Milan, 25 June 2004
PRESS RELEASE
Yesterday, Focus on Europe, organized
by MEDIA Salles within Cinema Expo International 2004, at Amsterdam,
concluded with the presentation of the "European Producer of the
Year" award, given to Peter Aalbęk Jensen of Zentropa Entertainments.
During the final Gala of CEI 2004, in fact, Domenico Dinoia, President
of MEDIA Salles, presented Aalbęk Jensen with the recognition "for his
determining role in the valorisation of Danish cinema on a worldwide
level". Together with the director Lars Von Trier, Peter Aalbęk Jensen
founded Zentropa Entertainments in 1992, the company that in little
over 10 years has produced some of the highest-profile titles of European
cinema, such as Breaking the Waves, 1996 winner of the Grand
Jury Prize of the Cannes Film Festival, that had a considerable international
distribution, with box-office earnings of around 30 million dollars.
Other Zentropa titles of great success are Dancer in the Dark
(2000 winner of the Palm d'Or, Cannes Film Festival Best Actress), Italiensk
for Begyndere (Italian for Beginners, 2001 winner of the
Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival) and Dogville (2003,
European Film Award for Best Film).
The award to Peter Aalbęk Jensen concluded the intense Focus on Europe,
that saw a seminar dedicated to the theme of opening cinemas in new
markets, the presentation of the Italian film Non ti muovere (Don't
move), directed by the director and actor Sergio Castellitto and
a selection of trailers of new European films with international appeal.
"I am certain - affirmed Dinoia - that these initiatives contribute
to promote the distribution and knowledge of European cinema and to
facilitate the work of the exhibitors who wish to see their cinemas
becoming a place where the various expressions of European cinema culture
meet".
These goals are kept in the forefront also for MEDIA Salles' next appointment:
the new edition of the exhibitors' training course "European Cinema
Exhibition: A New Approach", that is specifically devoted to cinema
management and marketing and is organized in collaboration with the
European Film College, DB (the Danish exhibitors' association), Mozisok
Orszįgos Szövetsége (the Hungarian exhibitors' association) and Magyar
Filmunió, with the support of the Hungarian Ministry of Cultural Heritage,
that will be held at Budapest, Hungary, from 22 to 26 September 2004.
The enrolment forms, available in the "Training" section of our website
at www.mediasalles.it, must return to MEDIA Salles no later than 2
August.
For further information:
MEDIA Salles
Via Soperga, 2
I-20127 Milan
Tel.: +39.02.66984405 - Fax: +39.02.6691574
E-mail: infocinema@mediasalles.it