For Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi, 2024 kicked off on a decidedly sour note.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
- 2/2/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s box office revenue rose in 2023 to €495 million ($542 million) while the country’s admissions tally reached 70.5 million, representing a roughly 60% increase compared with 2022.
Though Italian moviegoing figures – announced Wednesday in Rome by national box office compiler Cinetel – mark a substantial leap forward, they are still down roughly 23% compared with the country’s average box office intake during the period between 2017 and 2019. Prior to the pandemic, the benchmark of a good year was considered 100 million admissions. So, 70.5 million is still way below par.
On the positive side, there is the surprise success of feminist black-and-white dramedy “There’s Still Tomorrow,” about the plight of an abused housewife in post-war Rome, which is the directorial debut of popular Italian actor Paola Cortellesi. “There’s Still Tomorrow” scored a whopping $36 million, landing the No. 1 spot and beating “Barbie” which, at No. 2, pulled roughly $35 million. “Oppenheimer,” in the third spot, took in $30 million at Italian cinemas.
Though Italian moviegoing figures – announced Wednesday in Rome by national box office compiler Cinetel – mark a substantial leap forward, they are still down roughly 23% compared with the country’s average box office intake during the period between 2017 and 2019. Prior to the pandemic, the benchmark of a good year was considered 100 million admissions. So, 70.5 million is still way below par.
On the positive side, there is the surprise success of feminist black-and-white dramedy “There’s Still Tomorrow,” about the plight of an abused housewife in post-war Rome, which is the directorial debut of popular Italian actor Paola Cortellesi. “There’s Still Tomorrow” scored a whopping $36 million, landing the No. 1 spot and beating “Barbie” which, at No. 2, pulled roughly $35 million. “Oppenheimer,” in the third spot, took in $30 million at Italian cinemas.
- 1/10/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Writer nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
Right-wing journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has been nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to take over as chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation which runs the Venice Film Festival.
He will replace Roberto Cicutto when the latter’s term ends in March. Buttafuoco’s nomination requires parliamentary approval but is regarded as a formality.
Italian newswire Ansa described Buttafuoco as “one of Italy’s top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim” and described him as a far-right activist in his youth like Italian premier Giorgia Meloni who, like her, has...
Right-wing journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has been nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to take over as chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation which runs the Venice Film Festival.
He will replace Roberto Cicutto when the latter’s term ends in March. Buttafuoco’s nomination requires parliamentary approval but is regarded as a formality.
Italian newswire Ansa described Buttafuoco as “one of Italy’s top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim” and described him as a far-right activist in his youth like Italian premier Giorgia Meloni who, like her, has...
- 10/27/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
The Venice Biennale Foundation, which oversees the Venice International Film Festival, has nominated right-wing writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco to become its new President, according to multiple Italian media sources.
Buttafuoco is set to replace Roberto Cicutto after being appointed by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano of Italy’s right-wing coalition government. He will take up the post when Cicutto’s run comes to an end in March 2024.
The appointment needs to be ratified by Italy’s parliament, with the Culture Commission from the chamber and senate announcing their opinions on November 14.
According to Italian news agency Ansa, which first reported the news, Buttafuoco practiced similar far-right politics as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a youth but now takes more traditionally conservative views and even writes for left-wing newspapers. He is considered a maverick thinker.
Rome Mayor and cinema association Anica President Francesco Rutelli told Ansa Buttafuoco is “never a banal intellectual...
Buttafuoco is set to replace Roberto Cicutto after being appointed by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano of Italy’s right-wing coalition government. He will take up the post when Cicutto’s run comes to an end in March 2024.
The appointment needs to be ratified by Italy’s parliament, with the Culture Commission from the chamber and senate announcing their opinions on November 14.
According to Italian news agency Ansa, which first reported the news, Buttafuoco practiced similar far-right politics as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a youth but now takes more traditionally conservative views and even writes for left-wing newspapers. He is considered a maverick thinker.
Rome Mayor and cinema association Anica President Francesco Rutelli told Ansa Buttafuoco is “never a banal intellectual...
- 10/27/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Venice Biennale Chief Roberto Cicutto Set to Be Replaced by Right-Wing Writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco
Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has designated Italian journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco as the new president of the Venice Biennale, the foundation that oversees the Venice Film Festival.
