Having maintained a low public profile at Cannes, the Distribution Consortium grouping EFDO, EVE, Euro Aim, GRECO, Europa Cinémas have gone public, slamming the way that France's CNC introduced proposals on an automatic distribution system at last Saturday's Cannes summit of European national film institute reps.
The Consortium has also denied the reported acceptance given to the proposals.
It also questions their practicality and their effects, ignoring the needs of the EU's smaller countries.
EFDO President Dieter Kosslick did, however, express qualified interest in an idea aired by MEDIA Programme head Jacques Delmoly that MEDIA's current theatrical distribution arm, EFDO, could incorporate the French governments' proposals for an «automatic» distribution scheme if these were modified.
A meeting yesterday of international distributors body, FIAD, reportedly suggested the idea of combining the «automatic system» with an extended EFDO system with a budget of Ecu100 ($128) million divided 50/50 between the two, leaving Ecu50 ($64) million for other distribution action- lines in exhibition and video.
The «automatic» distribution scheme, as presented by France's CNC, would subsidise distributors according to European films' theatrical performance in the EU outside their home markets.
«The ‘automatic system' was not ‘received favourably' at the summit,» said Kosslick. «People just listened politely. There was no real discussion. This is an unfriendly take-over of MEDIA 2 distribution responsibilities.»
«It's impracticable, meaning the monitoring of thousands of contracts,» said EFDO's Ute Schneder. «Nationwide box-office statistics are not readily available in most EU countries.»
The scheme, said EVE head John Dick, ignored Europe's video sector. «Nobody in the European video sector would support it,» he said.
JOHN HOPEWELL
David Aukin, head of drama at the UK's
C4 tells Nick Thomas about its strategy
In the light of Channel 4's healthy end of year profits, and the pre-Cannes announcement of an extra £4m for production, the UK broadcaster's head of films David Aukin is clearly on a roll. While his company is already the UK's chief backer of film projects, however, he is wary of too much expansion. «We keep it contained and small, and that is quite crucial,» he said.
Channel 4' s impressive slate at Cannes, nevertheless includes three films in competition (The Neon Bible, Madness and Sean Hinds' short The Pan Loaf, as well as two films in directors' fortnight - Safe, and Le Confessional
«It's a potentially very exciting time to be working - there is real energy out there,» he explained. «People are not just interested in the traditional British heritage movie. The success of films like Shallow Grave has provided an enormous fillip to the British filmmaking community, especially the younger generation. Suddenly they see themselves enfranchised for a certain kind of film which maybe wasn't being made 10 years ago.»
«So many of our films are with first-time directors, writers and producers: the development period is a crucial one to get to know these people, and to build trust on both side. We spend about £1 million on development, which is nothing by US standards but for the UK is critical.»
So could the UK talent base support a significantly higher level of funding?
«I think three years ago the answer would be no, we
didn't have the projects around. But today I think we have built a head of steam and there are the projects around.»
«At the moment we're happy to fully finance films up to US$2.5 million. We'd like, obviously, to make films with slightly higher budgets - up to US$10 million, a film like The Madness of King George. We should be producing films at that level... One of the dangers is to let the availability of money dictate the pace of production: that must always be dictated by the quality of the screenplay.
«The reputation of British screenwriters is very high internationally now. There is now a constant flow of really interesting new talent emerging.»
Aukin points out that most of the 15-18 films he commissions each year are from new UK directors, writers and producers. Although films from Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Peter Greenaway and even Arthur Penn are in the pipeline.
«One of the sea changes that has occurred in the last two years is that British audiences have regained confidence in going to see a British film. That confidence works for the industry across the board. A film like Shallow Grave is possibly of more significance even than Four Weddings.»
Tony Curtis scuttles into town
Recently presented with a Chevalier des Arts medal by the French cultural-affairs minister, Tony Curtis rolled into Cannes in all his flamboyancy to promote his, and Shoreline Pictures', latest feature, Reptile Man.
Written and directed by Stewart Schill, the film brings the story of an actor who, having achieved fame and fortune in 60s television series, finds himself desperate to live out, and on, the legend of the Reptile Man, and what was once a fabulous career.
With the help of Tadpole, his faithful sidekick, Jack Steele (also played by Curtis), who has isolated himself from the realities of life, hopes against all hope to prolong and boost his acting career and at the same time come to terms with his past.
Giles Bones
Soul Survivor set to air
Toronto-based Norstar has sold all Latin American television rights to Soul Survivor to Solomon International Entertainment, the company announced yesterday. TV deals are also pending in Benelux, Iceland and Norway for the Critics' Week opener.
Norstar, a Canadian distributor and foreign sales company, has moved away from producing action genre films like Iron Eagle 4 towards upscale arthouse and family fare. In addition to Soul Survivor, Norstar is producing family adventureSalt Water Mist, starring Timothy Dalton and Lolita Davidovich. The film tells of a city boy who teams with a country girl to bring two wild moose together. The company handles Canadian releasing of the entire Sony Pictures Classics slate. Andrew Hindes
Former boxing champ John Salé is in town to look for financing for his first feature as a producer, Strays. With him is Strays director-star, Vin Diesel, whose award-winning short Multi-facial is screening in the market today. «I financed this trip with the last money I earned from boxing,» said Salé. «People affiliated to the World Boxing Organisation promised a third of the US$2m budget on the condition that I could find a distributor.»
PolyGram boss slams Channel 4's claim of being the main supporter of UK film industry
Kuhn slams C4
PolyGram's, ceo, Michael Kuhn yesterday launched a scathing attack on UK rival Channel 4's claims to be the main supporters of the British film industry.
«They often put tuppence into our movies and then complain when they only get 5 million bucks back. So screw them!» said Kuhn, announcing his company's upcoming projects.
PolyGram's slate includes a musical, based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, to be written by Jim Steinman and Andrew Lloyd Webber, through the latter's Really Useful Films. Other features based on Lloyd Webber's stage musicals, namely Joseph, Aspects of Love, and Starlight Express, are expected to follow.
Under the PolyGram umbrella, Working Title's upcomingproducitons include the latest from the Coen brothers, Fargo, and the feature version of Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean, along with a US$30m + actioner Gridiron, and a remake of Planet of the Apes.
With the recently acquired ITC, PolyGram is planning a feature (with Patrick McGoohan) based on TV cult favourite The Prisoner, and a ‘megabudget' version of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds.
For PolyGram, these come on top of Jane Campion's US$26m Portrait of a Lady, Barry Levinson's Sleepers, Tim Robbins' Dead Man Walking, and the already notorious Barb Wire, with Pamela Anderson.
Kuhn also announced plans to expand PolyGram's international distribution arm, following the successful launch of PolyGram Film International in the UK. Australia will have a distribution set-up by 1997, with Italy, Germany and Japan to follow. In addition, the company plans to produce, as well as distribute, films in all these territories.
PolyGram is also involved in talks at Cannes with other European mini-majors (including Rank, Bertelsmann, RCS. Sogepaq, and Chargeurs) and the European commissioner responsible for audiovisual affairs, Marceline Oreja, about the possibility — and attractiveness — of setting up a European film bank guarantee scheme, presently under a feasibility study.
PolyGram, which has an office in Brussels, is clearly looking to European Union authorities rather than the UK government for support. For Kuhn, though PolyGram's commitment to the UK film industry is clear, the UK government's role is now ‘irrelevant.'
NICK THOMAS
EU distribution group attacks French move