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4 Screens European Festival kicks off

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Cineuropa

Film, television, Internet and mobile phones: the increased means of broadcasting amidst the digital revolution and its impact on content production are the focus of the second edition of the 4 Screens European Festival (November 14-16), which kicks off today in Paris.

Headed by Hervé Chabalier (director of the Capa Agency and author of the book Le Dernier pour la Route, which is currently being adapted for the big screen), the event is hosting 45 films, three competitions, and 12 conferences and meetings at MK2 Bibliothèque and the French National Library (BnF).

The Cinema-TV line-up features 16 French premieres, which all reflect the reality of contemporary life. Titles include Estonian director Ilmar Raag’s The Class [trailer], Greek filmmaker Thanos AnastopoulosCorrection, Raoul Peck’s TV drama L'Ecole du pouvoir (“School of Power”) and documentaries from Germany, Spain, Hungary, the UK, Switzerland and Holland. The works will be judged by a jury presided by architect Jean Nouvel and comprised, among others, of French-Icelandic director Solveig Anspach.

There will be two other competitive sections: Web-Mobile Phone Videos and Phone Reporters Images.

As part of the University of Images, the festival has organised a one-and-a-half day symposium on the challenges faced by the audiovisual sector in the digital age. To be opened by Aviva Silver (head of the Media Programme unit), this reflective gathering will tackle the following issues: "New technologies and cultural diversity" (led by Anne Durupty - National Film Centre (CNC)); "The challenges of digital for audiences" (Philippe Reynaert - Wallimage); "Tax mechanisms: country of origin principle versus European production and distribution" (Guy Daleiden - Luxembourg National Support Fund for Audiovisual Production); and "In the digital age, which public policies should be implemented for which European film industries?" (Katerina Besserova from the Czech Culture Ministry).

Conferences will analyse the following subjects: "Operators and the digital revolution" (led by Finland’s Ismo Silvo of public TV network YLE and the US’ Jean-Briac Perrette of NBC Universal Digital Distribution) and "The US, Europe and digital" (led by Xavier Couture - Orange).

Finally, other issues to be discussed at the numerous planned meetings include "Producing for 4 screens: creating and financing content", "4 screens and the people who use them: a new category of producers?" and "4 screens in the classroom: training tomorrow’s audiovisual professionals" (led by Nik Powell, director of the National Film & Television School).

Fabien Lemercier cineuropa.org