10/12/2007

The Centoautori movement has expressed its preoccupation in a letter to Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli and Minister of Communication Paolo Gentiloni over "the amendments presented to the Chamber of Deputies by the majority government, which are intended to radically change the measures of the Finance Law that establish transparency in the relationships between broadcasters and filmmakers.”

The group of film and audiovisual professionals formed last spring (see article) is accusing the government of being incapable of imposing rules on broadcasters. They are threatening to suspend the pact of faith that until now has been the driving force in their collaborations with the current government and to mobilise against those "who are being used as instruments by the television lobbies."

In late November Minister Rutelli brought together representatives of the entire Italian film industry to discuss the measures being discussed in Parliament, which he calls ''a revolutionary reform for Italian cinema.”

There are two important items in the legislative packet. The first is the introduction of a tax credit that would guarantee film companies up to €3.5m in tax deductions as long as the money is reinvested in new projects.

In the second, with the changes to Radio-Television legislation, free and pay TV suppliers would also have to set aside ''no less than 10% of their net annual revenues to the financing, pre-acquisition and acquisition of European films and the adaptation or packaging of European content for new technologies.”

Within this quota, 30% and 35% would be further allocated to Italian product, to be respectively paid out by free and pay TV channels. The measure would thus compel top broadcasters such as Sky and Telecom to participate in financing the industry, an obligation previously imposed only on national television channels.

(Translated from Italian)