In an effort to encourage new audiences and to cultivate those already devoted to European films, the members of European Film Promotion (EFP) have developed a new project to have quality European films screened in selected cities of Europe. In spring 2007, under the title, Picture Europe! The Best of European Cinema, EFP will organize a screening series highlighting national box office hits from all over Europe.

According to EFP President, Claudia Landsberger, “Not enough effort and investment is being made to enhance the ability of “successful” national European films to be shown in other European countries. It is an unsettling reality that the majority of our films are limited to their national release. EFP has therefore decided to create a new form of cross-border marketing of European films in Europe. The aim is to create a brand which has the potential to attract a new public in Europe for quality European film.”

EFP will debut Picture Europe! in 2007 in cooperation with the EFP member organisations and selected cinemas in three European capitals. Volkswagen, EFP’s long-term partner of the SHOOTING STARS event at the Berlin International Film Festival, has made already commitments to support the event.

In EFP’s 28 member countries, recently-produced films which have had success in their native lands – and the potential to do so in other countries - will be pre-selected for Picture Europe! consideration. From this pool of films, the partner cinemas in the three cities will select 10 – 15 films which they deem appropriate for their country (this list could vary from country to country). Each film will have one screening, and two films per evening are planned. The film programme would run for one week in each cinema. The films will be shown in the original version, with subtitles in the language of the respective country.

The week-long event will begin in each city with a Opening Film and Celebration, to which the local press and selected guests from the film and television world will be invited. The film’s director and/or main actor will be invited to the presentation to take part in interviews with the press, and discussions with the public. In each city, cultural institutes will be involved.

Christian Dorsch, Managing Director of German Films and member of the EFP board of directors, stresses that “this program is to be seen as a long-term initiative to acquire and educate additional audiences for European cinema. We don’t want to copy existing festivals at all as they are doing a fantastic job already. But, with our marketing concept and the idea of highlighting national box office hits, we are convinced that we will attract a new audience right here in Europe.”

The realisation of the Picture Europe! is supported by the marketing agency GREY Hamburg. Andreas Trautmann, Managing Director: “We are really happy to support EFP with their mission. It is a very exciting task. Our team has already started the project with great enthusiasm. It is not by chance that all our team members are self-confessed film fans!”