20-10-2007

Growing US interest for European cinema, but distribution needs fixing

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    Warsaw (CentEast Daily News) -- It's not enough to make a brilliant movie. It has to be discovered, then picked up for distribution from thousands of other new pictures.

    While the film market is expanding every year, the movie chaos can be defined only by professionals like FilmFinders' Sydney Levine and Peter Belsito, the founders of the international publishing and consulting company, who chaired a panel discussing the potential of European cinema in the US and world film markets.

    During the session at the Sofitel Victoria, they explained how distribution works nowadays, and gave a full summury of the financial conditions for new movies entering the market.

    Despite the common belief that foreign art films do not have a big audience, especially in the US, there is a growing interest in European cinema. It is the distribution that needs fixing, said Levine, with 25 years of experience in the industry.

    Film Finders talked about the demographics of pictures that are artistically and intellectually challenging, and how film festivals, though very entertaining, aren't enough to satisfy the needs of both viewers and filmmakers.

    "We are friends of filmmakers and producers," Belsito said. "That's why we would like to fill the gap that stops an interesting movie from being seen. We try to get it out there and make a change."