Cannes Film Festival press release - Festival International du Film d

FILMS SUPPORTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION SINCE 2000
PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE
Paris selon Moussa
Si-Gueriki, la reine-mère
FEATURE LENGTH FILMS
Cheik Doukouré (Guinea), 2002
Idrissou Mora Kpai (Benin), 2002
Abouna
Roues libres
Sorcière, la vie
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad), 2002
Sidiki Bakaba (Ivory Coast), 2001
Monique Mbeka Phoba (DR Congo), in preproduction
Africa Paradis
Segoufanga
Un train de vies
Sylvestre Amoussou (Benin), being filmed
Mambaye Coulibaly (Mali), in preproduction
Sory Ibrahim Keita and Frédéric Mignard (Mali), 2002
Un amour d’enfant
Sia, le rêve du python
Zabou, mannequin des sables
Ben Diogaye Beye (Senegal), 2003
Dani Kouyaté (Burkina Faso), 2001
Abdoulaye Ascofaré (Mali), in preproduction
L’Appel des arènes
Le Silence de la forêt
TELEFILMS
Comboio Da Cañhoca
Didier Florent Ouénangaré and Bassek ba Kobhio
(Central Africa), 2003
Orlando Fortunato (Angola), in post-production
Siraba, la grande voix
Henri Duparc (Ivory Coast), in preproduction
La Colère des dieux
Issa Traoré de Brahima (Burkina Faso), 2001
Les Voyeurs professionnels
Idrissa Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso), 2003
Tasuma (le Feu)
Bassek ba Kobhio (Cameroon), in preproduction
Dust
Kollo Daniel Sanou (Burkina Faso), 2003
Yelema III
Richard Pakleppa (Namibia), in preproduction
Voyage à Ouaga
Mamo Cissé (Mali), in preproduction
Echoing Silences
Camille Mouyeké (Congo Brazzaville), 2001
Manu Kurewa (Zimbabwe), in preproduction
The Wooden Camera
SERIES
Fanga Saraka (le Sacrifice du pouvoir)
Ntshaveni Wa Luruli (South Africa), in post-production
Kabongo le griot
Adama Drabo (Mali), in preproduction
Zulu Love Letter
Pierre Sauvalle (animation, Cameroon), being filmed
Faro
Ramadan Suleman (South Africa), being filmed
Sita
Cheik Ndiaye (Senegal), in preproduction
Les Coupeurs de route
Missa Hébié (Burkina Faso), 2001
Salif Traoré (Mali), in preproduction
Good Mourning Max
SHORT AND MEDIUM LENGTH FILMS
Taxi brousse
Teddy Mattera (South Africa), in preproduction
Colas, le dictionnaire
Les Habits neufs du gouverneur
David Constantin (Mauritius), 2003
Kollo Daniel Sanou, Pierre Rouamba, Ignace Yechenou
and Claude Balogun (Burkina Faso-Benin), 2003
Mweze Ngangura (DR Congo), in preproduction
La Danse des infidèles
Vies de femmes
Heremakono
Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania), 2002
Camille Mouyeké (animation, Congo Brazzaville),
in preproduction
Un héros
Eating Mother
Camille Mauduech, Florence Delphine Badouet, Fatou
Kande-Senghor, Ndeye Thiam Daquo and Zara
Mahamat Yacoub, coordinated Hanny Tchelley (documentary, Ivory Coast), 2002
Zeze Gamboa (Angola), in post-production
Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), in preproduction
Le Jardin de papa
Gorel ou le mil promis
Assane Kouyaté (Mali), 2002
Jean-Michel Kibushi (animation, DR Congo), being filmed
DISTRIBUTION/PROMOTION
ASSISTANCE
Barbecue Pejo
Karmen Geï
Zeka Laplaine (DR Congo), 2003
Sékou Traoré (Burkina Faso), 2001
Kabala
L’Héritier
Petite Lumière
Jean Odoutan (FL, Benin), 2000
Joseph Gaye Ramaka (Senegal), 2001
Alain Gomis (Senegal), 2003
Chef !
