Luxembourg signs the revised European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production in Rotterdam
As part of the 46e Rotterdam International Film Festival that Pierre-Louis Lorenz, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in The Hague (Netherlands), signed the revised European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production on Monday 30 January 2017.
This new Convention builds on the success of the 1992 European Cultural Convention - to which Luxembourg was already a signatory - and offers an updated legal and financial framework for producers from different countries wishing to cooperate in the production of a film.
The new text aims to give producers greater flexibility in international co-productions and also updates the procedures for obtaining the nationality of a film in the countries involved in the co-production. In addition, the scope of the Convention has been extended to allow non-European countries to benefit from the treaty's provisions. This is in line with the recent opening of the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund to countries outside Europe, such as Canada.
In addition to Luxembourg, the countries taking part in the signing ceremony were the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The other member countries of the Council of Europe are also expected to sign the new text within a year, bringing the total number of member countries to 47.
Guy Daleiden, Director of the Fonds national de soutien à la production audiovisuelle, who was present at the ceremony, welcomed the forthcoming implementation of this new treaty, which is more flexible for countries such as Luxembourg, which is resolutely committed to international co-production and an active member of the Eurimages Fund. This simplified agreement will definitely encourage cross-border collaboration.
Photo from L to R: Pierre-Louis Lorenz, Luxembourg Ambassador in The Hague (Netherlands), Guy Daleiden, Director of the Film Fund Luxembourg, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Doreen Boonekamp, Director of the Netherlands Film Fund, Roberto Olla, Executive Director of Eurimages, the European Film Fund, Bero Beyer, Director of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
