First, some sad news. The major US alternative film distributor New Yorker Films was forced to foreclose early this year. New Yorker Films worked with Oliver Groom of Project X Distribution in Toronto to release my work in North America, and this was a major blow for us, as well as for many other independent filmmakers. However, a very positive solution has been found, and Oliver now has an agreement to work with the The Cinema Guild to release my work in the USA.

Oliver Groom’s future projects include a DVD version of The Journey - another major step in the release of my work. For further information, please contact Oliver Groom, Project X Distribution Ltd., 223 Humberside Ave., Toronto, Ontario M6P 1K9 Canada. Tel: (416) 604-2506 oliver@torontobritpics.com

There are plans for a DVD version of Privilege to be released in the U.K. by the British Film Institute. For further information please contact Sam Dunn, BFI Video, Sam.Dunn@bfi.org.uk

Shellac Video, the distributor of my work in France, recently released the short version (3hrs 30 mins) of La Commune (1999) into French cinemas. This shortened version is so far still only available in the French language, and currently has no distribution elsewhere in the world. For further information on the availability of the original version of La Commune (5 hrs 45 mins), including in English, and on the availability of Edvard Munch, Punishment Park, The Diary of an Unknown Soldier, and The Forgotten Faces for cinema showings in France, please contact Shellac Video, 40 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris shellac@altern.org Tel: ++ 33 1 42 55 07 84 www.shellac-altern.org

Shellac Video is currently negotiating with the BBC in London for the cinema rights for The War Game and Culloden in France. For information re the rights elsewhere in Europe for these two films, please contact Vicky Mitchell, Vicky.mitchell@bbc.co.uk

Doriane Films in Paris continue to release DVD versions of Diary of an Unknown Soldier, Forgotten Faces, Culloden, The War Game, The Gladiators, Punishment Park, Edvard Munch and La Commune, in France. These are always in the original language with French or English subtitles. Doriane Films will hopefully also be able to release a DVD version of Evening Land this or next year, as well as Privilege. For further details contact Cécile Farkas, Doriane Films, 1, rue du Sergent Bauchat, 75012, Paris France Tel: (+33) 1 44 74 77 11 Fax: (+33) 1 44 74 64 93 farkas@doriane-films.com, www.doriane-films.com.

Generally speaking, outside of France, the cinema distribution of my films in Europe, and especially in the U.K. and Scandinavia, remains very limited - which is a great pity, considering that a number of my films work with themes relevant to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. There is one piece of good news on this front: a little while ago, Arthaus, a non-commercial distributor set up by the Norwegian Federation of Film Societies, screened Edvard Munch in cooperation with the Oslo Cinematheque. Since then, there have been a number of cinema screenings of the film in Norway (a first!), and the film is now available there on DVD. For information contact arthaus@arthaus.no

In Australia, Punishment Park is available on DVD via George Papadopoulos at Accent Film Entertainment, george@accentfilm.com In Greece, Carousel Films is releasing several of my films. For more information, contact Stella Kavadatou at carousel@otenet.gr

Last year we posted a new Introduction to this website to reflect the escalation of the media crisis and its direct effect on the global environment. See the revised Introduction. There is also a French version.

Once again, my sincere thanks to everyone who has written supportive e-mails over the past months. I apologize for not always promptly replying, indeed for sometimes not being able to reply at all. I do always appreciate everything I receive! My contact e-mail will continue to be: peter_r_watkins@hotmail.com.

Best wishes, Peter Watkins,
Felletin, France