Europa International – the European organization for sales agents – third general assembly took place in Berlin on February 8th, one day before the opening of the European Film Market, Berlinale.
This meeting gave to EI the opportunity to plan its activities for 2012, running with the same board: Michael Weber (The Match Factory) as president, and the following companies on board: Films Distribution, TrustNordisk, Doc & Film Intl, EastWest Distribution, Fortissimo and Hanway. EI accounts 28 members, sales agents from 11 countries (new coming members from Sweden, Poland and Croatia).
The future of the MEDIA programme – and the importance of a significant sales agent scheme, new practices and policies – is one of the main priorities for EI new year’s agenda. Moreover, in the European Commission’s proposal for the new programme Creative Europe for 2014-2020, it indicates that “the MEDIA Strand will increase resources for distribution, including increased and more focused funding for sales agents to allow for the emergence of stronger sales agents with higher buying and selling power on the international market”, and Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education and Culture (in charge of MEDIA programme), addressed in her official declaration at Berlin that “We shall support a wide range of projects (…). We plan to focus on sales agent, who have broad market reach and a global market approach” (MEDIA newsletter). For this action, EI has reminded to its members the importance of the mobilization at each national level.
Besides its running activities, EI will organize a conference focused on sales agents’ needs at the end of the year, in the framework of Distribution 2.0, The Match Factory’ project supported by MEDIA Mundus.
The next general assembly will take place in Cannes in May 2012.