12/07/2013 - The head of cinema at the Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Activities confirmed with Cineuropa that a discussion table is set to take place during the festival, featuring interventions by Minister Bray and Prime Minister Letta

Nicola Borrelli (photo), the head of cinema at MiBAC (the Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Activities), confirmed with Cineuropa that “during the Venice Film Festival (28 August-7 September), a cinema and audiovisual production summit will take place,” as hinted by Minister Massimo Bray at the Cannes Film Festival. “The aim is to bring Prime Minister Enrico Letta in during the conclusive phase of meetings between institutions and the industry,” Borrelli, who participated in a workshop at the festival in Maratea yesterday, added. “It won’t be a traditional summit but a large discussion table at which relevant topics will be analysed and talked out.” 

In the last few days, Prime Minister Letta responded on Twitter to a follower who wanted an explanation over recent cuts to culture funds. These cuts have included tax credits for cinema, provoking a reaction from associations within the sector who have threatened to boycott the upcoming Venice Film Festival. “Those culture ones are old cuts that are only being put into force now. When it comes to the law on stability, as I have promised, we will severely change course,” Letta wrote. There are speculations that Minister Massimo Bray has a government intervention in the works, to be announced mid-July.

Today, cinema associations met Bray, followed by the vice-minister for Economic development, Antonio Catricalà, handing over a document in which main observations and requests from the sector were summarised: reinstatement of €90 million of funds dedicated to the tax credit, as well as its stabilisation and consolidation as a permanent feature for the development of Italian cinema. 

(Translated from Italian)