The Last Respect
Safi, la petite mère
Jean-Marie Teno (doc, Cameroon), 2001
King Ampaw (Ghana), in preproduction
Rasò Ganemtoré (Burkina Faso), in preproduction
Dôlè
Madame Brouette
Le Sifflet
Imunga Ivanga (FL, Gabon), 2001
Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal), 2002
As Thiam (Senegal), being filmed
Ndeysaan (le Prix du pardon)
Molaade
Tiga, au bout du fil
Mansour Sora Wade (FL, Senegal), 2001
Rasmane Tiendrebeogo (animation, Burkina Faso),
being filmed
Pièces d’identités
Ousmane Sembène (Senegal), in post-production
Moi et mon Blanc
THE EUROPEAN UNION
AND AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC CINEMA:
A POSITIVE PARTNERSHIP
Mweze Ngangura (FL, DR of Congo), 2000
Madame Brouette by Moussa Sene Absa
Sia le rêve du python
Pierre Yaméogo (Burkina Faso), 2003
Le Silence de la forêt by Didier Florent Ouénangaré & Bassek ba Kobhio
La Colère des dieux by Idrissa Ouédraogo
Na Cidade Vazia (Dans la ville vide)
DOCUMENTARIES
Dani Kouyaté (FL, Burkina Faso), 2001
Maria João G. (Angola), in post-production
Al’lèèssi, une actrice africaine
Siraba la grande voie
Ndeysaan (le Prix du pardon)
Rahmatou Keïta (Niger), 2003
Issa Traoré de Brahima (FL, Burkina Faso), 2001
In 1975, the initial Lomé conventions laid down the foundations
Mansour Sora Wade (Senegal), 2001
Circus Baobab
Nervous Conditions
Laurent Chevallier (Guinea), 2001
for cooperation between the European Union and African,
Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), in preproduction
Fela Kuti
Nha Fala (Ma voix)
John Akomfrah (Ghana), in preproduction
Flora Gomes (Guinea-Bissau), 2002
In Search of my Grandfather
POST-PRODUCTION
AND DISTRIBUTION/PROMOTION
ASSISTANCE
Adanggaman
La Nuit de la vérité
Tony Strasburg (South Africa), in preproduction
Roger Gnoan Mbala (FL, Ivory Coast), 2001
Fanta Regina Nacro (Burkina Faso), being filmed
Mahaleo
Lumumba
L’Ombre de Liberty
Raymond Rajaonarivelo (Madagascar), being filmed
Raoul Peck (FL, Haiti), 2000
Imunga Ivanga (Gabon), in preproduction
Le Romancero
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Cultural cooperation is
an instrumental part of these relations which, over the years,
has become increasingly close. Such cooperation, carried out
by means of the European Development Fund (EDF), is unpa-
Elsie Haas (Haiti), 2001
• Budget: since 2000, 10 089 800 euros have been granted to ACP
cinema and audiovisual industries from the European Development Fund,
in all programmes
• Number of projects supported: since 2000, 76 projects have been
supported (46 of which through the ACP cinema support programme)
• ACP Countries: Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde
Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, Congo, R.D. Congo,
Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mali, Maurice, Mauritania, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sainte-Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, São Tomé & Príncipe, Salomon, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Tonga, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
photos droits réservés.
ralleled in other regions of the world in terms of development.
KEY FACTS
Support for production and distribution of ACP cinema is central to this activity. Over time, this assistance has become
increasingly fine-tuned and established such that nowadays,
the results are highly positive. Once again this year, ACP cinema is taking part in the Cannes festival with the first film from
the Central African Republic, le Silence de la forêt, co-directed
by Didier Florent Ouénangaré from Central Africa and Bassek
ba Kobhio from Cameroon, which is being presented at the
USEFUL CONTACTS
This document is not an official European Commission publication
EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
EUROPEAID COOPERATION OFFICE
AIDCO C/5 - EDUCATION AND CULTURE SECTION
200 rue de la Loi (L 41 10/30) - B-1049 Brussels - Belgium
tel : +32 2 295 59 81 / fax : +32 2 299 49 47
e-mail : [email protected]
or Secretariat - email : [email protected]
Quinzaine des réalisateurs. Apart from this, for the first time,
the European Union Cooperation Office, which is responsible
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MISSION –ACP CINEMAS
112 rue des Palais - B - 1030 Brussels - Belgium
tel : +32 2 242 00 08 / fax : +32 2 242 40 12
e-mail : [email protected]
Site: http://www.filmfestamiens.org/cinemasacp/index.html
for supporting ACP cinema, will be represented in the
European Union pavilion in the heart of the Film Market.
