Last year’s €14m included €1.5 million for the Europe-wide distribution of The Iron Lady; report comes as some politicians question sustainability of MEDIA successor Creative Europe.
The EU’s MEDIA programme provided €14m to the UK audiovisual industries in 2011, according to a new report from the organisation.
Since 2007 UK companies have received €40 million of direct funding from the programme, it says.
Last year’s €14m included €1.5 million for the Europe-wide distribution of The Iron Lady.
According to a MEDIA poll 82% of producers who received a MEDIA development grant felt the funding had been “very effective” or “effective” in improving the quality of the script and 80% said the grant was “very effective” or “effective” in helping maximise the international market potential of the project.
The report comes after some politicians have called into question Creative Europe’s budget proposals. In June, EC Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou denied “unofficial rumours” that the MEDIA brand would disappear after 2013.
Agnieszka Moody, director of MEDIA Desk UK, said: “As the main point of interest for politicians and decision makers is economic growth, we wanted to be in a position to provide evidence that the MEDIA Programme contributes to the sustainability of the UK’s audiovisual companies, creating jobs and opening international trade opportunities. In the survey results, overwhelmingly, MEDIA appears as a vital, indispensable supporter of the audiovisual industry in all nations of the UK, making it more competitive and helping its product increase its potential beyond the domestic market.”
The full text of the report and the MEDIA Desk UK’s annual report detailing the €14.2 million worth of direct and indirect MEDIA funding can be found here.
Twitter: @andreaswiseman
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