On Thursday, 12th of November a group of MEPs, with the primary signature of MEP Irena Joveva, addressed a letter to the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, regarding the situation in the Slovenian film industry with the intent to warn and call for help to unblock the financing of Slovenian national film productions.
The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the film and audio-visual sector resulting in the loss of income for this sector’s employees throughout the whole European Union. With constant reminders of the problematic situation some Member States have taken a positive step towards damage control by releasing and increasing funding for the film sector. Despite all efforts; numerous warnings, good practice examples, appeals by various members of the Slovenian parliament to the Prime Minister, to the Minister of Culture and to the Minister of Finance, the Slovenian government continues to block the financial state budget transfers intended for the Slovenian Film Centre, which has led to the standstill of the film industry in Slovenia, including projects of international cooperation throughout Europe. Moreover, the industry employees have not yet received remunerations for their supplied services since November 2019.
The Country’s political actors are postponing the issue and constantly evading the responsibilities, and so the film industry employees are drowning in unbearably difficult personal and social circumstances. Due to the government’s ignorance, and as the film and audio-visual industry is based on creativity, cultural expression and also on promotion for European ideas and values, we have sent a formal appeal to European Commissioner Gabriel for help in resolving this issue of blocked funds for Slovenian national film production.
The letter: Letter on film industry in Slovenia
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