Biographies EN

From the AVMS directive to the “Cinema” communication:
towards a global and coherent approach to European cinema
Mons – 4, 5 and 6 July 2010
Speakers
Mathieu Boucher
Acquisition Manager for The Auteurs Europe
Mathieu Boucher graduated from EDHEC Business School in Lille and started his career as a
Unifrance trainee in New York. Back in Paris, he worked for Celluloid Dreams as festival manager for
one year and then started working on the development of a brand new international VOD platform:
MUBI (formerly known as The Auteurs).
Mathieu Boucher has been Acquisitions Manager at MUBI for two years now. The platform has now
more than 100 partners all over the world and is backed by Celluloid Dreams, The Criterion
Collection, Costa Films, Fallon, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation and European Union’s
MEDIA programme.
François de Brigode
TV newscaster at RTBF
François de Brigode joined RTBF in 1985 as a regional journalist at Charleroi, specialised in socioeconomic topics. Thereafter, he presented the radio news at 11 p.m. and became editing supervisor
of TV news. In 1996, he launched the news at midday and, since 1997, presents the news at 7:30
p.m.
He, furthermore, presented the broadcast Mise au point and more recently Bye Bye Belgium, a
docufiction announcing the declaration of independence of Flanders.
Mark Cosgrove
Head of cultural programme at Watershed Media Centre
Mark Cosgrove has worked in independent cultural film exhibition for the past 22 years. Since 1994,
he has been Head of cultural programme at Watershed Media Centre in Bristol, one of the UK's
leading independent cinemas. Current projects include a Claire Denis and a new score to silent
classic The Passion of Joan of Arc with musicians Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Will Gregory
(Goldfrapp). He is also Creative Director of Encounters International Film Festival and has been on
several juries including The Europa Label at the Berlin International Film Festival, Wildscreen,
Sutherland at The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival, the Short Film Jury at Edinburgh
International Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Leuven Kort Short Film festival and The Europa Label
at Directors' Fortnight, Cannes Festival and Uppsala International Festival. He produces dispatches
from festivals he attends for dShed.net, Watershed’s online showcase.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Film directors, producers at Les Films du Fleuve
Coming from Belgium, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne work together since the very beginning. After
a collaboration with Armand Gatti, they worked as co-writers, directors and producers on numerous
documentaries among them Le chant du rossignol (1978) and Leçons d’une université volante
(1982). Then, with their production society called Les Films du Fleuve, they directed La promesse
(1996), Rosetta (1999 – Palme d’Or and Best actress Award in Cannes for Emilie Dequenne), Le fils
(2002 – Best actor Award in Cannes for Olivier Gourmet), L’enfant (2005 – Palme d’Or in Cannes)
and Lorna’s Silence (2008 – Best screenplay Award in Cannes).
Frédéric Delcor
Secretary General of the Ministry for the French speaking Community
of Belgium and Director of the Centre for Cinema and Audiovisual Affairs
After graduating with a law degree in Belgium, Frédéric Delcor began practicing as a lawyer on the
Brussels Bar (1991-1995) and was an assistant lecturer in public law at the Université Libre de
Bruxelles - Free University of Brussels (1991-2001). Then he became a legal advisor and was viceoffice head for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy (1995-1999), and Director of
the Emile Vandervelde Institute (1999-2008). He is now Secretary General of the Ministry for the
French speaking Community of Belgium and Director of the Centre for Cinema and Audiovisual
Affairs.
Cécile Despringre
Executive Director of the Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA)
Cécile Despringre has studied International and European law in Paris and obtained a Master in
International Economic Law in 1996. After a traineeship at the European Commission, she started
working in 1997 as the European Affairs Officer of SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs
Dramatiques) in Brussels and became the legal advisor of FERA (Federation of European Film
Directors) and AIDAA (International Association of Audiovisual Authors). In 2001, she moved to
SACD headquarters in Paris and was promoted Deputy Director for European affairs and Trade
Negotiations. In 2006, Cécile Despringre became the CEO of FERA. During three years, she managed
this network of European directors’ organisations. Since October 2009, Cécile Despringre is the
Executive Director of SAA (Society of Audiovisual Authors), a new European organisation of
audiovisual authors’ collective management societies (24 societies from 17 countries) which defends
writers and directors’ rights and remuneration at the European level.
