A new Europeaninitiative - Capital Regions for Cinema (CRC) - is to be launched at nextweek's Cannes Film Festival to promote and support closer cooperation andco-production between European producers.

CRC's founding members are Commission du Filmd'Ile de France, Rome's Lazio Film Commission, the Madrid Film Commission andMedienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH.

They will be staging a series of networkingevents at Cannes to familiarise producers, distributors and investors withpossible co-production and cooperation partners in the other participatingregions.

According to the CRC, a primary feature of thenetwork will be "the exchange of services and resources of every kind toimprove shooting conditions. Another objective is to promote project distributionand circulation. Other agreements involve industry information on operatingsystems and production procedures in partner countries, with an emphasis onco-production potential, legal frameworks and financing opportunities. Thealliance will also foster an exchange of professionals and technicians forco-production projects."

During this year's Berlinale in February, theMedienboard and Commission du Film d'Ile de France signed a cooperationagreement to support closer links between the producers of both regions.