HE ACP CINEMA SUPPORT PROGRAMME: A BOOST FOR ACP CINEMA
CINEMA, A PRE-EMINENT INSTRUMENT FOR CULTURAL COOPERATION
Culture is one of the rare fields in which ACP countries can make themselves clearly heard. This is why
it is explicitly mentioned under title XI of the Lomé
Convention. The importance of culture for the development of ACP countries has justified the gradually
increased significance of this sector in European
Union cooperation policy. The promotion of intercultural dialogue between communities, the notion of
respect and the acknowledgement of otherness lie at
the heart of any democratisation and social integration process. As a result, it forms a crucial element
in the path towards peace. Culture also lies at the
heart of the decentralisation process. It is one of the
most obvious local dimensions of development.
Of the numerous cultural industries supported
by the European Development Fund (EDF), if
there is one that stands out in terms of its visibility and economy, it is cinema. With the development of digital video, cinematographic production has become one of the most mobile
and accessible ACP cultural assets. Cinema has
gradually asserted itself as one of the most
obvious showcases of ACP culture. Through the
7th art, the European public as well as the ACP
public are discovering the cultural diversity,
heritage, traditions and also the modernity of
ACP societies.
For this reason, support for the production and
distribution of ACP cinema is central to cultural
cooperation between the European Union and
ACP countries. The global objectives of supporting ACP cinema notably include assistance of
cinema production in ACP countries, answering
the call of cinematographic creativity in the
various regions of the ACP world, contributing to
the emergence of new talent and the renewal of
the generations of ACP directors, geographically
rebalancing the activity in favour of cinema directors in countries whose governments are less
involved in cultural policy, and supporting the promotion and distribution of ACP cinema.
150 FILMS SUPPORTED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION IN 10 YEARS
Over the past decade, the European Union has
forged its role as one of the main financial partners of cinema in ACP countries. Since 1992,
just under one hundred and fifty ACP projects
(76 of which since 2000) have benefited from
European joint financing. Amongst these films,
several significant or representative works of ACP
cinema have been selected (and awarded prizes)
at the major, international film festivals. This
year, the Quinzaine des réalisateurs at the
Cannes festival is presenting the first film from
Central Africa, le Silence de la forêt directed by
Didier Florent Ouénangaré and Bassek ba
Kobhio.
Recently, Nha Fala by Flora Gomes (GuineaBissau) and Madame Brouette by Moussa Sene
Absa (Senegal) were selected in the official competitions at Venice and Berlin respectively. In
February 2003, the 18th Panafrican Film and
Television Festival (Fespaco) at Ouagadougou
also confirmed the revival of ACP cinema production and the effectiveness of the European
Union’s involvement. Eleven films supported by
the Commission through the European
Development Fund (EDF) were screened in the
official competition and three films were selected
in the Panorama. One of these films,
Heremakono, was awarded the Etalon de
Yennenga, the Fespaco grand prix.
Through Europe’s support, apart from the wellknown directors, several young ACP filmmakers
have made their first feature length films, or are
in the process of doing so: Didier Florent
Ouénangaré (Central African Republic), Kollo
Daniel Sanou (Burkina Faso), Fanta Nacro
(Burkina Faso), Manu Kurewa (Zimbabwe),
Mahamat Saleh-Haroun (Chad), Assane Kouyaté
(Mali), Salif Traoré (Mali), Maria João G. (Angola)
and Zézé Gamboa (Angola), to name but a few.
