FERA Statement: EU Filmmakers in support of their Montenegrin colleagues
27 October 2023
European Filmmakers in support of their Montenegrin colleagues
European Screen Directors hail the European Union’s cultural policy objectives to “respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity” and “ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced”. Culture is a permanent, living feature of political reality.
While European Member States are responsible for their own cultural policies, the EU helps them to address common challenges, including the impact of revolutionary digital technologies on the cultural and creative sectors. The EU also supports actions to preserve cultural heritage and promotes cooperation and transnational exchanges between cultural institutions in the Member States.
The political importance of culture needs to be reflected in the choice of the individual appointed to the position of Minister of Culture: a thorough understanding of cultural affairs is a prerequisite, as is a clear vision for the further development of culture in its various aspects in changing times.
The risk in appointing an individual with no such qualification are significant: from neglect of cultural and artistic heritage to a negative impact on contemporary creation as it enters the digital era and faces fundamental changes affecting all creators’ artistic freedom and livelihood.
At a time of paradigm shift for culture and creation, we need true champions appointed as Culture Ministers. Montenegro and our local colleagues deserve no less.
You can read the Montenegrin cultural organisations October 2023 statement here:
About Us
Founded in 1980, FERA represents the independent voice of European film and TV directors in Brussels. With 49 organizations as members from 35 countries, it speaks for more than 20,000 European film and TV directors, representing their cultural, creative and economic interests at national and EU level.
Honorary President: Jasmila ŽBANIĆ (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ambassadors: Marco BELLOCCHIO (Italy), Isabel COIXET (Spain), Agnieszka HOLLAND (Poland), Michaël R. ROSKAM (Belgium), Charles STURRIDGE (UK), István SZABÓ (Hungary)
Executive Committee: Bill ANDERSON (United Kingdom), Chair; Elisabet GUSTAFSSON
(Sweden), Honorary Treasurer; Eugenia ARSENIS (Greece), Ida GRØN (Denmark), Lou JEUNET (France), Salvador SIMÓ BUSOM (Spain), Martijn WINKLER (Netherlands), Klemen DVORNIK, (co-opted, Slovenia), Chiara SAMBUCHI (co-opted, Germany)
EU Transparency Register Id No. 29280842236-21
FERA AISBL
Fédération Européenne des Réalisateurs de l’Audiovisuel /
Federation of European Screen Directors
Rue du Prince Royal 85-87 – 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique
+32 (0)2 551 08 94 – office@filmdirectors.eu
Download the PDF version of the statement