Recent controversy surrounding the finances of the Luxembourg Film Fund was turned on its head at a ceremony marking the institution’s 30th anniversary, as well as the 10th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival, on Wednesday morning. Rather than a series of long speeches, the ceremony was presented by a disembodied voice--that of local film director and producer and sometime MC Fred Neuen--who told the audience that the Fund did not have the budget to pay for a live master of ceremony nor for any fancy visuals. There was, however, enough to film interviews with outgoing Lux Film Festival president Colette Flesch, city mayor Lydie Polfer (DP), film fest artistic director Alexis Juncosa, Film Fund director Guy Daleiden and Filmakademie chair Yann Tonnar. And a montage of many of the films that have been made with the assistance of Film Fund financing over the years was cleverly put together by editor Amine Jaber.
But Neuen was urged to speed the ceremony along, even cajouling prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP) into keeping his speech short, as the screening room at Kinepolis had only been hired for an hour. Bettel, in his role as minister for communication and media alongside minister of culture Sam Tanson (Déi Gréng) are responsible for the local film industry and the festival.
At the event on Wednesday they both talked about the financing of film, saying that the money spent on culture should be viewed as an investment rather than an expenditure. Tanson said the investment has allowed the film sector to grow and flourish and cited the Film Fund as an inspiration for the work the ministry is doing in setting up an Arts Council for Luxembourg. Bettel said that cinema held a mirror up to society and that it could play an educational role for everyone.