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2015 FERA
General Assembly Statement

 

Ljubljana, June 14th 2015
 
Delegates meeting at the General Assembly of the Federation of European Film Directors (FERA), held in Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia on June 12th through 14th, called on Members of the European Commission and Parliament to enact FERA’s five point action plan as part of the Digital Single Market initiative.

FERA’s recent policy paper, “TO BUILD A SINGLE MARKET, INVEST IN DIRECTORS”, argues that the Digital Single Market and Copyright Reform initiative cannot be completed without action on the status and remuneration of directors.  It calls for:
  • Contractual terms that protect directors’ authorial rights throughout the value chain, allowing for fair contracts and fees.
  • Restoring balance to the employment of freelance directors by allowing freelancers to organise and represent themselves collectively, bringing an end to unfair employment contracts.
  • Fair remuneration for secondary use of our works.
  • A funding environment that promotes sustainable incomes and careers for directors.
  • Securing the range of voices and works across European film and television, with specific targets to end the under-representation of female directors.
FERA’s newly elected Chair, British Director Dan Clifton, said: “Directors across Europe welcome the recognition by the Commission that fair remuneration of creators is crucial to growing the Digital Single Market.”

As an example of why change is necessary, delegates were presented with the disturbing conclusions of a report by the Assembly’s hosts, the Slovenian Directors’ Guild, that some Slovenian Directors are working 16 hour days without additional remuneration, equivalent to a rate which is below the slovenian minimum wage. FERA’s newly-elected Executive Committee now looks forward to collaborating with the Commission and European Parliament to bring forward firm legislative proposals to make fair remuneration a concrete reality for European film and television directors. 

The Assembly voiced its strong concern about the future of the European audiovisual landscape, where large multinational players are threatening cultural diversity and Europe’s fragile funding ecology with their corporate agenda to end state funding for film and television.

Delegates also called for the implementation of targets across Europe to end the under-representation of female directors. Following successive reports highlighting inequality right across the Audiovisual industries, concerted action is long overdue.  FERA endorses the strong action taken by countries like Sweden, where the Swedish Film Institute have insisted on funding parity between men and women, and calls for the policy to be rolled out right across Europe.

All the guilds unanimously endorsed a statement which expresses their deepest concern over the report of their Austrian colleague about a new law proposal by their Ministry of Justice which would unjustly take away authors rights and its remuneration from directors, other authors and performing artists.

Finally, the delegates saluted the outgoing chairman Håkan Bjerking, and members of the Executive Committee Dagmar Streicher and André F. Nebe for their commitment to FERA over the last years.

They also warmly thanked their Slovenian hosts, who made the Assembly possible.

FERA’s 2015 General Assembly was hosted this year by DSR and AIPA, in partnership with the Slovenian Film Center.
 
FERA Executive Committee 2015-2017
 
Sir Alan PARKER – Honorary President
 
Dan CLIFTON (UK) – Chairman
Sverre PEDERSEN (Norway) – Treasurer
Christophe ANDRÉI (France)
Peter CARPENTIER (Germany)
Klemen DVORNIK (Slovenia)
Adela PEEVA (Bulgaria)
Birgitte STÆRMOSE (Denmark)
Maurizio SCIARRA (Italy) – Co-opted
Copyright © 2015 FERA, Federation of European Film Directors, All rights reserved.

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