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Pennies from Heaven? Traditionally, commercialism and culture have not gone hand in hand. However, in recent years, more and more cultural events have been sponsored. Organising events is so expensive that the sales returns from tickets are not enough to cover the expenses. In sports, sponsoring has played a visible part for much longer. Co-operation benefits both sides. The event receives financial support, special supporting services and, of course, publicity. The sponsor may even donate prizes. The sponsors bring themselves to public attention and improve their image as patrons of culture. Miguel Dias is one of the organisers of the Portuguese short film festival of Vila Do Conde. Last year, he was in charge of the co-operation with the sponsors. – We have around ten private sponsors. These include newspapers, private organisations, a bank, and Jameson. It's not only financial support, but prizes, services and publicity as well, says Dias. – The sponsorship co-operation is not very visible in Tampere, Dias estimates. Sponsorship Benefits Both Sides Although sponsoring has increased in recent years, the financial sponsoring is less than half of the budget of Vila Do Conde festival. According to Dias, the businesses are only just beginning to see the possibilities and the significance of sponsoring. – The businesses are now thinking about how they could benefit from the sponsorship. It is, after all, an exchange, giving and receiving. I see this as a positive turn. – I haven't really thought about sponsoring from our visitors' - the customers' - point of view, but I feel that this way they get more information, and we are able to offer them more services. The visitors expect to see something that departs from the mainstream. I don't fear that they get frustrated or start to criticise us for being too commercial: after all, the programme is still independent from the sponsors, says Dias. Public Money Restricts More Dias does not feel that sponsors from the business world restrict the core of the festival, the programme. – Private sponsors, such as companies, don't usually want to interfere with the programme. I don't know how much they even understand about movies. It is the public financing that can erode the independence more severely, he reveals. The media programme of the European Commission, for example, requires that at least 70 per cent of the programme is European. – However, it's always good that European films are supported, even if it leads to some restrictions on the programme, Dias argues. – I'd rather have a single large sponsor; that might increase our independence, Dias feels. The Number of Partners Grows Steadily About a hundred companies present themselves at the 2002 Tampere Film Festival. Their interest towards the Festival has grown year after year. This growth is no coincidence, but the result of determined work. – The biggest reason for this growth is that we have hired more people to manage the corporate co-operation. Our move to Plevna also added companies to the partnership list. Especially the small businesses got more interested after we moved, festival director Antti Vuorio says. Restaurants and technology companies are most visible. Advertising is concentrated on the Festival's own brochures and programmes. The companies have also been interested in advertising on screen, sponsoring screenings and having stands at the screening venues. In Vuorio's opinion the role of the businesses at the Festival is a very important one. – The presence of businesses creates positive mental images and gives additional value even to the participating businesses, he states.
TEXT: Elina Jokisalo and Jani Timonen |
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Festival News 2002 festnews@uta.fi |