FERA at UNIC Conference “We Love the Big Screen” in the European Parliament
19 February 2020
The third edition of We Love the Big Screen Conference, organized by UNIC/ International Union of Cinemas, took place on February 18, 2020, at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by MEP Laurence Farreng (FR, RE), MEP Tomasz Frankowski (PL, EPP), and MEP Ibán García del Blanco (ES, S&D) and gathered key industry stakeholders and policymakers to explore current trends and opportunities for cinema exhibition in the EU and beyond.
Engaging cinemagoers and finding new ways of bringing them to the cinema room as well as the future of the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme were some of the main topics addressed throughout the conference.
FERA CEO Pauline Durand-Vialle spoke on the second panel Looking ahead – European Policies for film and cinemas, focusing on what to expect from the renewed EU Institutions in terms of audiovisual legislation in the European Digital Single Market Strategy and support for the European audiovisual industry. She summarized key challenges currently faced by EU filmmakers and underlined that MEDIA support is essential to the audiovisual industry and its European flavor, in terms of quality and diversity. The panel was introduced by MEP Ibán García del Blanco and ACT Senior EU Policy Officer Johanna Baysse and moderated by Celluloid Junkie Senior Writer Helen Budge. Other speakers on the panel included Creative Europe MEDIA Head of Unit (EU Commission, DG CONNECT) Lucia Recalde, Europa Distribution Managing Director Christine Eloy and International of Cinemas Senior Vice-president and Co-CEO of Cines Filmax Gran Via Jaime Tarrazón.
Photo ©: UNIC/ International Union of Cinemas