MPA CHAIRMAN AND CEO HIGHLIGHTS THE POWERFUL ALLIANCE AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN FILM INDUSTRIES

Orléans (FRANCE) – Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Cannes 1939 festival in Orléans, Motion Picture Association (MPA) Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin highlighted the strong partnerships between the American and European film sectors that extend all the way back to the 1920s and stated that the ability to work together is one of the great strengths of this sector. In his remarks he also paid tribute to then-Minister of National Education and Fine Arts, Jean Zay, who had the vision of France hosting its own international film festival in 1939, a festival which never took place.

“Culture gave way to conflict 80 years ago. Today we revive Jean Zay’s dream and showcase that partnerships like the one our two industries have enjoyed for decades matter,” said Rivkin. “Today is a remarkable opportunity to see the great films that were part of the original lineup from France, Great Britain, the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and the United States,” he continued.

Those films include Jamaica Inn by Alfred Hitchcock, distributed by Paramount, and France’s’ La Charrette Fantôme by Julien Duvivier, distributed by Universal. 17 of those films were American productions, including such classics as Only Angels Have Wings by Howard Hawks, Mister Smith Goes To Washington by Frank Capra, The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming, Pacific Express by Cecil B. De Mille and Love Affair by Leo McCarey.

In his remarks, Rivkin took a quick sweep through the decades to highlight the hundreds of successful film production partnerships between U.S. and European partners.

Rivkin’s full speech at the opening ceremony of the Cannes 1939 festival can be found here.