Peggy Driessen
Overall coordinator of the subsidy departments at the Netherlands Film Fund
Peggy Driessen studied Film at Utrecht University from 1992 to 1997 and she started her career at
Isabella Films, an internationally operating production company. Peggy preceded her career in film
financing as a project coordinator at Film Investors Netherlands (Fine) in 2002. Fine was a company
that used the tax scheme designed to promote film production in the Netherlands, by acting as an
intermediary between producers and banks or asset managers. In 2007, the tax incentives in the
Netherlands were replaced by a (matching) subsidy fund hosted by the Netherlands Film Fund.
Peggy and two other colleagues started the Matching Fund office and this is where Peggy still works
today. Besides coordinating the projects at the Matching Fund, Peggy started as the overall
coordinator of the Netherlands Film Fund’s different subsidy departments in May 2010.
Isabelle Durant
European Deputy for Ecology and Vice-President of the European Parliament
After graduating with a nursing degree, Isabelle Durant was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in
Economic and Social Politics specialising in Social Issues from UCL-Fopes (Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium). She worked inter alia for the State School Medical Inspectorate, for the professional
education sector in Brussels, and for social development of the area.
Isabelle Durant then began a political career working as federal secretary and spokesperson for
Ecological Affairs (1994-1999); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mobility and Transport (19992003); senator (2003-2009); federal secretary and spokesperson for Ecological Affairs (2004-2007);
locally elected representative in the town of Schaerbeek (since 2006); Co-President for Ecology
(since 2007); in 2009, she was elected Eurodeputy and vice-president of the European Parliament.
Diana Elbaum
Producer at Entre Chien et Loup
Diana Elbaum has founded her production company, Entre Chien et Loup, in 1989 and 10 years later,
Sebastien Delloye joined forces with her. Entre Chien et Loup has produced more than 30 films,
including among others: Thomas in Love, The Rashevski Tango, La Raison du Plus Faible , Daratt,
Irina Palm, La Marea, Les Barons, Rapt, Winds of Sand, Women of Rock and is currently finishing
Sam Garbarski’s new film Quartier Lointain. Diana Elbaum is also the co-owner of the company
Liaison Cinématographique, a Paris based production company.
Her work and curiosity have taken her around the world several times, enabling her to collaborate
with cutting-edge writers, directors and talent from all continents. Diana is a graduate of NYU.
Michel Gyory
Lawyer, member of the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel
Michel Gyory has been a practicing lawyer in Brussels since 1977, and specialises in copyrights,
cinema and audiovisual affairs. He is a member of the CSA (Audiovisual Authority), lectures in
copyright and the economics of cinema at the University of Liège and is additionally an expert
consultant to the European Commission as well as to various other international organisations. He
regularly hosts conferences and is the author of a number of publications including ‘La valeur des
droits d’auteur dans l’audiovisuel’ [The value of copyright in the audiovisual sector], ‘Statistiques du
Cinéma en Europe’ [European Cinema Statistics] and the databases ‘Droit d’auteur et droits voisins
en Europe’ [Copyrights and pertaining laws in Europe] and ‘Euromed Audiovisuel’ [Euromed
Audiovisual].
Marc Janssen
Chair of the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (Audiovisual Authority)
for the French Community in Belgium
Marc Janssen obtained a PhD in political science from UCLA and was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in
journalism from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Marc Janssen was advisor and spokesperson for
the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy, Telecommunications and Foreign Trade
between 1995 and 1999.
Between 2000 and 2005, he was an assistant lecturer and module leader at UCLA and also at the
Center for American Politics and Public Policy in Washington, specialising in American political
history, constitutional law and individual liberties.
Between 2004 and 2007 he was a member of the board of directors of RTBF, the French-speaking
Belgian public radio and television broadcaster, and was appointed chair of the Audiovisual Authority
for the French Community in Belgium on 1 November 2007.
