03/10/2006

What are the shortcomings of Italian cinema, and what changes can film industry players expect? According to Riccardo Tozzi, president of the ANICA producers union, "in the past five years, Italian cinema has given off concrete signs of revitalization, yet criticism continues. The industry is very fragile, companies have few possibilities to take risks and renew themselves. The revenue system is depressed and piracy is a powerful threat. Furthermore, Pay TV in Italy [Sky] pays the same price to acquire films today, with four million subscribers, as when it had 1.8 million subscribers. We have to increase industry resources; hence the right choice is the tax on the entertainment industry, which regards all professionals within the field, including telephone service providers. I think that the resources from the tax, together with those of the Visual Aid Fund (FUS), must be allocated proportionally to the film, to producers, distributors and exhibitors. Obviously, one part of the resources will have to be invested in developing first and second films".

Giancarlo Leone, Vice Director General of RAI and CEO of RAI Cinema, agrees on the tax and adds that, “however, it must concern all those who deal with films, in any aspect. It’s true that the revenue system is depressed; theatrical and home video are no longer enough. General broadcasters acquire increasingly fewer films that have worse programming slots. It must be said, however, that when a film arrives on the free networks, it has already been abundantly exploited in its previous passages. Today, the television sector benefits the most from Pay TV. IF RAI and Mediaset together invest €100m in cinema, SKY, despite its four million subscribers, arrives at only one third that amount".

According to Roberto Cicutto (Mikado), "We must free up the FUS film funding system. We need authentic financing systems, like the exhibitors’ operating tax. You often hear talk of shelters. Why don’t the Ministers of Culture, Communication, the Treasury and Education instead come together to find solutions for the entire industry?"