Buttafuoco, an openly right-wing member of Italy’s cultural establishment known to be an eclectic thinker, is now set to replace former film producer Roberto Cicutto at the Biennale’s helm when Cicutto’s four-year mandate expires in March 2024. Buttafuoco’s appointment still needs to be ratified by the culture commissions of Italy’s chamber of deputies and senate, but this is considered a mere formality.
Besides the film festival, the Venice Biennale foundation oversees other renowned events in the spheres of visual arts, music, architecture, dance and theater, making it one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
Buttafuoco taking the Biennale reins is not expected to immediately impact management of the Venice Film Festival, since its artistic...
Buttafuoco, an openly right-wing member of Italy’s cultural establishment known to be an eclectic thinker, is now set to replace former film producer Roberto Cicutto at the Biennale’s helm when Cicutto’s four-year mandate expires in March 2024. Buttafuoco’s appointment still needs to be ratified by the culture commissions of Italy’s chamber of deputies and senate, but this is considered a mere formality.
Besides the film festival, the Venice Biennale foundation oversees other renowned events in the spheres of visual arts, music, architecture, dance and theater, making it one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
Buttafuoco taking the Biennale reins is not expected to immediately impact management of the Venice Film Festival, since its artistic...
- 10/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s Mia Market, dedicated to international TV series, animation, feature films, documentaries and more, kicked off Monday in the Eternal City’s 17th century Palazzo Barberini. There were some 2,300 registered industry execs on day one – roughly 300 of which are buyers – more than 120 selected projects on display, and plenty of panels.
At a press conference, Mia director Gaia Tridente noted that, sadly, a group of industry execs who were expected to arrive from Israel, including “Waltz With Bashir” director Ari Folman, are being forced to stay in the country by the war that has broken out with Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Our thoughts go out to them and we hope to be able to welcome them in Rome in a context of peace and security for all,” Tridente said.
The pre-Mipcom event, taking place Oct. 9 to 13, has expanded its scope this year, adding a full-fledged section dedicated to animation and...
At a press conference, Mia director Gaia Tridente noted that, sadly, a group of industry execs who were expected to arrive from Israel, including “Waltz With Bashir” director Ari Folman, are being forced to stay in the country by the war that has broken out with Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Our thoughts go out to them and we hope to be able to welcome them in Rome in a context of peace and security for all,” Tridente said.
The pre-Mipcom event, taking place Oct. 9 to 13, has expanded its scope this year, adding a full-fledged section dedicated to animation and...
- 10/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
As Italy has ramped up its efforts in the last year to lure in international productions, so too has Rome’s Mia Market been making big strides in attracting global companies and executives to its annual five-day industry confab. The innovative Italian event, which has fast become a top destination in the TV market calendar, is returning for its ninth edition on October 9-13, 2023 and this year looks set to be bigger than ever with top execs from Paramount, Imagine, Banijay and Skybound Entertainment all set to attend.
“We have been prepping for this edition for a while and I think it’s even better than last year because we started working much further in advance,” says Mia director Gaia Tridente of this year’s event, which will be the second one with her at the helm.
Tridente is proud of last year’s attendance, which was up by 20% with...
“We have been prepping for this edition for a while and I think it’s even better than last year because we started working much further in advance,” says Mia director Gaia Tridente of this year’s event, which will be the second one with her at the helm.
Tridente is proud of last year’s attendance, which was up by 20% with...
- 10/2/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
With no end to the dual strikes on the horizon — speaking at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday, SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said he saw no sign the major studios and streamers will willing to return to the negotiating table —the independent film industry is beginning to adjust to the possibility of that the actors and writers walkouts could potentially continue for months, perhaps well into next year. What that means for the business of making and selling indie films is the subject of most conversations overheard before screenings and over drinks among industry executives at TIFF.
A production slow-down is inevitable. It, in fact, is already underway as many shovel-ready productions weigh whether to apply for interim agreements from the unions which allow them to go ahead with shooting but bind them to the terms SAG demanded of AMPTP back on July 12, including things like using specific metrics to calculate streaming residuals,...
A production slow-down is inevitable. It, in fact, is already underway as many shovel-ready productions weigh whether to apply for interim agreements from the unions which allow them to go ahead with shooting but bind them to the terms SAG demanded of AMPTP back on July 12, including things like using specific metrics to calculate streaming residuals,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Italian film and television industry could step into the gap left by the dual Hollywood strikes, leading industry executives said at a panel, organized in collaboration with the Audiovisivo Italiae, at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
“If supply decreases with Hollywood on strike, we need to be ready with our products for the international market as well,” said Francesco Rutelli, president of the Italian national audiovisual association Anica, speaking at a panel moderated by THR Roma editor-in-chief Concita De Gregorio.
