Reports Previous Workshops
Seventh Workshop – 27 to 29 September 2017 – Finstadjordet, Norway
Introduction
This introduction to the 7th Medici report outlines:
- The most recent and urgent challenges that the public film funds have been facing
- The most recent policy actions that Medici has inspired;
The challenges will be discussed in more details throughout the report.
Challenges
- Funds should insist more on the applicant’s track-record
- Funds should help young filmmakers boost their creativity and create meaning through audiovisual works.
- How to cope with the influence that political changes and changes of the government exert on public funding in the film sector?
- Some countries still do not have tax incentives even though the film industry and funds want them (Sweden, for example).
- New digital players disrupt the traditional ecosystem
- Some public funds finance distributors even though they are not in touch with them. How to better control the distribution money?
- How to ensure that a diversity of voices is funded?
- Changing laws and regulations within the audiovisual sector – how to find new models?
- Making supported films more internationally visible
- How to recognize new good talent worth developing?
- How to replace the old with the new system, but still run them in parallel during the transition period?
- Balancing between “old school” and “new school” funding mechanisms
- Attract more international productions through tax incentives and thus convincing politicians that the subsidies make sense.
- Incentivizing producers to secure additional financing through international co-productions
- More professional training for all functions within the film industry – both below the line and above the line.
- How to engage with VR projects? Should the funds do it at all?
- Securing more gender balance
Medici-inspired policy actions
- Some funds were inspired to experiment more with new media and thus introduced, for example, game development support schemes.
- Some funds were inspired to introduce separate schemes for international promotion of the films they support.
- Introduction of schemes for slate development and production of multiple projects in a row or simultaneously.
- Some funds signed co-production agreements (The Netherlands and Wallonia Brussels Federation)
- Some funds emerged the same time as Medici and Medici helped them develop throughout the years.
- Some funds were inspired to introduce talent development schemes after hearing the presentations from Telefilm Canada and the Netherland Film Fund.
- Gender equality initiatives inspired by the schemes at the Swedish Film Institute.
- Medici, in general, is the only place where funds strategically go to exchange ideas about the schemes and implement them back at home. The only other place where it happens is during some film festivals, but Medici provides a more relaxing atmosphere for learning and exchange.
The Role of Public Film Funds in the Future
- Introduction
- Module 1 – What are the essential and relevant core values of public funds?
- Module 2 – How to design funding programs today?
- Module 3 – How to take risk and experiment?
- Module 4 – Is diversity essential for reaching the audiences? Are there tools for evaluating the diversity of audiences?
- Presentation of the study “Current state of investment of national and regional public funds in Europe for professional training”
- Module 5 – How to integrate new technologies and players in the value chain?
- Module 6 – Distribution and Promotion Schemes
- Module 7 – Engaging with Future