The Minister of Culture's visit to Cannes: focus on the future of the European film industry and cooperation with Ukraine
During a working visit to France on May 15–17, Minister of Culture Vaida Aleknavičienė participated in discussions on the competitiveness of the European film industry and responses to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. She also took part in the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between Lithuania and Ukraine in the field of cinema during meetings held at the Marché du Film in Cannes.
During an informal working lunch for European Union culture ministers organized at the initiative of the Minister of Culture of France Catherine Pégard, the main focus was on the future of the European film and audiovisual sector. A declaration was adopted during the meeting, emphasizing the essential role of human creativity, the need to strengthen the visibility of European content, and to ensure its sustainable funding.
“In today’s global digital environment, ensuring the visibility and accessibility of European stories is not only a cultural aspiration but also a strategic priority, crucial for preserving Europe’s cultural diversity and strengthening the global reach of European cinema. It is therefore essential to ensure that European audiovisual policy continues to consistently support countries with small production capacities and safeguard linguistic diversity and cultural pluralism. Smaller markets and less widely spoken languages must remain vibrant and adequately represented on European screens,” emphasized Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė.
Minister of Culture Vaida Aleknavičienė noted that this year Lithuania is represented in the official programme of the Cannes Film Festival by the feature film ‘Spring’ – a joint Lithuanian, French, and Estonian co-production. Directed by Ukrainian-born filmmaker Rostislav Kirpichenko, who holds Lithuanian citizenship, the film reflects the collaborative and diverse nature of contemporary European cinema.
At a meeting organized by the European Commission Executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen, attended by EU ministers of culture, members of the European Parliament Culture Committee, and representatives of the European film industry, the focus was on the development of audiovisual policy (the ‘AgoraEU’ programme) and ensuring fair remuneration for creators in the digital space. In these discussions, Lithuania emphasized the need to maintain a balance between digital innovation and fair remuneration for creators for the use of their works in training AI models.
During a bilateral meeting with Guillaume Esmiol, Executive Director of the Cannes Film Festival, Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė expressed her gratitude for the consistent cooperation in raising the profile of the Lithuanian film sector and discussed further partnership in the areas of digitization and innovation. The Minister of Culture also met with the heads of the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC) and the European Film Academy (EFA) to discuss next steps regarding the development of joint production (co-production) between the countries and the promotion of European cinema.
During the Cannes Film Festival, the Lithuanian Film Centre and the Ukrainian State Film Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. This document establishes long-term bilateral commitments to promote joint film production and professional exchanges, as well as to ensure the integration of Ukrainian filmmakers into the European audiovisual space amid the war.
Last updated: 19-05-2026
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