Every year the Osaka European Film Festival brings dozens of European films to the Kansai region, many of which receive their Japanese premieres here in Osaka. From short films to commercials, classics to new releases, the Osaka European Film Festival offers a varied programme that showcases the European Unionﾕs lively audiovisual industry. Pluralism and diversity are two key values of the European Union. European-made films represent an important cultural expression of that diversity. Seven hundred and twenty five films were made in the enlarged EU in 2003. Almost 1 billion cinema tickets were sold across the 25 Member States, representing an increase of almost 50% since the mid-nineties. Enlargement brings with it a rich tradition of film-making, including film-loving nations such as Poland which has almost 25 million cinema-goers.

The European Commission’s Media Training and Media Plus Programmes have a combined budget of over 500 million euro and are dedicated to the training of professionals, the development of production projects and companies, the promotion and distribution of cinematographic works and audiovisual programmes and support for film festivals. Some of the films being shown in this yearﾕs Osaka European Film Festival have benefited from Media funding. The development of the Denmark-Sweden-UK co-production Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself received Media funding while Les Choristes, a film that has been more popular than the latest Harry Potter film in France, is hoping to repeat its success abroad with assistance from Media distribution.

At this yearﾕs Venice Film Festival, outgoing Education and Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding revealed plans to double the amount of Media funding for the fourth generation of the Media Programme, Media 2007. The aim of Media 2007 would be to double the number of films which travel outside their home markets from the current 10 percent to 20 percent.

Japan is a key market for the European film industry. Films such as Deep Blue from the UK and Deux Freres from France have been very successful this year. Deep Blue broke Japanﾕs single-cinema admission record earlier this year and was also enjoyed by Prime Minister Koizumi.

The Osaka European Film Festival is a particularly important event in this context, not only because it provides a platform for new and innovative European film-making, but also because it brings European filmmakers - directors, actors and producers - to Osaka to talk about their works in lively seminars and discussions. This is ever more important as we head toward next yearﾕs EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges which aims at increasing face-to-face contacts between Japanese and European citizens as well as helping to demystify European and Japanese society.

I am pleased to congratulate Jan Decleir, the Belgian actor and star of De Zaak Alzheimer who has been awarded the Osaka City Prize. This distribution of this film too has been supported by the Media Programme and I hope that it will be a great success in Japan. Decleir also takes on the prestigious role of Honorary Chairman of the Osaka European Film Festival and will be making a presentation following the screening of De Zaak Alzheimer.

Let me conclude by wishing the organisers and audiences of the Osaka European Film Festival the best for an interesting and exciting week of European cinema.