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THE BUSINESS STREET 2014

"Stories need to be based on a common ground"

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- The Business Street - New Cinema Network hosted yesterday a special Spotlight on Argentina and Brazil, guest countries of 2014 edition of Rome IFF's market

"Stories need to be based on a common ground"
A Estrada 47 by Vicente Ferraz

The Business Street - New Cinema Network hosted yesterday (20 October) in Rome a special Spotlight on Argentina and Brazil, guest countries of 2014 edition of Rome IFF's market. Supported by ANCINE (Agência Nacional do Cinema – Brazil), APEX (Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos) and Cinema do Brasil for Brazil, and the INCAA (Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales) for Argentina, in collaboration with MiBACT and ICE-Italian Trade Agency, the initiative was aimed at offering a dedicated window to two of the most appreciated and acknowledged cinematographies in the international film festival circuit and at encouraging networking and cooperation among film industry professionals and institution representatives.

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The event has underlined how trade reciprocity, marketplace intelligence and business opportunities are already in place among the Argentinian, Brazilian and Italian film and culture industries, and explored the outcomes of this trilateral artistic and trade cooperation. During the event, Italy's Maria Giuseppina Troccoli, Head of Film Production at Cinema Unit of Italian Ministry of Culture, confirmed for the next year the availability of funds for co-production with Argentina and Brazil. The Italian cooperation with Argentinian film bodies and filmmakers is growing: a number of co-productions has been selected for the next edition of Argentinian Ventana Sur event, while Roma Lazio Film Commission will invite ten Argentinian and Brazilian producers to Italy to closely work on new co-productions. 

In the current market situation, production in a single country can be difficult and co-production may be the key factor to bypass the financial problems. "Italian/Argentinian co-productions are obviously easier due to the strong social and cultural ties these countries share, and costs are lower, as in Argentina an average feature film budget is around €350,000. Producers can apply for Italian funds and, with the addition of another European partner country, apply for Eurimage fundings", said to Cineuropa Luciano Sovena, Head of Italian Istituto Luce Cinecittà and Roma Lazio Film Commission. Argentina and Brazil are growing from an economic point of view, but also in theatrical attendance, in a reverse trend in comparison with Europe today, as INCAA's International Affairs Manager Bernardo Bergeret (Argentina) suggested.

"Two case studies were presented: El Ardor [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, an Argentinean, Brazilian and French production, and A Estrada 47, new brazilian/italian co-production title. As for El Ardor, the complex production has been recounted by Nathalia Videla Peña (Magma Cine - Argentina): the ambitious auteur production found and important financial support from Brazil, the "Cinema Do Brasil Sales Agent Support" (read here) - later presented by the international consultant of Cinema Do Brasil Marika Kozlovska -, and a very positive reception in Cannes for French sales company BAC Film, which sold it in more than 30 territories, most recently to Japan.

Estrada 47 is the untold story of Brazilian soldiers involvement in Italy during WWII, and was described by the Italian producer Daniele Mazzocca (Verdeoro) as a good example of how cooperation among culturally close countries can lead to important artistic and production achievements. "Stories need to be based on a common ground" commented Mazzocca, "and the common identity between Italy, Argentina and Brazil grants their effectiveness".

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