discop link • #11

DISCOPRO 08DISCOPRO 2008:A VERY SELECT EVENTBy Bob Jenkins2007 saw the launch of DISCOPRO immediately before the main event ofDISCOP. Next June in Budapest will see a revamped and expanded version ofthe co-production event. Not all the details will be available until late Januaryor early February. But in an exclusive interview with DISCOP.Link,Patrick Jucaud, DISCOP's General Manager gives a sneak preview ofsome of the extensive changes he and his team are lining up.Patrick Jucaud begins, "the firstthing that should be emphasisedis that DISCOPRO 08 will be targetedexclusively at Central and EasternEuropean producers wanting to getinvolved in pan-European co-productions."Jucaud goes on to explain that,"one of the consequences of this isthat the DISCOPRO 08 programmewill be limited to companies fromcountries that lie within the CEE andwhich are also member states of theEU" This means that there will be nocompanies from any countries outsidethe CEE attending DISCOPRO 08.Explaining the reasoning behind thisdecision, Jucaud noted, "this is themain difference between DISCOPRO2007 and DISCOPRO 2008." Adding,"our goal with DISCOPRO 2008 is tonurture content suppliers from withinthe CEE, and then to offer themaccess to CEE buyers through the DIS-COP Market."That geo-political restriction is byno means the only change from2007's inaugural event. "We are designingDISCOP 08," reveals Jucaud,"as a training programme as distinctPanel discussion at DISCOPRO 07from last year's event which was muchmore of a networking and conferenceprogramme. Our aim," he continues,"is to bring together, probably notmore than about twenty companiesfrom within the CEE which are ready,willing, and able to get involved in coproductionswith EU partners."The training programme at theheart of DISCOPRO 2008 is being codesignedby Jucaud and his team withGermany's world renowned ErichPommer Institute, and will provideparticipants with first-hand case studieson such important topics as, legalframeworks, government subsidies,production financing and rights clearancemechanisms. This will includedetailed information on all the benefitsavailable from the Media Plus Programmeof the European Union.The cost of attending the two dayevent will be €500 per company, andeach company will be permitted amaximum of two delegates. Jucaud iskeen to stress, however, that, “we arelimiting the number of companies totwenty, giving a maximum attendanceof forty people," adding, "the qualificationprocedures will begin in January2008, with the final DISCOP 08 programmeof workshops and socialevents published at the end of thatmonth or early February at the latest."For those companies selected forDISCOPRO 08 who also wish to attendDISCOP 08, there will be a DISCOP 08reduction of 50% of the non-exhibitingsellers fee, representing a saving of€400 per person on the usual fee of€800.Although full details of qualifyingcriteria, application procedures andconference schedule will not be availableuntil the New Year, Jucaud waswilling to give DISCOP.Link some exclusiveinsights into the factors that willplay a significant role in determiningselection. "Firstly, as stated before,"Jucaud reminds us, "DISCOPRO 08will only be open to companies fromcountries that are both within the CEEand also the European Union. Afterthat," he continues, "we will be greatlyinfluenced by the project itself. For onething, it must be at least partly funded.Projects with no funding at allattached will not be given a place.Also," he adds, "we will limit each participatingcompany to just one project."Having laid out these restrictionsJucaud is, however, at pains to stressthat, "our aim through DISCOPRO 08,and with the help of the Media PlusProgramme of the European Union, isto stimulate TV content production inCentral and Eastern Europe, andthrough DISCOP to stimulate panregionallicensing opportunities." }30 DISCOP LINK • #11 • NOVEMBER 07