European Film Awards to give screenwriters credit

Following lobbying by the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE), the European Film Academy (EFA) board has announced that it will mention screenwriters alongside the directors and the production companies in all outgoing materials.

The pledge, received in a letter from EFA director Marion Döring  this week, was hailed as a victory for the FSE's European Screenwriting Manifesto.

It comes shortly after the FSE achieved similar results with the German Film Academy which has agreed not to use the possessory credit for directors ("A film by...") which the Manifesto says is unacceptable.

"We consider the results with both academies as a huge step towards the right direction," said FSE Chair, Christina Kallas. She is encouraging all member guilds to strive for similar results with their national academies and film festivals.

Bernie Corbett, General Secretary of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain, said: "We think the so-called directors' credit should only be used when the director is the towering figure. It started with Lean and Hitchcock. Even in such cases, the screenwriter should still get an equal credit to the director.

"It is not acceptable for some director, straight out of film school, to immediately claim this 'A film by' credit. Remember, film is a collaborative process."

Article published 19.02.08