MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin Highlights Strong Partnership between European and U.S. Film and Television Industries at Berlinale
Keynote remarks before the German Producers Alliance highlight collaborative advocacy to defend intellectual property protections across Europe
BERLIN – Today, at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin addressed a gathering of the German Producers Alliance, the most influential producers group in Germany with more than 250 members, as they celebrated their 10th Anniversary. In his remarks, Rivkin praised the German Producers Alliance for their leadership on important industry issues, including the Digital Single Market in Europe, and emphasized the importance of cross-border collaboration to Europe’s local film and television industry.
“The ability to work together is one of the great strengths of our sector. And it is that shared purpose that helps the MPA and the Producers Alliance collaborate on the most pressing issues facing our industry today,” said Rivkin. “As the European Commission considered the Digital Single Market, the leadership of European producers, creators, and artists is making the difference in our advocacy. Together, the sector continues to remind policymakers that weakening copyright and contractual freedom will have a devastating effect on our industry.”
Rivkin’s remarks were part of a three-day German tour that included a visit to Studio Babelsberg, Germany’s oldest production studio, and delivering remarks before the German Home Entertainment Trade Body. On Friday, Rivkin will speak at an event co-hosted by the MPA Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA) and the law firm Morrison & Foerster focusing on the growing importance of animation. This timely event comes as Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, distributed by Fox Searchlight, became the first ever animation movie to open the Berlinale Film Festival.
In his remarks, Rivkin also highlighted the hundreds of successful film and television production partnerships between U.S. and European partners and the creative industry’s significant economic impact. Across Europe, more than 11 million men and women work in jobs supported directly and indirectly by copyright-intensive industries, including film and television.
Rivkin also discussed the importance of cooperation among international content creators and owners in global content protection efforts to reduce piracy. “I am proud that in June 2017, the MPAA helped bring together 30 leading content creators, including Germany’s own Constantin Film and Studio Babelsberg, to form the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment,” he said, “which has already seen important victories against illicit streaming devices, like Tickbox in the United States, and the elimination of apps that enable access to pirated content here in Europe and in other parts of the world.”
Rivkin’s full remarks for the German Producers Alliance as prepared can be found, here.
About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
# # #
For more information, contact:
MPAA Washington, D.C.
Chris Ortman
(202) 293-1966
Chris_Ortman@motionpictures.org