Basque Audiovisual to attend the Cannes Film Festival marketplace for the first time
Eiken - Basque Audiovisual Cluster has instigated this commercial initiative, backed by the Basque Government's Department of Culture, with a view to supporting film production companies.
A total of eight of the leading Basque companies dedicated to the production and distribution of feature films are to make their first appearance, under the name of Basque Audiovisual and with their own stand, at the Marche du Film de Cannes. This is a parallel market to the Film Festival, which is to be held from 13 to 24 May. The following companies are to attend the market: Alokatu, Baleuko, Barton Films, Pausoka, Irusoin, Mixer, MediaBost and Western Films.
When in October 2007 around twenty of the foremost Basque companies in the Audiovisual Sector took part in MIPCOM in Cannes – the world’s largest media content related event – together for the first time under the brand Basque Audiovisual, a major step forward was being taken in the sector’s international projection. Attendance of this business forum was one of the main challenges facing the companies as they sought to gain access to new markets.
Since then, Basque Audiovisual has consolidated its presence in markets abroad by attending MIPTV (Cannes) and Sunny Side of the Doc (La Rochelle), specialist fora for television and multimedia content, as well as for documentaries. This May, Basque Audiovisual will take another step forward by appearing for the first time at the Marché Du Film held during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Eiken - Basque Audiovisual Cluster is marshalling this project in cooperation with the Basque Government’s Department of Culture. “This initiative means that we are fulfilling one of the goals of Eiken’s Plan for International Projection, which was to provide backing for the different sub-sectors in the Basque Audiovisual field, following the success of the Basque Audiovisual brand, and drive the companies' presence abroad through MIPCOM, MIPTV and Sunny Side of the Doc”, explains Eiken’s director, Itziar Mena.
These Basque production companies are to share their exhibition area with the Cluster Audiovisual de Galicia, thereby reinforcing a collaboration that began at last year’s MIPTV. As on previous occasions, the companies will have an area of their own for arranging contacts and an online catalogue in English (www.basqueaudiovisual.com ) for assisting in their marketing processes.