MEDEA

Development

MEDEA is a programme created to stimulate the Euro-Mediterranean audiovisual industry. It supported the development of 86 feature and documentary films between 2000 and 2004 thanks to the financial support of Euromed Audiovisual (4 million euros). The support beneficiaries have also been professionally trained in scriptwriting, project development, financing, marketing and distribution. One can measure MEDEA’s efficiency thanks to the number of completed films: 62 films have been produced or are still in production, which represents a considerable figure compared to other development support programmes. Many films have been awarded or have been selected for prestigious festivals.

For example WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS by the Turkish director, Yesim Ustaoglu participated in the Berlin Film Festival 2005 and was selected as one of the three European finalists by Sundance; LES YEUX SECS by the Moroccan Narjess Najar was selected for the “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” in Cannes 2003 and was awarded the Prix de la Première œuvre, the Prix d’Interprétation Féminine and the Prix de costumes at the Festival National du Film Marocain; THE SYRIAN BRIDE by the Israeli Eran Riklis has received the Best Film Award in Montreal in 2004, the Public Award in Locarno 2004, the Grand Prix at the Auxerre Festival in 2004; DANS LES CHAMPS DE BATAILLE by Danielle Arbid received the Grand Prix IMA 2004 during the Biennale of the Arab World Institute, the Grand Prix at the Milan Film Festival in 2004, the Prix du Jury at the Carthago Film Festival in 2004, the Prize for Best Script at the Namur Film Festival in 2004.

MEDEA constituted a real regional project, including all Mediterranean partners. This regional aspect gave a tangible and permanent result: MEDEA contributed to the creation of a network of Euro-Mediterranean audiovisual partners. The project beneficiaries have expressed their satisfaction regarding the opportunity of meeting partners who sometimes come from countries with totally different political point of views, and even co-producing with them. Those results prove MEDEA’s relevance regarding the aims of the Euromed Audiovisual programme.