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 Aalbæk Jensen of Zentropa Entertainments.

During the final Gala of CEI 2004, in fact, Domenico Dinoia, President of MEDIA Salles, presented Aalbæk 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 Aalbæk 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 Aalbæk 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 Országos 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.