Expert Meeting: A digital long tail for EU children's film

Thursday 22 October, 09.00 - 13.00

Flex Bar

Language: English

Expert Meeting: A digital long tail for EU children's film?

The European children's film is a success story! They are, however, rarely distributed outside their home country. Can new internet developments enable them to travel across borders? Digital technology has lead to a massive expansion of new international distribution potential, and has shaken up the business models of creative industries. How can the European film industry, and other stakeholders, realise the opening up of a European online distribution platform? In association with ECFA, Cinekid has invited a group of experts to outline the crucial developments in this field and discuss the real possibilities.

The improvement of the transnational distribution of independent, non-domestic European children's films is an ongoing issue. In the past the expert meetings hosted by Cinekid on this subject have resulted in European collaboration between distributors, and collaboration between national film funds in the support of a collective selection of new films.

In 2009 the Cine Regio Network organised the first KIDS Regio Forum Erfurt (Germany) on the subject. One conclusion the participants agreed upon was the need for a new European online platform, a ‘non commercial window' for the education market. In the case of the children's film industry, this is a special market with great commercial value (next to the faster repetitive releases of titles for new generations). Whereas theatrical or DVD releases rarely occur in most European countries, online distribution could reach millions of children through schools all over Europe. Which makes it an interesting alternative distribution channel. In the USA the educational market is business, in Europe it's not yet an issue. 

Experts on new online forms of distribution and (children's) film will engage in conversation with one another and discuss new business models, current realities and possible co-operations and strategies. Keywords will be creativity and innovation.

Moderator: Christophe Erbes (UK), international media consultant and host at festivals and conferences. He is a member of the board of Foerderverein Deutscher Kinderfilm (an association and lobby for children's film). In the past he was Head of Programmes at S-RTL/Disneyhosts, Deputy Managing Director of Nickelodeon and Managing Director at Fox Kids / Jetix.

The Expert Meeting will not only raise exciting possibilities for the future or simply inspire action. We hope and expect it to result in concrete proposals and to provide useful guidelines and pragmatic solutions for the needs of today's professionals.