09/02/2004

A new star has now entered the constellation of the European bodies promoting cinema for the various EU nations: Italy has just presented its new organisation, Audiovisual Industry Promotion. It’s first international outing, at the Berlin Film Festival, included a presentation of the organisation’s new managers: the Chairman is Giovanni Galoppi and the MD is Carlo Bassi.

The guidelines for the new and revolutionary structure were announced at a press conference, attended by numerous journalists as well as national and international operators from the sector. Those present included the Director General of Cinecittà Holding, Alessandro Usai, the man in charge of the international sector at the Italian Film Board, Mario Liggeri and the director of AIP (Audiovisual Industry Promotion), Giorgio Gosetti.

The new company is 50% funded by the partners Cinecittà Holding and Fiera Milano. The body is organised into two distinct operating divisions: Filmitalia overseeing the promotion of Italian cinema throughout the world, and MIFED (a famous brand, with the Milan market in its 71st edition this year) concentrating on the development of audiovisual markets. "We’re starting up at an important time for Italian cinema – said Giovanni Galoppi – a time to confirm the positive re-launch of our cinema, that you can also see here in Berlin, with 9 films and 4 co-productions on the programme. We have take the best of our experience so far and combine it with a choice of more rigorous targets, incentives and projects aimed to make our promotional work more effective".

"Everyone knows that MIFED will be facing tough competition this year, in the form of the American Film Market, which is moving its dates from the spring to the autumn - pointed out Carlo Bassi – We’re prepared and we’re convinced that the new company will give us a lot of added value: today we’re one of the rare examples of a market totally devoted to international cinema. MIFED will be enriched by the abilities of professionals from the sector, and by the Italian system’s strategic commitment to pull together in its defence. We’ve started a deliberate policy of discounts and we’re paying special attention to all our most loyal clients, we’re about to announce a specific programme of support and facilities for the buyers who choose Milan. The competition, especially when it is unfair, doesn’t intimidate us in the slightest, in fact it stimulates us to do our work even better".