Fadila Laanan
Minister for Culture, Audiovisual Affairs, Health and
Equal Opportunities for the French Community in Belgium
Photo: A. Haulot
Within the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2010, Fadila
Laanan is chair of the “Culture” section of the Education, Youth and Culture Council.
Fadila Laanan is a member of the Socialist Party and has been Minister for Culture, Audiovisual
Affairs, Health and Equal Opportunities for the French Community in Belgium since 2009. Prior to
this, she was minister for Culture, Audiovisual Affairs and Youth (2004-2007), then Minister for
Culture and Audiovisual Affairs (2007-2009) for the French Community. Since 2000 she has been a
local and police counsellor in Anderlecht (Brussels-Capital Region).
Joachim Lafosse
Film director
Joachim Lafosse’s first feature film, Folie Privée (2004), has become famous for its harshness and
won several prices. In 2006, his second feature film Ça rend Heureux was in competition at the
Locarno Festival and at the Premiers Plans Film Festival of Angers where he received the Grand Prix.
He was gratified the same year by being selected at the Venise Film Festival for Nue Propriété.
His fourth feature film, Elève Libre, was in competition in the 40th Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in
Cannes 2008 and in the 2009 International Film Festival Rotterdam.
He’s currently preparing his fifth feature film Aimer à perdre la raison.
André Lange
Head of the Department for Information on Markets and Financing at
the European Audiovisual Observatory
At the Observatory, André Lange is the editor of the Yearbook (15 editions since 2005), of various
reports (including VoD and catch-up television in Europe, 2009) and the supervisor of the KORDA,
LUMIERE and MAVISE databases.
Prior to joining the Observatory in 1993 as part of the initial team, he had a distinguished
international career as a researcher, specialising in socio-economic aspects of the European media
sector. Worked as university lecturer and researcher at the University of Liège, the European
Institute for the Media in Manchester, the University of Paris-Dauphine and the Free University of
Brussels. He held a lecturer traineeship (1988-89) with the Directorate of Human Rights at the
Council of Europe. And headed the Audiovisual and Cultural Industries Department of the French
research institute IDATE (1989-1993) before joining the Observatory.
Antoni Lladó
Director of the Catalan Institute for the Cultural Industries
Antoni Lladó is director of the Catalan Institute for the Cultural Industries (Institut Català de les
Indústries Culturals - ICIC), organization assigned to the Ministry of Culture and Media, Government
of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) and in charge of the Catalan film fund.
He has a degree in economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1976), with an
extraordinary prize for the best academic record. He also has a degree in Law from the Universitat
de Barcelona.
Álvaro Longoria
Producer at Morena Films
In 1990, he graduated in Business Administration from Boston University cum laude and was
admitted to the Stern School of Business of New York University in 1993. After graduating, the
Department of Capital Markets at Merrill Lynch employed him in New York then London.
In 1999 he set up, with others partners, the audiovisual production company Morena Films. Since
then, he has been in charge amongst others of the following productions both as producer and
executive producer: The Monk (2010) directed by Dominik Moll, Room in Rome (2009) directed by
Julio Medem, Ultimos Testigos (2009) directed by José L. Lopez Linares and Manuel Martín, Che, El
Argentino and Che, Guerrilla (2007) directed by Steven Soderbergh, La Zona (2006) directed by
Rodrigo Pla, Iberia (2005) directed by Carlos Saura, Looking For Fidel (2004) directed by Oliver
Stone, Persona Non Grata (2003) directed by Oliver Stone and Comandante (2002) directed by
Oliver Stone.
Jean-Claude Marcourt
Minister for Economy, SME’s, Foreign Trade and New Technologies
in the Walloon regional Government and Minister for Higher
Education in the French-speaking community Government.
Jean-Claude Marcourt has a degree in law from the University of Liège and began his career as a
barrister. He was principal private secretary to the Walloon regional Minister for Internal Affairs
(1992-1995), principal private secretary to the Walloon regional Minister for Budget, Finance,
Employment and Vocational Training and to the French-speaking community Minister for Budget,
Finance and Civil Service (1995-1997), principal private secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Economy and Telecommunications (1998-1999), principal private secretary to the
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment (1999-2003), principal private secretary to the
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice (2003-2004) and Minister for Economy, Employment,
Foreign Trade and Heritage in the Walloon regional Government (2004-2009).
