Chairmen of film associations from Asia and Europe got together to mull the future of films last week in Beijing, at the annual conference of the World Cinema Alliance.

Among the subjects the two-day conference discussed were cultural diversity, copyright and the Internet, and cooperation between film associations from China and Europe. Most agreed that cinema remains a major means of cultural expression and called for a wider international circulation of films from all countries. Jacek Bromski, president of World Cinema Alliance and chairman of the Poland Film Associations, announced the Beijing Declaration 2009, which reaffirmed the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and international cooperation in cinema.