In a report published on 6 July, the European Commission sounds the alarm over the survival of Europe’s film heritage. Some 80% of silent films are estimated to have been lost already, the report says, and even new digital-era films are at risk.

According to the Commission, the traditional model of preservation - conserving fragile film materials in sealed boxes in vaults - cannot guarantee their preservation for posterity or accessibility. The report says that in the digital age, a new access model is needed so that future film makers and audiences can continue to enjoy European film culture.

Recalling the ambitions laid down in the EU’s Digital Agenda, the executive calls on film heritage institutions to continue their efforts to increase the amount of film and related material available through Europeana, the Union’s public digital library, which was launched in 2008.

The report also recalls that administrative costs, and the time needed to clear rights, often prevent film heritage institutions from providing cultural and educational access to their precious archive material. Highlighting the member states’ best practices, it notes that the Danish Film Institute has the right to screen subsidised films in its own cinemas and put online subsidised documentaries and shorts, while Spain can organise cultural screenings of subsidised films two years after the first release.

The report is available at www.europolitics.info > Search = 276008