BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union announced plans Tuesday to boost its movie industry by encouraging international co-productions and widening the distribution of European films around the world.
If approved, the plan is to set up an annual program worth about $93 million a year starting in 2011 to support international co-operation, said European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr.
Filmmakers from South America, Canada, Asia and Russia already have expressed interest in the program, the EU's headquarters said in a statement.
The program would expand the EU's current support system for European movies, which aims to counter the dominance of Hollywood movies in European theatres, by pumping around $155 million a year into productions such as the French Oscar winner "La Vie en Rose."
However, EU officials said the proposed Media Mundus program would not preclude co-operation with filmmakers and distributors in the United States.
"Nobody is excluded from the beginning from this program," Selmayr told reporters. "It's an open program."
Currently, American movies account for over 60 per cent of the EU cinema market. Films made in the EU hold a market share of about 28 per cent market and productions from other countries less than four per cent.
Outside the EU, European movies take up just two to five per cent of the world market, Selmayr said.
"A Media Mundus program would facilitate the circulation of our films worldwide and ... the distribution in Europe of films from partner countries," said EU Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "This means more choice for citizens and more culturally diverse films."
The EU has opened consultations with filmmakers, distributors, rights holders and other industry officials and plans a public hearing on the proposed program on June 25.
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