The importance of in-depth reflection on the current state of Italian independent cinema has been confirmed within the second edition of the Stati Generali del Cinema Indipendente event, organised by AIR3 – the Italian Association of Film Directors as part of Milano Film Fest. Directors, producers, institutions and cinema operators working within the sector all came together on 5 June to share their visions and proposals, with the aim of overcoming the legislative bias and other obstacles which are hindering the development of Italy’s independent audiovisual industry.

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The panel discussion entitled “I Soliti Indipendenti” highlighted the need for structural reform in order to return visibility and stability to the sector. Democratic Party MP Matteo Orfini put forward the idea of an autonomous agency based on the French model (the CNC), capable of managing audiovisual funds and policies without political influence. He also denounced the chronic lack of trustworthy data from the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Film Department. Producer Gianluca Curti, chair of CNA Cinema Audiovisivo, raised questions over the current definition of “independent producer” in European law, which also allows multinationals access to funds geared towards smaller entities. “Tax credit is aimed at independent producers, but these days many of these producers are controlled by foreign companies which make billions of euros and which have the same access to funds as smaller production firms which are genuinely independent”. Curti adds that “in recent years, in Italy, 290-300 films are being made annually, which is too many. And now there’s a backlog because we’re waiting for amendments to the law regulating public funding of production [Editor’s note: the provision which corrects the previous decree and which should end the stalemate after months of crisis and controversies, came into effect yesterday]. In 2025, we’ll likely only see 80-90 films being made. It’s a desperate situation which affects all of us, in a sector employing 125,000 individuals”.

Emanuele Caruso (Obiettivo Cinema) spoke about his direct experience as a director-producer-distributor, denouncing a market which doesn’t protect independent distribution. Margherita Ferri, a director and advisor at 100autori, stressed how essential it is “to guarantee pluralism of visions and outlooks, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or family origins”, in order to authentically represent the present reality.

In the panel discussion “E Io Pago...”, participants discussed new funding models and the need to create a sustainable ecosystem, reiterating the cultural value of independent cinema as a laboratory of languages, which also feed into mainstream cinema. Producer Franco Bocca-Gelsi (CNA Lombardia) announced studies were underway for a private support fund, involving AIR3 and CNA and inspired by European models such as Belgium’s Tax Shelter and France’s SOFICA companies. Analyst Maria Grazia Fanchi, chair of the Lombardia Film Commission, presented a sector analysis which reveals how, in 2023 in Italy, 736 feature films were produced to the overall tune of 1.6 billion euros. A substantial proportion of works such as these have budgets below 800,000 euros, with independent producers receiving increasingly complex financial backing (producers shoulder 31% of the economic burden).

Benedetto Habib of Indiana Production (chair of the producers’ union Anica) specified that the current backlog of productions “isn’t so much the result of issues with public resources, since tax credit sat at 40% in 2024 and 2025. The amount of public funding made available hasn’t changed. But there’s not much visibility of when that funding will actually physically arrive in production teams’ bank accounts. And it goes without saying that many small producers don’t have the resources to pay in advance out of their own pockets”. For Habib, “the real reasons behind the current production stalemate relate to reductions in investments from TV and streaming platforms, investments which ground to a halt in 2023. We’ll also see a reduction in tax credit over the coming years, which sat at 30% before Covid and will no doubt return to that level. However, this reduction in tax credit rates should incite private funders to invest”. Habib cites Prada as an example, which has just launched a fund of 1.5 million euros per year to support independent cinema (set to be presented at the Venice Film Festival). “We need to make it convenient to invest in cinema”. Last but not least, according to Habib, reorganisation of the distribution system is crucial. “There are so many wonderful films which might not have the resources to make it into cinemas. And they shouldn’t be penalised for this. We do have ad hoc platforms, like MUBI, but RaiPlay could also create channels dedicated to arthouse cinema”.

The panel discussion on artificial intelligence entitled "Si fa ma non si dice", involving Elettra Fiumi (AIR3), Mateusz Miroslaw Lis (SophIA) and Massimo Torre (WGI and 100autori), saw participants discussing the importance of regulating AI in creative fields and in machine learning. Increasing numbers of students are coming into close contact with these technologies at a very early stage, bringing about new skills and helping transform the industry, as previously happened with the arrival of digital technology. Mention was also made of the CortIA initiative organised by SophIA in collaboration with RAI Cinema and AIR3, which consists of a call for submissions aimed at supporting and supervising the experimental phase of the competition in an informed manner, promoting creative yet responsible use of AI. To close the session, the speakers stressed that the industry shouldn’t feel alarmed at the adoption of AI-based tools: the human element – characterised by authentic connections and professional relationships, such as those taking root in events like Stati Generali – will always prove irreplaceable.

At the end of the day, conclusions were drawn around the series of concrete proposals put forth in the Stati Generali event, namely an autonomous film and television agency which would be independent from politics; a legal redefinition of the term “independent producer”; support for the distribution and promotion of independent works; easier access to credit for small audiovisual companies; the creation of an audiovisual department with public-private synergies; greater transparency and data gathering on the part of the Ministry of Culture, and a reinforcement of public support.