EU’s Oscar rival canned

Date: 02/07/1998

By Peter Chapman

EUROPEAN plans to launch a rival to the US film industry's Oscars ceremony are on hold after the European Commission pulled itself out of the nominations to run the event.

Film Commissioner Marcelino Oreja gave lukewarm support to Italian proposals for an awards scheme when culture ministers met earlier this year, saying the Commission would investigate the idea if industry came up with firm suggestions.

Commission sources now say the plan to boost the sector has little support and is unlikely to get off the ground during the Austrian EU presidency. "The Austrians are very much in favour of giving cultural policies a high profile. But there is not really much enthusiasm for this plan," said one top film policy official. "We don't foresee an initiative at EU level on this. The member states are reluctant to go for it."

The Oscars plan is likely to be discussed next when a Commission-led think-tank of top film industry experts meets next Thursday (9 July). But industry insiders say that the awards proposal is unlikely to make headway before the group unveils its final report in September. "Oreja has said he is keen if industry is keen to do it, but not otherwise. The Commission will collaborate but only once a formal plan has been presented by industry," said one.

Others fear the Oscars scheme would detract from existing film award ceremonies such as the European Film Academy's Felixes.

The set-back comes at a time when Europe's music industry is pushing forward with its own EU-wide awards scheme, designed to boost the profile of the sector among Union decision-makers.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) will hold its second Platinum Europe Awards ceremony in Brussels next week, honouring more than 100 artists who have sold 1 million copies of an album in the European market in the last year. "Platinum Europe is a powerful expression of European identity by our young people, and it is an expression that I believe politicians and governments in Europe should heed," said Commission President Jacques Santer, who will attend next week's ceremony.

Feature on attempts to create a European film and music identity by the introduction of European awards ceremonies.