07/11/2005

It was supposed to be the beginning of a new era in the history of film distribution. Starting today, for nine euros onUMTS mobile phones of telephone company 3, subscribers would have been able to see, for the first time ever, a premiere film (which would have played for a week, allowing them to see it as often as they wanted). The chosen title was The Interpreter, thanks to an agreement with distributor Eagle Pictures.

However, a revolt broke out as soon as the news reached exhibitors about Sydney Pollack’s film, which features Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn and has been out for several days now. Exhibitors decided to withdraw the film from cinemas, despite its having drawn the greatest number of spectators in this moment. This move forced 3 to immediately rethink its strategy and the film will no longer be viewable on mobiles as of today, but in ten days, in order to avoid competing with cinemas.

However, exhibitors are still not satisfied. The larger cinema circuit, of Warner, Cecchi Gori and Medusa – the majority of multiplexes, that is – have decided to continue their protest and suspend the film’s programming from their cinemas. "We don’t want a head-on collision with cinema exhibitors," said Vincenzo Novari, Managing Director of the telephone holding company from Honk Kong. "We will meet with these associations on Wednesday."

"Far from distancing audiences from cinemas," explained Novari further, "the cell phone can become a precious promotional instrument of cinema and cinemas." Roberto Benigni, however, does not at all agree: "This is an aberration. That fact is that the film industry is already at great risk and this is the sign that we truly are selling it out."

(Translated from Italian)