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Paris (pte039/16.02.2005/14:30) - Grants for French films that are produced by foreign companies are to be offered in the future, according to the French National Centre of Cinematography (CNC) http://www.cnc.fr . As Le Figaro reports, Catherine Colonna, the director of CNC, has put forward a proposal regarding the possible regulation of awarding grants to films with foreign producers. This proposal will soon be passed onto the French minister of culture Renaud Donnedieu, who is expected to make it into a by-law.
CNC is agreed that the large US film studios should have access to French film grants. However, whether or not this should be under specific conditions is yet to be decided. In early January of this year, three large consortiums of film technicians gave CNC an outline of a proposal of a new ruling concerning film grants. The proposal by the CNC contains much of what was stated in this original proposal. A strict ruling is important for the French, to prevent the state grants being eroded by the large US film studios, as is the case in Britain.
The two most important conditions are that the film must be in French and only a small part of the budget should be subsidised - at present, the percentage being suggested is 20 per cent. The Association of Independent Producers (API), which represents the three largest French cinema producers UGC http://www.ugc.fr , Gaumont http://www.gaumont.fr and Pathe http://www.pathe.com , is opposed to the proposals. The association argues that adapting to the proposals could endanger the film co-operation of French producers and small Asian and African film houses, as these types of films are rarely shot in French. However, critics believe that the real reason for opposing the proposals is the fear of competition. Now it is down to the minister of culture to decide the future of the French film industry.
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