Press Release: Funding for European cinema: significant increase in new Member States’ applications for EU support

Applications from the new EU Member States for funding from the EU's MEDIA programme increased substantially over the past years and in some cases even tripled. This was highlighted on 1 July at the opening of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2005, which is a barometer for the development of cinema in the enlarged Union. 8 films, which had been supported by the MEDIA Programme, were either in competition or the Variety Critic's Choice. MEDIA supports the trans-frontier distribution of nine out of ten European films. It had been extended to the new Member States already prior to accession to ensure their active participation in this programme.

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