28/05/2010

Italian cinema is at critical levels according to the second edition of the 2009 report "Il mercato e l'industria del cinema in Italia" (“The film market and industry in Italy”), published by the Fondazione Ente dello spettacolo in collaboration with Cinecittà Luce, with backing from the Ministry of Culture, and presented at Rome’s Luiss University. According to report editor Redento Mori, both the number of domestic films produced and funding have dropped, and more film companies folded than were founded.

President of ANICA producers, Riccardo Tozzi – whose Cattleya production company achieved success at Cannes with Our Life [+see also:
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In fact, the report does not register the changes connected to the implementation of the tax shelter. With the cuts of the FUS (State Entertainment Fund), only 12% of film financing now comes from the state. "I except top players to climb on board our productions thanks to the tax credit," said Tozzi.

The General Director of Cinema at MIBAC, Nicola Borrelli, confirms that state funding will increase only through tax incentives, which have so far been wildly successful. He further stated that the first deliberations of 2010 on the next films that will receive public monies will be announced by June.

CEO of Cinecittà Luce Luciano Sovena, pointed out that "today, films financed and declared of national importance by the state are important films, which have received a lot of visibility at international festivals".

For Dario Viganò, president of the Fondazione Ente dello spettacolo, less state support means that regional film commissions will have to take on a greater role.

(Translated from Italian)