EC trumpets 'Slumdog' success
The European Commission today jumped on the Oscars’ bandwagon – pointing out that 'Slumdog Millionaire' was made with the help of EU budget money.
The film that swept the awards with eight statuettes was co-funded under an EU finance programme to support movie making in Europe.
It received a total of £730,000 (€830,00) from the EU Media fund towards distribution costs in 2008 and 2009.
EU media commissioner Viviane Reding congratulated the film’s makers for a success she said was as breathtaking as the film’s rags-to-riches plot.
She went on: “The scale of the triumph shows that the support of the Media programme is paying off.
“The programme makes sure films made in the EU get a chance to meet judge and jury, in the form of audiences worldwide and competing for international prestigious awards.
“The success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' shows, more than ever, that Media funding is money well spent, as it helps Europe’s cinema spread its cultural diversity around the globe.”
