8. Distribution and exhibition
2002 was a good year for cinema in Italy and especially for Italian films.
DISTRIBUTION
Fewer big films were produced and perhaps that is why Italian cinema managed to increase its share of the domestic market to 22.2 per cent from 2001’s 19.4 per cent. According to Cinetel 216 Italian films were programmed in 2002, 114 of which were new releases (coproductions included): an increase of 8 and 28 films respectively. 16 Italian films broke the Euros1m barrier at the box office and 3 entered the top ten titles of the year.
The postive performance was not the exclusive domain of Italian cinema. American films in Italy saw a 5.99 per cent hike in attendance, and although this is distant from the Italian results. There was an 8.33 per cent increase in US films while Italian films (coproductions included) increased by 22.16 per cent.
As far as Europe is concerned, French films lead the field with a significant 6.04 per cent share of the Italian market while British films dropped to 3.77 per cent after the 10.4 per cent of 2001.
The sour note is the concentration of box office takings by a handful of titles. That is also the clearest sign of the weakness of the Italian film industry. 63.4 per cent of the gross box office take was generated by just five Italian films, and 87 per cent by the first 16.
EXHIBITION
There are around 6000 cinemas in Italy and the sector is dominated by multiplexes with at least 8 screens. There are 51 operating at present in Italy. This year 15 new multiplexes were opened, bringing an additional 154 screens.
25 million tickets were sold for films screened at multiplexes, that is around 30 per cent of the potential filmgoing population. The forecasts for 2004 are that multiplexes will absorb 50 per cent of the Italian filmgoing population.
STATE INVERVENTION
The Direzione Generale per il Cinema (Italian Film Board) supports the theatrical distribution of Italian films by covering the costs of prints and advertising campaigns both at home and abroad.
The Film Board also supports the promotion of Italian cinema both in Italy and abroad as well as all other activities of a cultural nature that regard Italy’s film heritage. That includes festivals and reviews, national film associations, film libraries, university institutes, conferences and publishing, awards and various other promotional activities. The Ministry for Culture also control Cinecittà Holding, the National Film School and the Venice Biennale, part of the promotional activities of Italian cinema at home and abroad.
The State also manages cinemas in a variety of ways that include investing in technological innovation, modernisation of existing theatres and the transformation of some single-screen theatres into multi- screens.
TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION - BOX OFFICE - EXHIBITION
| Market share - in percentage points | 2002 | Difference 2002/2001 |
| Italian films + coprods. | 22.22 | +2.80 |
| Films France | 6.04 | +2.24 |
| Films United Kingdom | 3.77 | -6.63 |
| Films USA | 60.18 | +0.48 |
| Total EU (not Italy) | 12.4 | -4.7 |
| Total extra-EU (not USA) | 5.2 | +1.4 |
| Italian Imports in | 2002 | Difference 2002/2001 |
| Total Film Imports | 285 | -19 |
| European Film Imports | 83 | -6 |
| US Film Imports | 169 | -12 |
| Box Office | 2002 (Euro) | Difference 2002/2001 In percentage points |
| Total Box Office | 525.010.326 | +7.84 |
| Total Box Office Italian Films + coprods. |
116.548.464 | +24.18 |
| Total Box Office US Films |
315.951.324 | +8.33 |
| Spectators | 2002 | Difference 2002/2001 In percentage points |
| Totale | 89.175.917 | +5.99 |
| For Italian films & coprods. |
19.885.224 | +22.16 |
| For US films | 53.272.275 | +6.28 |
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