The Ministry of Culture set a public debate on the Emergency Ordinance Draft related to the new Cinema Law. A group of young filmmakers explain hereinbelow their reasons for supporting such amendments and their views on solving the limitations set by the actual regulation.
Open Letter in support of the Govern Emergency Ordinance Draft on the new Cinematography Law
Over the last five-six years, there have been numerous attempts to amend the current Cinema Law, an antiquated and partial one that does no longer comply with reality, either locally (the filmmakers' community has grown and diversified both generationally and stylistically and the theatre distribution is deficient because of the cinema halls' being wiped out), or internationally (reduced funding and intended discouraging of co-productions). Until 2015, all these attempts ended invariably and the respective law drafts were practically hidden away in the drawers of the managers of the National Filmmaking Centre or of the Ministry of Culture.
This law draft is the most awaited-for and welcome exception to the rule – only one step away of becoming a reality, this is the result of the cooperation between a homogenous team representative for active filmmakers who enjoy festival and commercial success. But, even more importantly, this law draft is like a door opened wide to a varied and extended group of producers and directors active nationally and internationally, but whose names have been seldom (or not at all) placed on the lists of winners of the funding sessions set up until now.
For years, young producers and directors have sent desperate alarm signals in relation to the limitations of the current law and to the hindrance it imposes to those at the beginning of their road:
- Useless secretisation of projects (in reality, the projects of well-known producers were already known to the members of reading commission through lobbying made in due time, so that the only secrecy was about the projects belonging to young or beginner producers);
- 50% of the score required for obtaining funds is calculated on the basis of previous projects (non-existent in case of new production houses and of the new generation of producers);
- Low financing from the National Filmmaking Center granted to projects (more often than not under 30%) which renders extremely difficult the completion of the budget for shorts projects, debut, animation or documentary film, for such cinema categories being almost impossible to get funding from advertising taxes, from film distributors taxes or from international co-productions;
- Finally, the Minister's Order as of November, 2014, aiming at balancing the forces between debutant and established producers and at stimulating loyal competition through separating the calculation of the score required for funding on film categories (feature-length, short, animation, documentary, debut, project in development), produced another limitation – young producers lost their right to use the score granted for shorts in order to apply for financing for features – a limitation still valid today.
The new draft of law posted for public debate on the Ministry of Culture site largely eliminates such anomalies. The rest of the problems will have to be solved when the new competition regulation based on which cinema production funding is granted is finalised, and when the views of the new generation representatives need to be implemented so as the purpose of this law, in its entirety – to support the young generation – to be fully accomplished.
In conclusion, we hereby support the Emergency Ordinance on the Cinema Law express our hopes that this Law will be adopted and enforced as soon as possible.
Raia Al Souliman, director
Anamaria Antoci, producer
Dorian Boguță, director & producer
Andreea Borțun, screenwriter & director
Tudor Botezatu, director
Matei Branea, director
Alexandra Buzaș, producer
Octavian Chelaru, director
George Chiper Lillemark, director de imagine & director
Serghei Chiviriga, Director
Andrei Crețulescu, director & producer
Codruța Crețulescu, producer
Pavel Cuzuioc, director & producer
Andrei Dăscălescu, director
Vladimir Dembinski, director
Helga Fodorean, producer
Ruxandra Ghițescu, director
Cristi Iftime, screenwriter & director
Tudor Cristian Jurgiu, director
Ioana Lascăr, producer
Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, producer & director
Irina Malcea, producer
Alina Manolache, screenwriter & director
Raluca Mănescu, screenwriter & producer
Sebastian Mihăilescu, director
Claudiu Mitcu, director & producer
Ilinca Neagu, director
Doru Nițescu, director
Luiza Pârvu, screenwriter & director
Toma Peiu, screenwriter & producer
Eva Pervolovici, director
Livia Rădulescu, producer
Paul Negoescu, director & producer
Vlad Petri, director de imagine & director
Anamaria Pîrvan, producer
Raluca Răcean Gorgos, director
Iulia Rugină, director
Radu Stancu, producer
Roxana Stroe, director
Iuliana Tarnovețchi, producer
Nicolae Constantin Tănase, director
Sarra Tsorakidis, director