Radu Mihaileanu
Director, chair of the société civile des
Auteurs Réalisateurs Producteurs
Photo: M. Grossier
A French film director of Romanian origin, Radu Mihaileanu directed his first feature length
production Trahir in 1993 which was a major success in terms of recognition. Public success came
with Train de vie in 1998, which received a number of awards from the Venice, Sundance and Italian
film festivals in addition to the Césars, the French film and television awards. In 2005, the third
feature length production from this director was entitled Va, vis, deviens and obtained international
success as well as more than 30 awards. In 2009, Le Concert was also highly acclaimed by the
public, and received awards in France, Italy, Romania and the United States. Radu Mihaileanu also
produced two television dramas entitled Les Pygmées de Carlo (2002), Bonjour Antoine (M6 -1996)
and is the author of two books Va, vis et deviens (novel-Grasset-2005) and Une vague en mal de
mer (poems-Caractères-1987).
As a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, he became European Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue
with the European Commission in 2008, European Ambassador for Creation and Innovation in 2009
and currently chairs the ARP, the Professional Body of Authors, Directors and Producers.
Rebecca O’Brien
Producer at Sixteen Films
Rebecca O’Brien has been an independent film producer for over twenty years. She has produced
eleven feature films with Ken Loach, including Land and Freedom, Sweet Sixteen and My Name is
Joe. In 2006 The Wind that Shakes the Barley, set during the Irish War of Independence, won the
Palme d’Or in Cannes. This year they will release Route Irish set in Liverpool and Iraq. Rebecca
O’Brien is a director of the UK Film Council, South West Screen and the Film Industry Training Board.
Wouter Pieké
European Commission, Head of Unit in the DG “Competition”
Wouter Pieké became Head of Unit in the Directorate General “Competition” of the European
Commission in 2008. This unit deals with State aid to telecoms, media and sport. In his previous
assignment, from 2005 until 2008, he headed the unit dealing with State aid to R&D&I and risk
capital in DG Competition. Mr Pieké is a Dutchman, he has been with the Commission and with DG
Competition since 1984. Before that, he was an official in the Dutch Ministry for Economic Affairs.
Walllie Pollé
Film Distributor at Cinéart Netherlands
Wallie Pollé, started in film production, sound design/special effects, in the early 70’s, mainly in
Tv,commercials,feature and short films.
As from 1974, he worked in film distribution at The Movies in Amsterdam. He distributed films from
Fassbinder, Wenders, Antonioni, Batalov, Babenco, Bunuel, Borowczyk, Cavani, Faraldo, Erice,
Goretta, Littin, Wajda, Tanner, Scola, Kieslovski etc.
He then worked for Meteor, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Cinemien, A-film and since 2008 for
Cinéart.
Kamil Przełęcki
Director of Multimedia Convergence and Development for Agora SA
Kamil is a line Producer with over twenty years experience in film production (features, tv series,
documentaries). Pioneer in on-line distribution – in 2006, he was the first in Poland to legally
distribute Ode to Joy simultaneously on-line and in cinemas -. Kamil worked closely with Akson
Studio as a line producer to the last five productions directed by Andrzej Wajda (among them Katyń,
2006 and Revenge, 2002). He is teaching experience in the field of media management, film
production and new media at Silesia University - Film Production Department. Since 2008 he has
been working as a Director of Multimedia Convergence and Development at Media Group - AGORA
SA. He is responsible for creating multimedia productions, interactive online film series and for new
online services development.
Karoly Radnai
Partner in OrienTax Consulting Ltd
Karoly has worked for Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young for more than 12 years, before joining
OrienTax in 2009. OrienTax is an independent Hungarian tax advisory firm specialized, among
others, on film incentives and international production structuring.