Among these directors who receive support, several women (Tsitsi Dangarembga, Hanny Tchelley,
Monique Phoba and Tony Strasburg) have also
heightened their presence in the industry.
We are thus witnessing more films, more direc-
tors and more cinema genres. The European
Development Fund for ACP cinema and audiovisual industries is similarly diversified. Television
films, series, creative documentaries, animated
films and short fiction films are more numerous.
This “remodelling” of the ACP cinema industry is
partly the result of the European Union. Over the
years, it has increased its support of ACP cinema,
thereby enabling talented newcomers to start up
their careers and genres other than feature length fiction films to be noticed. This support has in
particular been strengthened through the establishment of new assistance mechanisms. Until
2000, the Commission’s support took the exclusive form of Indicative Programmes (national
and regional) and the all ACP fund for countries
which had signed the Lomé Convention and had
included culture as one of their fields of intervention. In 2000, in order to provide more global and
regular support of ACP cinema, the European
Commission launched an ACP cinema support
programme using the all ACP fund.
Launched in September 2000 for a three years
period, the European Commission Support
Programme has a global budget of 6 million
euros. It operates through calls for proposals. The Support Programme guarantees transparency, neutrality and professionalism in the
choices made but also improved monitoring of
assisted productions. It is managed by a
Technical Assistance Mission made up of external experts. The selection committee which
decides on the final projects is made up of
European civil servants, with the help of four leading figures from the world of cinema, (at least
two of whom are professionals from ACP countries,) designated by the European Commission.
Three calls have so far been completed and the
fourth call will be published on the European
Commission website in May 20032.
The establishment of this programme has
made it possible to geographically and linguistically rebalance the support of the European
Union in favour of ACP cinema. The creation of
films by directors from countries with no cinema industry to speak of (Mauritius, Mauritania,
Madagascar and Angola) has thus been made
possible. Likewise a greater number of
Anglophone (South Africa, Namibia, Ghana and
Zimbabwe) and Portuguese-speaking (GuineaBissau and Angola) films have been made
using European funding.
Since the creation of the Support Programme,
over 200 projects have been presented. Some
46 of them have been supported (38 have recei-
Na Cidade Vazia by Maria João G.
ved assistance for production, amounting to a
total of 4 270 000 euros and 8 have received
support for promotion/distribution, amounting
to 410 000 euros). The European Commission
launched an assessment of the Support
Programme which enabled it to better prepare
the publication of the second ACP cinema
Support Programme. This should cover the period 2004-2006.
AID FOR PRODUCTION
The programme prioritises assistance for the
production of fiction and animated films (feature
length/medium/short films) and feature length
documentaries (a minimum duration of 52
minutes, except for television reportages and
magazines, corporate or institutional films). The
films have to be filmed in format 35 mm, Super
16 or digital. Their final format has to be 35 mm,
except for documentaries, which can be on
either 35 mm or Beta. The programme also
supports the production of television films, fiction or animated series and animated films
intended for ACP television channels. Their final
format has to be on Beta. Only series with a
minimum of six episodes can be considered for
the support programme. However, mini-series
(of at least 3 episodes) can be included if the
length of each episode is more than 40 minutes.
In order to apply for production assistance, projects have to be made by directors from one of
the ACP countries. Production companies can
be based in Europe or in one of the ACP coun-
The Wooden Camera
by Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Kabongo le griot
by Pierre Sauvalle
tries (except South Africa, which has a specific
status). For television projects, the production
company has to be based in an ACP country.
AID FOR DISTRIBUTION/PROMOTION
Alongside this assistance, the programme also
supports the distribution and promotion of these
films by undertaking promotional activities
during festivals and cultural events in ACP countries. Thus in 2003, the Commission undertook
a promotion campaign in Cannes for ACP cinema, notably by organising screenings of the supported films at the Film Market. It also supports
organisational activities, through the European
Coordination of Festivals, with a meeting on distribution in ACP-UE cinemas2. But above all the
Commission, along with its usual partners for
cinema from the South, is going to set up an
assistance mechanism for ACP operators and
distributors. This support, which is more global
and structured, will replace the specific aid for
the distribution of certain works, as the implementation of this distribution was often found to
be a delicate operation for filmmakers.
AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE
Production of feature length fiction
or animated films: 100 000 to 400 000 euros
Production of short or medium length fiction
or animated films, production of feature length
documentaries: 30 000 to 150 000 euros
Production of telefilms, fiction
or animated series, animated films
for television: 30 000 to 80 000 euros
Mahaleo
by Raymond Rajaonarivelo
NOT FORGETTING…
Colas, le dictionnaire
by David Constantin
Un Héros by Zézé Gamboa
Petite Lumière by Alain Gomis
L'Héritier
by Jean-Michel Kibushi
Zulu Love Letter
by Ramadan Suleman
ACP FILMS AT CANNES
As part of its promotion and distribution activities
for ACP films, the European Commission is organising screenings during the Film Market at
Cannes. The Film Festival and its market are unrivalled showcases for this type of cinema. Thus
two screenings will be presented every day at the
cinema Les Arcades, from 15th to 23rd May. The
following films will be shown: la Colère des dieux
by Idrissa Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso, 2003),
Tasuma by Kollo Daniel Sanou (Burkina Faso,
2003), Madame Brouette by Moussa Sene Absa
(Senegal, 2002), Nha Fala by Flora Gomes
(Guinea-Bissau, 2002), Colas, le dictionnaire by
David Constantin (Mauritius, 2003), Petite
Lumière by Alain Gomis (Senegal, 2003), Si
Gueriki by Idrissou Mora Kpai (Benin, 2002),
Paris selon Moussa by Cheik Doukouré (Guinea,
2002), le Silence de la forêt by Didier
Ouénangaré and Bassek ba Kobhio (Central
Africa, 2003) and Moi et mon Blanc by Pierre
Yaméogo (Burkina Faso, 2003). These screenings
are organised jointly with the French Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, the CNC, the Francophone
Intergovernmental Agency, TV5 and CFI.
The Commission also supports cinema through
a Support Programme for the cultural policy of
Mali. This programme was launched in 2000
and makes it possible to provide support for the
production of 5 projects, including 3 feature
length fiction films. It will end in December
2003 and may be renewed in the National
Indicative Programme for Mali for a period of 3
years.
The Commission also takes part in a program-
me to train audiovisual technicians, conducted
by the Cirtef (French-Speaking Radio and
Television International Council), as well as existing aid mechanisms for rewriting scripts (Script
Development Aid Fund at the International Film
Festival of Amiens). In the near future, even
greater emphasis will be placed on training
and scriptwriting assistance, notably in the
context of the ACP Cinema Support
Programme. In addition, with regard to the dis-
tribution of ACP films, the Commission supports cinematography events in ACP countries (Fespaco in Ouagadougou, the Festival of
Short Films in Abidjan), and in Europe (the
Festival of African Films in Milan). Other specific initiatives are also supported, such as
Cinéma numérique ambulant (CNA), which distributes films in rural areas on DVD in Benin
and Togo and soon also in Niger and Mali.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MISSION – ACP CINEMAS
Following a call for tender, the Journées cinématographiques d’Amiens, an association with longstanding experience in ACP cinema, was selected
to create a committee of experts in Brussels,
which is responsible for assisting the European
Commission in its policy to support ACP cinema.
1
2
Established since 20th January 2000, the
Technical Assistance Mission - ACP cinemas is
mainly involved with the provision of highly specialised expertise on the financial and technical
feasibility of the applications received and their
artistic quality (working with external readers) and
The call for proposals will be available on the Commission website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/tender/index_fr.htm
Brussels, June 2003.
establishing contracts for support between the
European Commission and the producers concerned. In addition, it undertakes the monitoring
tasks for all of the funding projects and also acts
in an advisory capacity to the Commission on all
aspects of ACP cinematography assistance.