Italy has once again hosted the Board of Management of Eurimages after nine years. The two-day meeting, held on 25 and 26 June, took place in the innovative setting of Teatro 18 at the Cinecittà Studios, and was preceded by a presentation meeting of the Fund for Italian producers.
Eurimages, of which Italy is one of the founding countries, is the cultural film fund of the Council of Europe and operates across 39 European member states and Canada. Each member state appoints a representative to the Board, who also sits on the Fund’s Executive Committee on a rotating basis, with the exception of France, Germany, and Italy, which are permanent members.
The Board meets twice a year and takes all decisions regarding the Fund’s budget and strategy.
Since its establishment in 1989, the Fund has supported over 2,600 feature films, including fiction, animation, and documentaries produced through international co-productions. It also supports exhibition and promotes marketing at early stages, as well as the joint development of projects, while fostering gender equality, diversity, and environmental sustainability in film production.
Representatives of the member states were welcomed by Giorgio Carlo Brugnoni, Director General of Cinema and Audiovisual. He conveyed greetings from Alessandro Giuli the Minister of Culture and Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary of State for Cinema and Audiovisual. Maria Letizia Santangelo, Head of the Office for the Promotion of Italian Culture at the Directorate General for Growth and Export Promotion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; and Antonio Saccone, President of Cinecittà, were also present to welcome members.
“The return of the Eurimages Board of Management to Italy, nine years after Venice 2017, demonstrates our country’s central role in Eurimages since its inception. Gathering representatives of the member states in Rome was an opportunity to reaffirm the strategic value of European cooperation in the audiovisual sector and our shared commitment to the culture, creativity, and competitiveness of European cinema” stated Giorgio Carlo Brugnoni, Director General of Cinema and Audiovisual.
“Every meeting of the Board is an opportunity to reaffirm what Eurimages stands for: trust between partners, openness to new creative voices, and a shared commitment to quality independent filmmaking. Italy has long played a central role in the Fund, and gathering in Rome offers an inspiring setting to continue shaping the future of international co-production” said Roberto Cicutto, President of the Eurimages Fund.