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October 2004
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FIAPF
will launch new, improved regulatory system for international
film festivals in 2005
After
several months consulting with the film industry and accredited
film festivals, FIAPF recently completed an ambitious top-down
reform of its international film festivals' regulation and accreditation
systems. The new set of rules will apply from 1st January 2005.
Amongst the significant changes made by FIAPF are:
- the
establishment of a Festivals Committee composed of representatives
from FIAPF and the accredited international film festivals
- a
greater emphasis on preventing piracy of films - accredited
FIAPF festivals should represent Best Practice in this field
- an
annual publication listing accredited FIAPF festivals, with
data on their performance
- coordination
and conflict resolution template over dates
FIAPF
intends that appointments to the Festivals' Committee will be finalised
by the end of the year, and first meeting to be held during the Berlin
International Film Festival next February. "This is a substantive
and comprehensive reform - says FIAPF President Andrés Vicente
Gomez - we have listened to the film industry and the film festivals
themselves and have designed a standard that will be more useful to
the business and provide added credibility to accredited film festivals.
Click here to download the full text of the new FIAPF international Film Festival
regulations
EU
Commission report on Digital Rights' Management (DRMs) acknowledges
producers' concerns with piracy
In
a report summarising the conclusions of works by a High Level
Groups on DRMs, the European Commission in Brussels acknowledges
producers' concerns with the security of films and audiovisual
content in the broadband environment. In particular, the report
emphasises the importance of Europe's Copyright Directive which
- though it is yet to be implemented in many Member States -
guarantees the legal protection of technical protection measures
designed by rights holders to prevent unlicensed uses of their
programming. The report also supports the film and music industry's
strategic concern with devising public policies to encourage
consumers' migration away from peer-to-peer networks which permit
the widespread unauthorised distribution of copyrighted content,
towards legal services providing films and music at competitive
prices.
However, much remains to be done to drive industrial policy in Europe in a direction
that will guarantee the future of DRMs as a safe and secure conduit for content
distribution to the consumer. In a paper laying out comments and remarks of the
High Level Group report, FIAPF gave the report a qualified welcome, pointing
out the need for the EU Commission to continue to facilitate a constructive dialogue
on contend security between all the stakeholders in the digital economy.
Click here to download the full text of FIAPF's comments on the High level
Group report
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JULY 2004
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FIAPF's
response to EU Com consultation cautions Brussels against the extension
of collective management to the broadband universe
In a formal submission
to the European Commission at the end of June, FIAPF called for collective
rights' management to be used only as a last resort. The submission
highlights FIAPF's belief that "copyright legislation and
robust enforcement, combined with attractive business
propositions backed up by secure end-to-end delivery technology,
will provide the answers to the digital challenge in the medium
term" FIAPF also called on the European Commission to play
a proactive role in bringing about intersectional coordination
for DRM development in Europe.
The FIAPF submission is a response to a formal Communication
by the Commission on collective rights management. Brussels believes
primary legislation may be necessary to bring about a genuine Internal
Market for existing collective rights' management in Europe.
FIAPF broadly supported this objective and called for legislation to
deliver high standards of transparency and accountability amongst
Europe's collecting societies.
The full text of the FIAPF response is available
from the Europe Section in the Advocacy and Policy area
Former US Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman takes over MPA leadership
The long search for a successor to the legendary Motion Picture Association President Jack Valenti finally came to an close on July 1, when the MPA Board announced they had recruited Dan Glickman. Valenti's departure brings to an end a flamboyant tenure of 38 years, during which Hollywood successfully absorbed the shockwaves of several technology revolutions, the rise of independent film and hyper-inflation in production costs.
From 1995 till 2001, Glickman was Secretary of Agriculture, where he acquired a strong reputation in the negotiation of international trade agreements. The incoming MPA President is also a former member of the United States Congress, where he served for 18 years and was active in various committees including the House Judiciary Committee and its Copyright and Intellectual Property Subcommittee and as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Most recently, after his tenure as Agriculture Secretary, Glickman
was the Director of the Institute of Politics at the prestigious University
of Harvard, Massachusetts.
FIAPF President Andrés Gomez welcomed Glickman's appointment: "In Jack
Valenti, FIAPF had an enthusiastic supporter with a refined understanding
of the need for film producers the world over to reinforce their common
agenda in the fight for the protection of their IP rights and the containment
of global piracy. I am confident that in Dan Glickman the MPA will
have another first rate leader, and one who will continue to support
the work of our federation with the same coherence.
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MAY 2004
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Legendary MPA head to be honoured
at FIAPF Cannes AGM
Jack Valenti, the legendary President
and CEO of the Motion Pictures Association (MPA) paid his first visit
to FIAPF in 1966, shortly after his own appointment at the head of
the American studios' organisation. On his last Cannes Festival as
MPA chief, Jack will be our guest of honour at the General Assembly,
where he will give a valedictory speech.
