Yet another triumph for European Cinema: At last night's Oscars, the Oscar for the best foreign language film went to the Austrian-German co-production "The Counterfeiters" (Die Fälscher), a film co-funded by the EU's MEDIA programme and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky from Austria. This is the third time in a row that European cinema is successful in Hollywood.

The EU's MEDIA programme provided significant financial support to 4 films figuring high on the nominations list of the Oscars Ceremony this year: Next to the Austrian-German co-production "The Counterfeiters" (Die Fälscher), there were three French productions "La Vie en Rose" (La Môme), "Persepolis", and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon). The total contribution from the EU's MEDIA programme for these 4 films alone amounted to €2.629.331. The award-winning film "The Counterfeiters" had been supported by MEDIA with €654.980.

Also "La Vie en Rose" (La Môme) from France was successful last night, with an Oscar for the best actress in a leading role – Marion Cotillard as legendary French singer Edith Piaf – and one for the best Make-up. "La Vie en Rose" had received €1.177.584 of MEDIA funding.

Last year, the Oscar winner for the best foreign language film came from Germany, with "The Lives of Others" (Das Leben der Anderen), directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and supported with over €0.5 million from MEDIA. In 2006, the French film "March of the Penguins" (La marche de l’Empereur), supported by MEDIA with € 1.13 million, won the Oscar for the Best Documentary Film.

The EU's MEDIA programme plays a crucial role in supporting Europe's audiovisual sector through the development and distribution of thousands of films as well as training activities, festivals and promotion projects throughout Europe. Nine out of every ten feature films in Europe distributed outside their home country received MEDIA support. Even though its overall budget is no bigger than that of an average "Hollywood blockbuster", MEDIA support has important knock-on effects as each €1 of Community funding generates about €6 in private investment from industry.