Milan, 20 June 2004

PRESS RELEASE

The opening seminar of the traditional event Focus on Europe at Cinema Expo International (Amsterdam, 21-24 June 2004), will be dedicated to the theme of "Opening Cinemas in New Markets". MEDIA Salles thus confirms its commitment to an ever more efficacious and vast promotion of European cinema, also through instruments of market analysis that demonstrate the new trends.
The seminar, introduced by Mike Vickers, Treasurer of MEDIA Salles and moderated by Elisabetta Brunella, Secretary General of MEDIA Salles, will see contributions of professionals operating in Russia, Serbia-Montenegro and the Czech Republic. In particular, Oleg Berezin, the Managing Director of Nevafilm JSC, will present the cinema market in Russia and the development trends of new cinemas; Zoran Cvetanovic, Managing Director of Art Vista, will explain the factors that slow the re-launch of cinema-going in Serbia, such as piracy; David Horácek, General Manager Operations of Palace Cinemas, will speak about the development of multiplexes in Central Europe. Joachim Ph. Wolff, Scientific advisor to MEDIA Salles' "European Cinema Yearbook" and Chairman of The Netherlands Foundation for Film Research, will illustrate the economic potential of the cinema industry in Central and Eastern European countries. For the occasion, MEDIA Salles will distribute a publication entirely dedicated to the cinema market of the countries that adhered to the European Union on 1st May.
On 22 June, with the collaboration of the Hollywood Reporter and CEI 2004, there will be the screening of the box-office hit in Italy and winner of two David di Donatello (the prestigious award for Italian cinema) awards, Non ti muovere, directed by Sergio Castellitto, who also acts alongside Penelope Cruz. There will also be the screening of trailers of other European films.
During the final night gala dinner on 24 June, Domenico Dinoia, President of MEDIA Salles, will assign the "European Producer of the Year" award.

MEDIA Salles at Cinema Expo International 2004 will be present in the trade fair at Stand 119, where the latest edition of the "European Cinema Yearbook" will be available, that includes the research "Which market for European films?", the Newsletter "European Cinema Journal" no. 3/2004 and documentation on recent European productions.

For further information:
MEDIA Salles
Via Soperga, 2
I-20127 Milan
Tel.: +39.02.66984405 - Fax: +39.02.6691574
E-mail: infocinema@mediasalles.it