Editor

As part of the German-French Film Academy, which was founded in June 2000 by Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the French President Jacques Chirac, representatives of the German and French film industry brought the Franco-German Film Rendez-Vous into being to intensify the exchange of views and experiences between the two countries.

This year's meeting, for which over 200 participants have already registered, will take place in Cologne. The event is supported by CNC, FFA, German Films, Unifrance, Filmstiftung NRW, ARTE, WDR, the city of Cologne and several regional flim funds in Germany and France. Véronique Cayla (CNC) and Peter Dinges (FFA) will open the third Film Rendez-Vous on November 18 with leading producers, directors and other representatives of the film industry.

Various panels will offer an opportunity to discuss the different problems in the field of co-production. Some of the producers will make presentations of their co-productions: Les murs porteurs by Cyril Gelblat (Delante Films/CMW Film Company), Echange by Christian Ditter (Neos Film/Hector Films), Perfume by Tom Tykwer (Constantin Film/NEF), La Comédie du pouvoir by Claude Chabrol (Alicéleo/Integral Film) and Pour aller au ciel, il faut mourir by Djamshed Usmonov (Elzevir Film/Pandora Film).

FFA, CNC as well as German and French regional funds will analyse the opportunities for film financing in Germany and France. In addition, regional institutions will provide information about the range of support measures for location shoots. Moreover, producers and directors will be able to pitch their projects.

Two panels will be organised on the subject of television on Saturday: one on ARTE and the „Grand Accord“, and another on the acquisition and programming policies of the public and private stations in France and Germany.
Moreover, distributors, cinema programmers and journalists will discuss the press and marketing strategies of current European films.

The „Franco-German Film Rendez-Vous“ association is managed by Margaret Menegoz (president of Unifrance and managing director of Les Films du Losange), the vice-presidents are Kirsten Niehuus (managing director of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg) and Peter Sehr (director and producer of P’artisan Film).

For further information please contact Mariette Rissenbeek, T. +49-599 787 15, email: rissenbeek@german-films.de.