“We need to interpret market changes in real-time. And we need the government to issue certain rules with respect to these changes. It’s not a matter of changing the system’s regulations, but of adjusting them quickly to the changed and rapid changes taking place.”
Maria Pia Ammirati director of Rai Fiction, a division of Italy’s national public broadcaster, noted that since the beginning of...
“If supply decreases with Hollywood on strike, we need to be ready with our products for the international market as well,” said Francesco Rutelli, president of the Italian national audiovisual association Anica, speaking at a panel moderated by THR Roma editor-in-chief Concita De Gregorio.
“We need to interpret market changes in real-time. And we need the government to issue certain rules with respect to these changes. It’s not a matter of changing the system’s regulations, but of adjusting them quickly to the changed and rapid changes taking place.”
Maria Pia Ammirati director of Rai Fiction, a division of Italy’s national public broadcaster, noted that since the beginning of...
- 9/3/2023
- by Ilaria Ravarino
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In March, several months before SAG-AFTRA actors went on the warpath in Hollywood, Italy’s dubbing industry workers staged a protracted strike demanding higher wages, less frenzied work conditions and protection against artificial intelligence.
The Italian dubbing industry workers – many of whom are voice actors – returned to work after three weeks as local unions entered a phase of negotiations that seemed promising enough, even though their issues are not yet resolved.
Cut to the present day. Italian unions representing the country’s film and TV industry workers are at “a very critical, almost historic juncture” in a broader labor dispute with the country’s motion picture association Anica and other industry trade orgs, according to Sabina Di Marco, leader of Slc Cgil, the biggest union at the bargaining table.
Slc Cgil, which represents roughly 1,700 Italian actors, and Unita, an Italian actors’ union with 1,600 members, are in what Di Marco hopes...
The Italian dubbing industry workers – many of whom are voice actors – returned to work after three weeks as local unions entered a phase of negotiations that seemed promising enough, even though their issues are not yet resolved.
Cut to the present day. Italian unions representing the country’s film and TV industry workers are at “a very critical, almost historic juncture” in a broader labor dispute with the country’s motion picture association Anica and other industry trade orgs, according to Sabina Di Marco, leader of Slc Cgil, the biggest union at the bargaining table.
Slc Cgil, which represents roughly 1,700 Italian actors, and Unita, an Italian actors’ union with 1,600 members, are in what Di Marco hopes...
- 7/19/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Eight months after Italy took a sharp turn to the right, the government headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots – is wreaking havoc at state broadcaster Rai, prompting the abrupt exit of several executives and TV personalities and causing alarm within the country’s film and TV sectors.
At Rai, where politics have always held sway, managing director Carlo Fuortes resigned earlier this month saying he was unwilling to “agree to changes” in the broadcaster’s content and programming “that I do not consider to be in Rai’s best interests,” he underlined.
Fuortes has now been replaced by Roberto Sergio, a veteran Rai executive who is considered basically bi-partisan. The pubcaster’s new general director, instead, is former Rai board member Giampaolo Rossi, who is backed by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and is known for his controversial tweets and support of Vladimir Putin,...
At Rai, where politics have always held sway, managing director Carlo Fuortes resigned earlier this month saying he was unwilling to “agree to changes” in the broadcaster’s content and programming “that I do not consider to be in Rai’s best interests,” he underlined.
Fuortes has now been replaced by Roberto Sergio, a veteran Rai executive who is considered basically bi-partisan. The pubcaster’s new general director, instead, is former Rai board member Giampaolo Rossi, who is backed by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and is known for his controversial tweets and support of Vladimir Putin,...
- 5/30/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s box office grosses in 2022 totaled €306 million while the admissions tally was a measly 44.5 million admissions, which reps a 48 drop compared with the country’s average pre-pandemic intake between 2017 and 2019.
On the positive side, the Italian 2022 box office result repped an 81 increase in grosses over 2021 when closures, mandatory Covid masks in cinemas, and other side effects of the pandemic prompted a massive plunge.
But the country’s moviegoing mojo pales in comparison with France’s 152 million admissions in 2022, and also with the admissions tallies in Germany, 74 million, and Spain, 59 million, all of which were also below pre-pandemic levels, but not as dramatically so. For example moviegoing numbers in France and Germany both clocked in at roughly 26 less that their pre-pandemic levels, while Spain was 37 below pre-pandemic par, according to a study by Italian motion picture association Anica which released the country’s box office figures and its contextual analysis...