"Under Jack's stewardship, the MPA became the most prestigious industrial
lobby in the world.", said FIAPF President Andrés Vicente Gomez :"Jack's
visit to our Cannes AGM will be an opportunity for us all to celebrate a unique
personality, whose charisma, intelligence and leadership qualities are universally respected by everyone, including those who have crossed swords with him over industry politics.".
Also on the agenda for the AGM is a discussion of FIAPF's planned reform of the
International Film Festivals' Regulations, a look at anti-piracy issues and developments
with WIPO's Broadcasters' Rights' Treaty proposal.
Access AGM documents now, in the FIAPF Meetings' section.
FIAPF to meet with accredited Festivals in Cannes, 15th May
FIAPF President Andrés Gomez, Director General Bertrand Moullier and members
of FIAPF's Executive Committee are to hold a meeting in Cannes with a cross-section
of its accredited international film festivals' directors. The meeting will be
an opportunity for FIAPF to present some conclusions from an open consultation
with festival directors, which started at the Berlinale this year (see story
below) and to outline it proposals for substantive changes to its International
Festivals' Regulations.
"We made good progress since Berlin", said FIAPF Director General Bertrand Moullier: "the consultation with the accredited festivals has been frank and open and we've opened up to new festivals too. We've also spoken to industry and have listened to their concerns very seriously, particularly around the need to protect films from piracy." FIAPF intends to have its new Regulations approved by its Members on time for Festivals preparing their 2005 editions in the latter part of this year, to avail themselves of the new rules. "We don't need to change everything at once", adds Moullier. "What we want to do is get back to a few first principles and then make other changes further down the line, in cooperation with the festivals".
Are you a Member or an accredited festival? Access the draft new regulations
and other relevant documents here.
FIAPF Actors' event will hear perspectives
from producers in 16 countries
Producers and Industrial Relations executives
from 16 countries will exchange information on national law, collective
bargaining and other issues around the hiring of actors in film
and television production. Seminar chair John Barrack, Legal Counsel
for FIAPF' Canadian member CFTPA, said "This is a welcome
FIAPF initiative. The focus is on an important production issue
which is complex and multi-disciplinary. We're hoping to have an
open, informal discussion which will help those involved with collective
bargaining and producers."
The seminar, which will be held on 14th May at the Montfleury Hotel, is a closed
event, open to Members and invited guests only.
Access the Actors' seminar documents now, in the Industrial
Relations' section of the site.
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MARCH 2004
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CANNES AGM confirmed
This year's FIAPF AGM at the Cannes Film Festival will be held on Monday
17th May, from 9.30 am till lunchtime, at the Hotel Montfleury. Lunch
will follow at 1pm. For further detail about the meting, please contact
Brigitte Chapus at FIAPF."
FIAPF plans Members' seminar on actors agreements during Cannes
For the first time this year, FIAPF will hold a seminar on an industrial relations'
topic of interest to its Members. The topic of the meeting will be actors' agreements
and contracts. The seminar chairman will be John Barrack, Vice President Industrial
Relations and Counsel for the Canadian Film and Television Producers' Association
(CFTPA).
The objective of the seminar is to give producers' associations the world over
an opportunity to compare notes on how standard agreement with actors work and
identify best practice.
The seminar will be held on Friday 14th May, at the Hotel Montfleury, from
9.30
am till 4.30 pm. Members are encouraged to express their interest early as there
will be limited space available.
For further information, please contact the Director General, Bertrand
Moullier.
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FEBRUARY 2004
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Berlin meeting kicks off FIAPF consultation on international
film festivals' regulations
The directors of thirty four FIAPF-accredited festivals met at the
Berlinale on February 9th. The lunch meeting, organised by FIAPF and
hosted by Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick was an opportunity for
FIAPF Chairman Andrés Vicente Gomez and Director Bertrand Moullier
to outline our plans for comprehensive changes to the 30-year old international
film festivals regulation and accreditation system.
FIAPF President Andrés Gomez said, "The current FIAPF
accreditation system has helped considerably in setting standards and
putting some order in the chaos that was the international film festivals‚ environment.
Today, we just need to move with the times, have more sharply drawn
categories, give our accredited festivals a stronger marketing benefit
and make the industry fully aware of how they can use the FIAPF system
to navigate the crowed international festivals scene to their advantage."
Gomez also described the lunch as the kick-off event of a consultation
process which is set to continue at AFM this week and culminate with
another meeting at Cannes this year. FIAPF hopes to approve a new set
of regulations by the fall 2004, so as to start applying the new standards
to festivals by January 2005.
FIAPF members and accredited film festivals (from February 24th)
may now download the following pdf documents:
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Members Only Access
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