10-03-2016

Romanian Debutant Producers Call for Reform of Funding for First Features

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    BUCHAREST: A group of Romanian producers have issued an open letter calling for the reform of the regulations for the funding of first feature films claiming they have no chance of getting grants under the current scheme.

    According to the Ministry of Culture, regulations passed on 18 November 2014 at the request of the National Film Center, producers and scriptwriters applying for production grants can receive points only for a previous film made in the same category.

    Thus, first time feature film producers cannot receive points for previous short films in order to receive funding for a feature film. Since the approval of the new regulations a year and a half ago debutant producers say they have not had access to funding. The open letter invokes the free access to funding stipulated in the Cinema Law and calls for changes in how funding is granted for the new grants contest launched on 26 February 2016.

    The open letter is signed by: Paul Negoescu, Claudiu Mitcu, Codruța Crețulescu, Radu Stancu, Ioana Lascăr, Gabi Suciu, Iulia Tarnovețchi, Anamaria Antoci and Irina Malcea, and is addressed to Vlad Alexandrescu the minister of Culture, Anca Mitran the General Director of the National Film Center and the Council of Administration of the CNC.