Blog
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Brussels EU quarters back to business
Brussels European quarters are back to business: traffic jams, overpopulated coffee places and queues to pass security into the institutions. Inside the European Parliament, the last carpets are being laid and furniture assembled in the 751 offices.
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Welcome back!
On the 2nd of September, 751 Members of the European Parliament resumes their work. Before the summer break, the SAA had the chance to welcome a few and we look forward continuing to meet and present who we are and why European filmmakers should be a priority for the Parliament.
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Interview with SAA's Director: The film industry and the online market
As a part of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) open online course (MOOC), Cécile Despringre, SAA Executive Director was interviewed about creators’ remuneration, collective rights management, the film industry and the online market.
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Meet our member: Kopiosto in Finland
On 1st July, Finland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Finland is the number one happiest country in the world, has 3 million saunas (more than they have cars) and Finns are the biggest coffee drinkers in the world (12kg per person per year). Kopiosto, the Finnish copyright organisation, has actively been promoting creative works for more than 40 years, and joined the SAA as a member in 2010.
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Growing awareness of culture for development
Culture contributes to 30 million jobs worldwide and represents around 3% of the world’s GDP (UNESCO). However, we are still far from policies that put creators at the centre of our booming creative industries and that understands their full potential and value in global development and cooperation.
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A not so unified Union...
At the Cannes Film Festival more than 500 filmmakers came together, urging EU citizens to vote in the European elections. Many EU citizens did vote, in fact the turnout was 51%, the highest in 20 years.
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Vote for culture - a catalyst for a better Europe
In the coming days, through the elections, EU citizens will decide the fate of the new European Parliament. Many are pondering whom they should vote for, but culture is definitively not the decisive factor shaping public opinion.
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3 ways the new European Parliament can support creators
In a few weeks, EU citizens’ will elect a new European Parliament. Looking back, the Parliament has done a lot for directors and screenwriters in Europe, and one could ask: Is there anything more to do? Yes there is.
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2018 in three words: The Copyright Directive
For the SAA’s small team, working in the European House of Authors in Brussels, 2018 can be summed up in three words: the Copyright Directive.
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When will the film industry pass the gender equality test?
Half of all Hollywood blockbusters fail to pass the Bechdel test, including the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, all Star Wars and all but one of the Harry Potter movies. One may think it is a simple test, but many films lack the requirements: two female characters who both have a name and talk to each other about something other than a man.
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Broadcasting and retransmissions – from a bad proposal to a hopeful directive
On 13 December 2018, the Council and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the Broadcasting and Retransmissions Directive. This is a milestone for audiovisual authors to continue receiving royalties for the exploitation of their works included in TV programmes’ packages distributed all around Europe, whatever the technology used.
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‘This time I’m voting’ - for cultural diversity
Brussels’ European quarter is getting ready for the elections on 23-26 May. Political parties are finalising their lists of candidates for the European Parliament and organisations and interest groups are designing campaigns to engage citizens to vote.
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