09/07/2012 - The official distribution platform of the Italian film industry announced by President Riccardo Tozzi

"This autumn we expect to launch our own online film platform and we will have several thousand of films." This was announced yesterday on Nòva24 not by a private entrepreneur but by Riccardo Tozzi (photo), President of Anica, the national association which brings together the Italian multimedia film industry.

This means that independent cinema could finally get the visibility it deserves, considering the enormous distribution difficulties quality Italian and European films are experiencing. The creation of the portal, annouced some time ago, was delayed by certain obstacles. “Many distribition companies had exclusive agreements with television networks,” explained Tozzi.

It seems that distributors are no longer are afraid of the competition done to traditional circuits by new media, although we still do not know the details about how the ANICA platform will operate. The association expects revenue generated by the online films to grow from €20m in 2011 to €600m in 2016.

In Italy, alongside the giants Apple iTunes, Microsoft and Sony with their respective consoles, consumers have access to platforms attached to their television licence fee, namely Cubovision from Telecom Italia, and ChiliTv launched by Fastweb. There are also more experimental and independent systems, such as Film is Now and Own Air. This is the only platform to offer new titles not distributed in theatres, exclusively or simulatenously at the launch of titles on the traditional circuit.

(Translated from Italian)