FERA presses EU on creator funding, AI rights at Cannes
FERA participated in the 79th Cannes Film Festival, engaging in discussions with European Commission representatives, filmmakers, and policymakers regarding the future of European audiovisual policy and funding. Key topics included advocating for direct support for creators, distinguishing journalism from documentary in funding, addressing loopholes in the AVMSD for global streaming platforms, and protecting creators' rights against generative AI. Debates also covered the sustainability crisis in the US industry and the importance of theatrical exhibition.
Key Takeaways
- FERA board member Martijn Winkler told Henna Virkkunen the EU should provide stronger direct support for writers and directors, not route funding almost entirely through production structures.
- Winkler also warned that AVMSD loopholes let global streaming platforms meet European works quotas through subsidiaries without genuinely supporting European authorship.
- Anna Hints said the MEDIA programme remains essential for smaller countries such as Estonia.
- Athena Xenidou pointed to Cyprus’ €27 million tax incentives and cash rebate schemes, which exclude broadcasters and have strengthened local employment.
- Francesco Ranieri Martinotti warned that generative AI requires stronger protection of creators’ rights against global technology companies.
Why It Matters
FERA is using Cannes to press a concrete policy agenda: more money for creators, tighter AVMSD enforcement on global streamers, and stronger copyright protection around generative AI. That matters because the same policy package now sits alongside debates over AgoraEU, MEDIA, and platform investment obligations. The festival panels also tied funding rules to theatrical exhibition, territoriality, and cultural diversity. Watch for how the European Commission and Parliament frame the next AVMSD revision and the budget discussion around AgoraEU.
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