The European Film Promotion Celebrates 15 Years in Existence.
The European Film Promotion (EFP), to which Ireland is a member, is celebrating its 15th year in existence. A new idea was born and a new flag flown for films from across Europe when European Film Promotion (EFP) was founded 15 years ago. On February 16, 1997, ten European promotion and export organisations joined forces during the Berlin International Film Festival, to demonstrate the wealth of films from various individual countries and to bring them onto the screen for audiences around the globe.
A network was built up and it has grown continuously. More and more countries from the new united Europe petitioned to join. Today, EFP has expanded to include 32 individual organisations representing 33 European countries - and EFP is still the only umbrella organisation of its kind promoting European cinema and its talent worldwide, supported right from the start by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union and the EFP member organisations.
Two events that the EFP organise annually are ‘Shooting Stars’ and ‘Producers on the Move.’
In 1998 for the first time, 16 exciting young European actors were presented as ‘Shooting Stars’ at the Berlin International Film Festival, including Rachel Weisz, Franka Potente and Melvil Poupaud. "This was EFP's first official step to supporting young up-and-coming talent, which has become a central and vital goal of our organisation", says Renate Rose, managing director of EFP since its inception. In 2000, the EFP members created another new initiative which is connected to the Cannes International Film Festival. With ‘Producers on the Move’, some of Europe's top young up-and-coming producers are selected annually to exchange ideas and discuss the possibilities of co-productions.
Close cooperations to other festivals and markets around the globe have been established over the years, from South Korea (Busan) to Los Angeles, from Toronto to Hong Kong, from Buenos Aires to Guadalajara. Each programme organised in close cooperation with the international partners was individually designed to foster the distribution of films and give them widespread recognition through common efforts.
Apart from the joint networking and promotional events, the EFP members also benefit from the contacts and the know-how which has come together at EFP. "In times of swiftly developing technology as well as changing political and economic conditions at the film markets abroad, EFP's members are increasingly relying on the community as a competence centre where facts and figures, experiences and knowledge are exchanged", says EFP President Christian Juhl Lemche. "In developing collaborative projects, each EFP member comes along with tools unique to their respective country and culture. When these resources are pooled together, there is an extraordinary depth of information and creativity which guide the decisions concerning these projects and initiatives."
EFP is totally European, multilingual and multicultural, and it is reaching further east. Georgia was the latest country joining EFP at the end of 2011. "Regardless of cultural differences, we manage to cooperate easily. What we have in common is the love for film and the wish to share this love with audiences worldwide", Renate Rose concludes.
The next step on EFP's agenda is the introduction of this year's SHOOTING STARS at the Berlinale. EFP presents Europe's most remarkable acting talent in a series of events, culminating in the SHOOTING STARS Award ceremony at the Berlinale Palast on Monday night, February 13.