The results of the generation stage of MEDIA Automatic Scheme Call for Proposals 3/2009 (deadline 29 May 2009) have just been published. Over 250 distributors from nearly all MEDIA countries participated in this call reporting on the admissions for non-national films in their respective territories in 2008. The number of these admissions is the basis of the calculation of the potential grant from MEDIA, which distributors can now claim to pay for minimum guarantees and P&A costs of any new non-national European films they acquire. 

Twelve UK distributors generated just over €700,000 (€200,000 more than previous year), with Artificial Eye and Optimum Releasing both securing awards of more than €200,000 due to the box office success of such titles as Waltz with Bashir and Four Months Three Weeks and Two Days (Artificial Eye) and The Orphanage, Gomorra and Persepolis (Optimum). 

The largest single award of €843,986 went to Lucky Red, the Italian distributor of The Orphanage, Couscous and Slumdog Millionaire. This was followed by German Prokino's €563,261, mainly due to phenomenal success of a highest grossing ever French comedy Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, and Diaphana's €524,214, who successfully released Ken Loach's It's a Free World and Lorna's Silence in France.

Collectively, French distributors generated €4.3m, German €3.5m, Spanish €2m and Italian €2.9m. The UK's €700,000 is a testimony to the UK market remaining difficult for non-national films. In terms of admissions reported by distributors for non-national films, Germany leads with over 10 million, followed by France at 7.5m, Italy at 6m and Spain at 4.6m. The total for non-national admissions reported in the UK was 1.2 million.

Films that had most admissions in Europe but outside of their domestic territory were: Asterix and the Olympic Games, Earth, Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.