European Commission VP Joaquín Almunia has tried to allay EU member states’ concerns about the forthcoming Cinema Communication, which aims to set out new State aid rules for films and other audiovisual works.

FNE together with Europa Distribution (www.europa-distribution.org) continues its Distributor of the Month series. In recognition of the hard work and excellence of European distributors and the common problems they face, especially in the transition to digitalization, we choose a distributor from each country covered by FNE each month.

The grand prix of the 16th Black Nights Film Festival was awarded to the Ukrainian film House with a Turret, the Tridens Herring competition prize was awarded to Everybody's Gone and the prize for the best Estonian film went to Mushrooming.

The eleventh edition of Open Doors will focus on the South Caucasus. The Festival del film Locarno’s section that supports and puts the spotlight on filmmakers and films from countries in the South and East where independent cinema is vulnerable will also introduce a new component.

The session of ArtDocFest ADA Pitching will take place from December 11th till 13th in Hudozhestvennyi Cinema in Moscow. The session will consist of two days of work on participants’ projects and one day of public pitching. Eleven projects were selected from 32 submissions coming from Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Germany and Ukraine. The projects will be developed under the artistic guidance of renowned international tutors.

SOFIA: Antonio Banderas has confirmed he will shoot the sci-fi film Automata in Bulgaria. The film is currently in pre-production.

PARIS: Sofia Film Festival helmer and Bulgarian producer, distributor and exhibitor Stefan Kitanov has been awarded this year’s Europa Cinemas Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Kitanov runs the Dom na Kinoto (www.domnakinoto.com) cinema in Sofia.

MAKING WAVES: New Romanian Cinema

November 29-December 5, 2012

New York, NY (November 5, 2012) -- The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Romanian Film Initiative are pleased to announce the continuation and reinvention of the yearly festival dedicated to Romanian cinema in New York City. MAKING WAVES: New Romanian Cinema continues the celebrated Romanian film series in New York and will take place at the Film Society of Lincoln Center from November 29 to December 5, 2012. The festival will offer a panorama of the best in Romania’s newest contemporary filmmaking, including features, documentaries and shorts, along with retrospectives of Romanian filmmakers, special programs, panels, and a series of conversations on the political and policy shifts currently affecting arts and culture in Central and Eastern Europe.

A mid-length documentary directed by Radka Franczak about a unique nun, that shows her artistic talent and her remarkable spirit will compete with several other documentaries and features during most prominent Polish film festival in France.

Last Call for the Best Film Industry Event of the Season:

Tallinn Black Nights Industry Days waits you!

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival invites you to join the IndustryDays - the biggest winter season event for film professionals in theregion bringing together award winning filmmakers, producers,founders, festival and film world organizers from Asia, Europe to North-America.