French Screenwriters Reach Out to Producers February 11, 2008
French writers have launched a new international script market to help gain exposure for their work.
The Union-Guilde des Scenaristes (UGS) has teamed up with the Ile de France Film Commission to launch the Script Market, a website aimed at selling French scripts to international producers, directors and actors. Project was unveiled before an audience comprised mostly of European and American producers during a breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Monday.
"We want to develop our talents and develop them with overseas producers in order to (make) films that are local stories rooted in France with an international appeal," said Jerome Soubeyrand, UGS co-president.
The website fits the commission's agenda to attract more overseas productions to shoot in France. The Gallic organization is also planning to team with the French Alliance Marseilles Provence to centralize its marketing strategy and coordinate shoots, since so many foreign productions are filmed in both regions.
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Luc Besson's project to build a full-service production facility in the Parisian suburb of Seine St. Denis is also expected to attract international productions.
The commission hopes their push to get the French government to offer foreign shoots bigger tax breaks will help them compete globally.
In other screenwriting news, the writer's strike is just about over. The members are voting today on whether to end the strike based on the deal reached between the WGA and the AMPTP. That means writers will probably be back to work on Wednesday. It also means that there will be some decent television on this fall.
