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DISTRIBUTION / RELEASES / EXHIBITORS Italy

Italy launches #iorestoinSALA, a new virtual circuit of high-quality cinemas

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- 71 exhibitors across the country and a handful of distributors have agreed on this new initiative taking flight tomorrow, set to offer films online to the financial benefit of the cinemas involved

Italy launches #iorestoinSALA, a new virtual circuit of high-quality cinemas
Bad Tales by the D’Innocenzo brothers

In anticipation of Italian audiences’ physical return to movie theatres, an event planned for 15 June but still mired in doubt due to the nature of the health crisis, Italian exhibitors have joined forces in order to re-connect with their public virtually. The result is #iorestoinSALA (I’m staying at the CINEMA), a new circuit of virtual movie theatres born out of an agreement between 71 exhibitors across the country (roughly 200 screens in all, but other cinemas can join the initiative at any point) and a group of distributors looking to offer high-quality online films, both first releases and catalogue titles, and to re-establish the link between the viewer and her or his own favoured cinema, which had effectively disappeared into the void during these past three months of black out.

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“It’s a way for we exhibitors and cultural operators to come together and carry on with our profession, which is based on sociability and ongoing liaison with the general public”, explains Lionello Cerri, the founder of Milan’s Anteo cinema, which is one of the movie theatres signed up to the initiative. Each exhibitor will be wholly in charge of their own scheduling (as opposed to the other newly born initiative MioCinema – read our news) and will be able to develop their own particular focuses (themes, exhibitions, livestreams…). Viewers will buy tickets from the website of their chosen cinema and will each be given a code corresponding to a seat in the virtual movie theatre. By way of an agreement with the MyMovies platform, each digital cinema will simulate a cinema film screening, streaming the works at set times. Viewers will be able to see other audience members in the cinema and talk with the person next to them via chat services, as well as comment on the film.

The price for this home cinema experience will vary between a minimum of € 3.50 to a maximum of € 7.90. The funds will go to the pre-selected cinema, with a certain amount forwarded on to the distributor, in line with the rental agreements in place. It all kicks off on Tuesday 26 May with Bad Tales [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo
film profile
]
by the D’Innocenzo brothers, Berlin’s Silver Bear winner; next will be Tornare [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Cristina Comencini (on the 28th) and The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lorenzo Mattotti
film profile
]
by Lorenzo Mattotti (on the 30th). The screenings will be preceded by live interviews with associated directors and actors, which will begin half an hour before the film commences. Other currently available titles include Guests in the Villa [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile
]
by Ivano De Matteo, It Must Be Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elia Suleiman
film profile
]
by Elia Suleiman, The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Karim Aïnouz
film profile
]
by Karim Aïnouz, On A Magical Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christophe Honoré
film profile
]
by Christophe Honoré, Heroic Losers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Sebastián Borensztein, and Christoph Waltz’s directorial debut Georgetown.

The exhibitors’ idea is to continue providing these online movie theatres, even once cinemas have physically re-opened, so as to offer up a new system for accessing films following their time on the big screen: “We want to be here now, while cinemas are closed, but also tomorrow, once cinemas have re-opened”, Cerri specifies. “In accordance with release windows - that is, after 105 days, as stipulated by the law - viewers will be able to find films which they missed when they were first in cinemas and watch them from home via our online movie theatres”. It’s a small/big revolution in the field of cultural entrepreneurship, which just might lead to a new and concrete model of support for cinemas across the country.

A full list of the cinemas signed up to the #iorestoinSALA initiative is available here.

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(Translated from Italian)

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