Country Focus: Italy
ANICA report: half of Italian films made in 2006-2008 released abroad
by Camillo de Marco
23/09/2010 - A total of 172 films, about half the 357 Italian titles produced during the three-year period 2006-2008, were released abroad. These are the findings of the first research into the impact of Italian cinema on foreign markets, coordinated by ANICA, the Ministry for Economic Development and the National Institute for Foreign Trade.
The research, presented at the Venice Mostra, examined a broad cross-section of such films, looking at the outcome of foreign sales of 81 films (47% of total exported films), for an overall 822 financial transactions, generating €15.7m. If we compare this amount with actual exports of Italian films, the total revenue for foreign sales of Italian films produced from 2006-2008 is therefore estimated to be €26m. On average, an Italian film therefore brings in around €200,000 from the foreign market.
Most deals were struck with European countries (66%) and, within this region, 325 transactions were with western European countries (39.5%). Besides the transactions made in Switzerland (69), which is a natural distribution territory for Italian films, France (47), Spain (44) and the Benelux countries (38) were the main consumers of Italian cinema. Behind them were the United Kingdom (30), Scandinavia (29), Portugal (28) and Germany.
Outside Europe, export performance was good in the Far East (102 financial transactions), while there were 47 sales in North America, 45 in South America and 44 in the Middle East. Italian cinema also has appeal on the Australian market, where the rights to 37 films were picked up.
The research also analysed Italian films sold in over ten territories (31), including Nanni Moretti’s The Caiman [trailer, film focus], Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Unknown [trailer], Emanuele Crialese’s Golden Door [trailer, film focus] (2006), Daniele Luchetti’s My Brother Is an Only Child [trailer, film focus], The Lark Farm [trailer] by the Taviani brothers, Roberto Faenza’s The Viceroys [trailer] (2007), Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah [trailer, film focus], Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo [trailer, film focus] and Antonello Grimaldi’s Quiet Chaos [trailer, film focus] (2008), as well as comedies like Federico Moccia’s Sorry, If I Love You [trailer] and Alessandro D'Alatri’s Commediasexi [trailer].
"Exports are crucial for our film industry", said Riccardo Tozzi, president of the Producers Section at ANICA. "From the research figures, it emerges that the amount earned from exports currently covers around 8% of the overall cost of our films. If we consider that the French have reached a 20% level, we need to take some strong action, along with institutions and foreign sales agents, to enable Italian films to get closer to France’s figures, just as we have done in recent years with the domestic market share".
