25° EUROMEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE ON CINEMA
“PLATFORMS AND AI:
THE RISE OF GLOBAL CINEMA?”
Villa degli Autori, Lido di Venezia
8 September 2022, 2.30 p.m. CET
80th Venice International Film Festival
AGENDA
Institutional Greetings
Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General Culture Sector, UNESCO
Francesco Rutelli, President ANICA
Vittorio Sgarbi, Undersecretary at the Italian Ministry of Culture
General Introduction
Pierpaolo Saporito, President OCCAM (UN-affiliated) and President a.I.
International Council for Film and Television, CICT-ICFT
From past to future: from film to algorithm
Luciana Castellina, former member, European Parliament
Daniela Rondinelli, member, European Parliament
Gianantonio Da Re, member, European Parliament
Niccolò Rinaldi, member, European Parliament
How could the virtual dimension improve a real integration of people?
Giacomo Mazzone, Secretary-General, Eurovisioni
Elisabetta Noli, Administrative Director, Global Campus on Human Rights
Jasmina Bojic, Founder and President, UNAFF Travelling Film Festival, Stanford University
Alessandro Mandelli, Founder, Serially
Serge Michel, Vice President CICT UNESCO, UNICA Delegate
Ruggero Gabbai, FORMA International
Cultural roots and digital creativity
Salmane Tariq El Allami, Professor, Mohammed V University and Founder, ISCA Film School
Ahmet Boyacioglu, Director, Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
Rizwan Ahamd, Director, Instructional Media Centre, MANUU
FINAL DECLARATION
"Ceremony of Proclamation of the winner of the 35th CICT-ICFT UNESCO Prix “Enrico Fulchignoni”,
awarded with the “UNESCO Fellini Medal”
PRESENTATION OF THE CONFERENCE
With the emergence of innovative platforms dedicated to audio-visual products operating in the cinematographic field and aggregating disparate contents, came relevant transformation in an already accentuated globalisation that effectively eliminates traditional barriers in the film industry itself. This, in turn, opened up new opportunities, making cinema production and distribution wildly available and often part of everyday routine over the globe. In this context, a new dimension, one that tends to include all potential viewers – amounting to 4 billion and on the increase – is no longer confined to the theatre or television and should be carefully evaluated. In order to encourage this development, it is crucial to create new expressions, markets and contents more closely linked to personal digital experiences; these being more authentic, instantaneous and interactive, especially for the younger generations.
The rise of a new koine, encouraged by a new cinematic language common to all, requires us to address the current circumstances with open minds and to reflect on what will inevitably induce the transformation and overcoming of territorial boundaries. This conference, created by UNESCO and the European Parliament in 1995 to define a vision of the inclusion of Euro-Mediterranean peoples according to the principles of peace and tolerance, can be seen now as an opportunity to tackle the issues of the current transformation and fill in the gap that only new forms of communication can do. This is by overcoming political rigidities and encouraging the meeting of generations beyond borders.
Acting as enablers of existing methods, AI tools and platforms have brought significant advances and efficiency to the cinematographic field, as well as new challenges and problems to solve. To reduce these risks, it is fundamental to guarantee that human creativity, expertise and decision-making remain inherent in the filmmaking process. The doubts raised by the use of generative AI and its impact on the work of screenwriters; and the use of artists’ and creatives’ work to create some automated replicas in music, painting and writing, have to be addressed and require deep reflection from all the interested parties: creatives, artists, publishers, organizers of cultural events, traditional and new media outlets... Among others, the discussion will try to respond to some controversial issues, including
Can we have movies without artists? Is creativity an exclusivity of mankind only? What are the rights of creatives with a pending generative AI? Which future for cinema in its all forms?
It is thus important to hear directly from the protagonists of this change since this will prove decisive not only regarding the illustration of the new technological scenarios but – most importantly – to delve into the increasing options that open up with this extraordinary expansion. A harbinger of new opportunities presents itself too, for all those hitherto marginalized by asphyxiating barriers of access to traditional productions, or by the shortcomings of the distribution of their products, resulting in a serious deterioration of the variety of cultural expressions. A worry that is at the core of UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, in view of a productive confrontation and discussion in order to revitalize cinema in its basic mission as a factor of communication and cultural exchange.
With these premises, the Conseil International du Cinéma et de la Télévision CICT partner of UNESCO intends to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Euromediterranean Conference on Cinema with a special edition that, under the title “Platforms and AI: the rise of global cinema”, is scheduled to take place on 8th September 2023 during the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, and in which we are honoured to invite you to participate, either in person or online.
PHOTO GALLERY
HISTORY OF THE CONFERENCE
The Euromediterranean Conference on Communication was created in 1995 by the European Parliament and UNESCO’s International Council on Film and Television. It was born as a result of the 1995 Barcelona Declaration under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and has always seen concrete support from the European Parliament Office in Milan. The Conference aims at creating a network and a series of projects finalised to the realisation of a Euro-Mediterranean integration, as well as the socio-economic development of the region. It represents one of the most prestigious cultural events of the Venice International Film Festival and an opportunity for a dialogue among the different stakeholders in the fields of culture, communication and ICTs.
In over twenty years, almost 1300 speakers attended, representing governments, international organisations – such as the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe – public and private institutions, foundations and NGOs, directors and experts. They elaborated and implemented interventions and projects of great relevance, including:
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The creation of new film festivals in Tirana, Ohrid, Zagreb, Beirut, Izmir, Khouribga, Gaza, Damascus, Cairo, Tripoli, Kalamata, Menorca, Hammamet, Marrakech, Antalya, supporting UN peacekeeping action and leading to the birth of the International Council of Mediterranean Cinematic Manifestations (MCM);
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The establishment of the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM), an organisation currently representing 42 Euro-Mediterranean public televisions with an audience of over 350 million viewers;
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Participation in the UNESCO Mediterranean Programme, with various projects in eight countries;
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The development of the Euromed Audiovisual programme with the European Commission;
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The realisation of regional projects within the Infopoverty Programme at the United Nations and the organisation of an Africa/Euromediterranean Session in collaboration with the European Parliament at the Infopoverty World Conference that takes place every year at the UN Headquarters;
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Several seminars at the UN World Summits on the Information Society (WSIS) and the creation of the ICT Villages of Borj Touil in Tunisia and Meis el Jabal in Southern Lebanon, supporting the education of Palestinian refugees;
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The creation of the annual ICFT-UNESCO Prix “Enrico Fulchignoni”, awarded to the movie that best promotes the values of peace and tolerance at the Venice International Film Festival;
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The support to the European Parliament’s Lux Prix awarded to the movies that best reflect European values and multiculturalism and that contribute to the promotion of the debate of the process of Euro-Mediterranean integration;
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The development of an “e-Service Platform for the Mediterranean” for transferring health, education, agricultural and business skills from research centres for remote diagnosis and therapy, crop management, and job creation;
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The launch of the World Health & Food Security e-Center, which gathers 21 scientific societies as e-service providers supporting the Platform;
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The launch of the eMedMed project for the development of health security in the Mediterranean was presented at the French Senate as the Best Med Programme and validated by the Union for the Mediterranean.