Montreal: A number of important industry delegations from Europe are attending this year’s Montreal International Film, tv and Video Market including representatives from Eurimages, the Dutch Film Fund, Europool, Italy’s anica and Export-Union des Deutschen Films from Germany.

The expectation is for more business to emerge from the market ­ which runs parallel to the Montreal World Film Festival, Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 ­ as the industry here and abroad sharpens its focus and willingness to coproduce and expand distribution.

‘We are consolidating the market and seeing people coming back on a regular basis,’ says market director Gilles Beriault. ‘We have between 250 and 300 [foreign] people who come year after year. We’re building that group.’

High-profile European guests include Mireille Paulus-Levy, Eurimage’s gm, who is leading a delegation to WFF ’97. Eurimage invests in inter-European (Council of Europe) distribution and coproduction. ‘Canada has a lot of coproduction treaties with those countries and they are looking for other partners and to expand their distribution in North America,’ says Beriault.

Canadian officials, including representatives from Telefilm Canada, will meet with Eurimage to explore an expanded role for Canada within the pan-European organization.

Unifrance International president Daniel Toscan du Plantier and delegate general Bruno Berthemy, representing the French industry, are also leading a delegation to wff. Last year, Unifrance announced a new push for more coproduction with Canada and inaugurated a French film festival in Quebec City.

And while there’s a wealth of international festivals and markets to choose from, a growing number of people in the business like the laid-back atmosphere in Montreal, says Beriault.

Video screening and a wide-screen theater are again available to market participants this year.

Headquartered at the downtown Complex Desjardins Hotel, the market program includes a two-day industry symposium, Aug. 26-27. Among the topics up for discussion are the changing Asian market, the future of the independent producer, coproduction, international financing and foreign film distribution in North America.

Confirmed market guests include Aihara Hiromi of Be Wiz, Japan, attending her first market, Jim Byerley of hbo, Willmar Andersson of Willmar Andersson Film ab of Sweden, acquisition and coproduction executive Quinn Coleman of Warner Bros., Marc Gabizon of Europool, Krysanne Katsoolis of Fox-Lorber, John Kochman of Le Studio Canal+ and Shraga Lev of Imagine in the u.s.

Also attending are l.a.-based Yongming Lu of the China Film Export & Import Corp., Elliot Kanbar of New York exhibitor Quad Cinema, Alex Massis of MP Consulting International, Ryclef Rienstra of the Dutch Film Fund, an investor in Antonia’s Line, and Isabel Rosenthal of Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight.

Longtime wff participant Wolfram Tichy of Time Medien Vertriebs GmbH, German coproducer of the Salter Street Films series Lexx and distributor of a number of Canadian films including Exotica, Hard Core Logo and When Night is Falling will also be in Montreal.

Other festival/market guests include Kelley Reynolds of ITC Entertainment/PolyGram, Paul Federbush of New Line/Fine Line and three representatives from Miramax Films including Robert Kessel and Elizabeth Dreyer.

The market will also offer an online coproduction exchange, and Beriault says he expects to announce some important coproduction deals this year.