In 2003, he was one of the few experts advising the Hungarian government on the creation of the
Hungarian tax rebate system. Later he assisted a great number of international film productions and
became one of the most knowledgeable tax advisors of the Hungarian film industry. In 2007, he was
again selected into the advisory team assisting the Hungarian government in the negotiation with the
European Union to extend the validity of the Hungarian tax rebate system until 2013.
Heritiana Ranaivoson
Researcher at the Free University of Brussels
Heritiana Ranaivoson is a researcher at IBBT-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Heritiana has a Phd in
economics focussing on the relations between diversity of production and market structure in the
music industry. Heritiana Ranaivoson is a former researcher at the CERNA (Centre of Industrial
Economics at Mines Paris Tech), and a member of the Unesco Expert Group into measuring the
diversity of cultural expressions and of the U40 “Cultural Diversity 2030”, and has lectured at Paris 1
University, Senghor University (Egypt), Paris 8 University and at Ina Sup.
Heritiana Ranaivoson leads research and lecturing in the areas of cultural diversity and the influence
of digital technologies into the culture and media industries.
Gilles Renouard
Assistant General Manager at Unifrance
Gilles Renouard is the actual director general for Unifrance, the institution in charge of promoting
French cinema around the world. He was previously director of the Department of producers and
exports and was in charge of the Asian market. He has been awarded a diploma from the Institute
for Political Sciences of Aix en Provence.
Philippe Reynaert
Director of Wallimage
After studies of Letters, Philippe Reynaert started learning journalist's profession creating the
magazine "Visions" of which he was Chief Editor from 1982 to 1988. He starts working for the
television in 1983 while retaking the presentation of the Midnight Film club from the RTBF. Adman in
the 90's, Philippe Reynaert dedicates itself henceforth full-time to his passion for the 7th Art since,
since February 2001, he assumes the direction of Wallimage, the Walloon Fund of investment in the
audiovisual. He also created the European Coordination of the Regional Funds of investments in the
audiovisual Cine-Regio.
Thierry de Segonzac
President of the Federation of the Cinema,
Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries
Since 1979, Thierry de Segonzac has held the post of founding-president of TSF, the French market
leader in cinematographic and audiovisual filming equipment. TSF is based in Paris, Cannes,
Marseilles and Lyon, as well as in Liège (TSB.be) and Brussels (ATHALYS-TSF).
Since 2000 he has additionally been president of the Federation of the Cinema, Audiovisual and
Multimedia Industries (FICAM), which is the French union of technical industries uniting 180
businesses.
Thierry de Segonzac graduated from the Centre de Perfectionnement aux Affaires (CPA) Business
School in Paris, the Institute for Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) in 1992 and the Multi
Media Institute (IMM) in 1994.
Aviva Silver
European Commission, responsible for the MEDIA
programme and media literacy
Aviva Silver is Head of the MEDIA Unit in the Directorate General “Culture and Education” of the
European Commission. She is responsible for the MEDIA programme and media literacy.
She has worked for the European Commission since 1993, initially in Directorate General “Internal
Market”, where she dealt with media issues. From 1997-2002 she worked in Directorate General
“Education and Culture”, where she was responsible for different aspects - legislative, regulatory,
competition and economic - of the formulation of European policy and the application of Community
law in the media sector, in particular as regards cinema, and television.
More recently, she has been responsible for the elaboration, implementation and co-ordination of
legal and policy developments for support to the European audiovisual sector in Directorate General
“Information Society and Media”.
Aviva is a graduate of London University, and a member of the UK Bar.
Harald E. Trettenbrein
Deputy Head of the Audiovisual and Media Policies Unit in the European
Commission's Directorate General Information Society and Media
Harald E. Trettenbrein is Deputy Head of the Audiovisual and Media Policies Unit in the European
Commission's Directorate General Information Society and Media since 2007. He was responsible for
the revision of the Television without Frontiers Directive and is now dealing i.a. with the
implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Mr Trettenbrein's background is in law.
He held university teaching posts and was attached to the Austrian Prime Minister’s office before
joining the European Commission at its Representation in Vienna. He has written on fundamental
rights, data protection and media law.