support Decision…

09/02/05

New Payment Structure

60%

20%

20%

Facilitates the cash-flow situation of the producers

1st Instalment => 60 % upon- Signature of the support agreement - 1st day of Principal Photography

2nd Instalment => 20 % upon- Proof of availability of the Answer print - Approval of draft credits

3rd Instalment => 20 % upon- Approval of Certified accounts- Confirmation of release in all co-production countries

09/02/05

EURIMAGES

Annexe

Distribution

09/02/05

Who can apply?* Independent distributors with head office:* in EURIMAGES member states; and not in country of origin of film (i.e. of all co-producers of the film)

Depending on origin of distributor:A. EURIMAGES member States Non-member of the MEDIA-Programme, namely, Croatia, Romania, Switzerland, FYROM, Serbia-Montenegro and Turkey Support for all eligible films

B. All Eurimages member States: Distribution of feature films from non-MEDIA member States Children's films or documentaries for cinema release

Complementary to MEDIA distribution scheme

09/02/05

•Full length feature films: Fiction, Animation, Documentaries (min. 70’)•From EURIMAGES member states:

– National production from one Eurimages member state

– If a Co-production: then more than 50% of financing by co-producers from Eurimages member states

•European director •European film (19 points of European Convention)•Excluded content:

– blatantly pornographic nature– promotion of violence – open incitation to a violation of human rights

•Synergies with co-production support

Films eligible for distribution support

09/02/05

Key Features and Requirements

Type of Support:

Grant (non-repayable )

Maximum support:

8000€

Number of Applications:

Max. 2 applications pr. distributor

Release requirements:

Min. 2 prints

No previous release in applicant country until Board Meeting & Release after Board meeting of application and no later than 2 weeks after following Board meeting (~ 2-3 months)

09/02/05

Same deadlines as co-production

Distribution Working Group selects the films

Possibilty to re-apply once, if rejected Distribution budget (max. Support 8000€ and max. 50% of total budget)

See http://www.coe.int/Eurimages/ for more info

Application Process

09/02/05

EURIMAGES

Annexe

Cinema support scheme

09/02/05

Cinemas concerned:•In EURIMAGES member states without access to the MEDIA+ Programme•Commercial cinemas (min. 6 months per year) •Min. weekly screenings: 10 . Min. number of seats: 50•Technical equipment with professional standards•Safety requirements in accordance with national legislation•No pornographic cinemasCommitment of cinemas:•Min. 33% of the European films in programme•Min. 50% of screenings are European filmsAnnual supportMax. 1st year: 21.000 €Max. thereafter: 19.000 €

Cinema Support

Objective: to increase programming of European films in EURIMAGES member States

09/02/05

38 Cinemas in the Network in 2004

Application: to be sent to Eurimages Transmitted to Europa Cinemas

(http://www.europa-cinemas.org) for technical evaluation

Deadline by 30 September for support in following year

Decision: Board of Management (working group)

based on a visit report

Cinema Support

09/02/05

Want to Know More About EURIMAGES?

http://www.coe.int/Eurimages/

09/02/05

Renate ROGINASExecutive SecretaryCouncil of Europe – EURIMAGESF-67075 Strasbourg CedexTel: +33 (0)3 88 41 26 40Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 60Email: eurimages@coe.intWebsite: http://www.coe.int/Eurimages

EURIMAGESEURIMAGES