"We have to go green and collaborate more closely internationally", was common sense at the panel discussion of Green Film Shooting and the Cine-Regio Green Subgroup at the Italian Pavilion in the Majestic Hotel in Cannes. "Our goal is that by 2020 fifty percent of the films in our territories will be produced in a sustainable way", announced Charlotte Applegren, General-Secretary Cine-Regio. "It is a necessity for public institutions", Nevina Satta, CEO Sardegna Film Commission, pointed out. The Sardegna Film Commission Foundation provides incentives for feature films, TV productions, and audiovisual projects that implement the Green Film Shooting Protocol.
Since 2014 almost 40 projects have been sustainably produced in Sardegna, among them the first green Italian TV series Doctor Pietro. By adopting financially and ecologically sustainable production methods, the efforts of the production company Lux Vide also inspired other broadcasters.
Among the upcoming feature films in Sardegna that will follow best practices is Daughter of Mine by award-winning Director Laura Bispuri. The film will be produced by the Rome-based company Vivo Film. Italian producer Marta Donzelli already collaborated with Laura Bispuri on her former film Sword Virgin. Although Daughter of Mine will be the first official green production of Vivo Film, the company already produced sustainbly in the past. "Going green is often cheaper", the producer pointed out. "Most of the films we produce have a very strong connection to nature. Therefore, it is very important to create a situation that the film crew doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment. I think that is a key element for going green."
"It is not hard to go green. It is hard to have people understand it is easy to go green. It is gonna be cheaper. It is gonna be easier. It is only positive", emphasized Audrey Dana who spoke for the first time in public as Ecoprod Ambassador. "I have been trying to direct movies in a more green way but is it is so hard. People do not wanna change habits", stressed the French writer/director and actress. " I had to fight for a veggie day and being able to recycle on set."
In France, the Iles-de-France Film Fund will motivate the producers to go green by giving out an eco-bonus. Joanna Gallardo, CEO of the Ile-de-France Film Commission, announced in Cannes that the financial incentive for sustainably produced films will be between € 25,000 and € 50,000.
This initiative goes hand in hand with the French consortium Ecoprod that provides film/TV production with green tools and training since several years. At the Cannes Film Festival Ecoprod also announced that CST (Commission Supérieure Technique de L’Image et du son), the French association of image and sound engineers, has become a new Ecoprod member. The consortium also brought green post production and green IT initiatives to the attention of the film industry across Europe because energy efficiency can be a huge money saver. "This is really the turning point for us because producers often think that going green is more expensive", said Joanna Gallardo.
For PGA Green founder and New York-based producer Lydia Dean Pilcher it is essential to train Eco Supervisors before the shooting starts. "When you have Eco Supervisors, you have a better chance of succeeding because you have dedicated staff members who are able to implement systems and who can show people in different departments what they can do", underlined Lydia Dean Pilcher whose credits include the 2013 Cannes hit Lunch Box and most recently the Disney production Queen of Katwe by Mira Nair.
For German producer Verena Gräfe-Höft who was presented at the Cannes Film Festival as 2017 Producer on the Move this was also a reason to produce the 2013 Cannes entry Nothing Bad Can Happen in a sustainable way.
For the German-Danish co-production Antboy the production received a Green Shooting Card from the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein. "We are receiving applications from all over Germany", said Christiane Dopp who already issued more than 90 green production labels. "We are very proud that one of these films is In the Fade by Fatih Akin that is presented in this year’s Cannes Competition."
The Green Shooting Card in Germany may also be the model for a green programme that the Mallorca Film Commission is going to launch. "The green card will provide several benefits for the producers", underlined Pedro Barbadillo, CEO, Mallorca Film Commission. "They will receive a tax reduction and get the permissission more quickly. This is a win-win situation for both sides."
Green rewards and incentives are also given out in other European regions such as Trentino. "We changed our regulations and give the producers extra money if they decide to go green", explained Luca Ferrario, Project Manager of the Trentino Film Fund. In the beginning of 2017, the first call with the T-Green Film Rating system was launched. "Out of the 13 applications in the category of feature films, nine asked to be certified and we approved four. So we will start with four green productions which is a great beginning."
The implementation of best practices is not just about the funding agencies. It is about the creative talents as well, as Adrian Wootton, CEO, Film London, pointed out. "Having advocates such as producers, direcors, actors who are commited to this is absolutely critical." On the pan-European level is also a need for a common standard on the long run.