On the positive side, the Italian 2022 box office result repped an 81 increase in grosses over 2021 when closures, mandatory Covid masks in cinemas, and other side effects of the pandemic prompted a massive plunge.
But the country’s moviegoing mojo pales in comparison with France’s 152 million admissions in 2022, and also with the admissions tallies in Germany, 74 million, and Spain, 59 million, all of which were also below pre-pandemic levels, but not as dramatically so. For example moviegoing numbers in France and Germany both clocked in at roughly 26 less that their pre-pandemic levels, while Spain was 37 below pre-pandemic par, according to a study by Italian motion picture association Anica which released the country’s box office figures and its contextual analysis...
- 1/10/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy in 2022 made several landmark strides in the international entertainment arena: an Italian play, Stefano Massini’s “The Lehman Trilogy,” garnered five Tony Awards, a prize the country had never conquered; Roman rock band Måneskin scored a Grammy nomination; and even as domestic box office plunged this year, Italian film exports mushroomed.
Massini’s five-hour play, which follows the three Lehman brothers from their arrival from Germany in New York in 1844 up to the 2008 bankruptcy of their global financial services company, prompted Sam Mendes to stage an English-language adaptation, which ultimately triumphed at the Tonys. Now a high-end TV series based on his play is being developed by producers Domenico Procacci and Lorenzo Mieli with Florian Zeller attached to direct. Procacci, speaking to Variety, praised Massini for managing “to tell so effectively a story that doesn’t have any Italian elements, since most of it takes place in the U.
Massini’s five-hour play, which follows the three Lehman brothers from their arrival from Germany in New York in 1844 up to the 2008 bankruptcy of their global financial services company, prompted Sam Mendes to stage an English-language adaptation, which ultimately triumphed at the Tonys. Now a high-end TV series based on his play is being developed by producers Domenico Procacci and Lorenzo Mieli with Florian Zeller attached to direct. Procacci, speaking to Variety, praised Massini for managing “to tell so effectively a story that doesn’t have any Italian elements, since most of it takes place in the U.
- 12/21/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
While the boom of local content has seen increased ambition from streaming platforms to compete with local broadcasters, local industry events with strong regional focuses are increasingly becoming attractive destinations for U.S. companies and executives and Rome’s Mia market is no exception.
The innovative Italian event, which stands for Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo or International Audiovisual Market, has fast become Italy’s key film and TV market since its inception eight years ago. The market, which runs October 11-15 alongside the Rome Film Festival (which kicks off October 13), has already confirmed a 120 increase in registrations year-on-year with delegates from companies like Disney+, Paramount+, CAA, Fremantle, Sundance Institute, Sky, Warner Bros. Discovery, A+E Networks, Wild Bunch, StudioCanal and Banijay all confirmed to attend.
Its new director Gaia Tridente, who was previously head of scripted at the event, tells Deadline that she believes this upcoming edition looks set to be its most dynamic edition yet.
The innovative Italian event, which stands for Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo or International Audiovisual Market, has fast become Italy’s key film and TV market since its inception eight years ago. The market, which runs October 11-15 alongside the Rome Film Festival (which kicks off October 13), has already confirmed a 120 increase in registrations year-on-year with delegates from companies like Disney+, Paramount+, CAA, Fremantle, Sundance Institute, Sky, Warner Bros. Discovery, A+E Networks, Wild Bunch, StudioCanal and Banijay all confirmed to attend.
Its new director Gaia Tridente, who was previously head of scripted at the event, tells Deadline that she believes this upcoming edition looks set to be its most dynamic edition yet.
- 9/15/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
A few weeks ago, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera spoke about a possible crisis looming for the Italian movie industry if it continues to value quantity over quality.
“The [Italian] movies we selected [this year] are great, in some cases excellent. However, it doesn’t seem to me that there has been an investment in quality overall,” Barbera said. “The quantity of this year’s productions [is] exorbitant compared to our market and the capacity of platforms to incorporate them.”
Producing 250 feature films a year, as Italy did in 2021, is a level of production “that belongs back in the 1960s,” Barbera said. The industry ”must prioritize quality” over quantity.
But if, arguably, too many Italian movies are being made, it is clear that too few people are coming out to watch them. Box office in Italy has not...
A few weeks ago, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera spoke about a possible crisis looming for the Italian movie industry if it continues to value quantity over quality.
“The [Italian] movies we selected [this year] are great, in some cases excellent. However, it doesn’t seem to me that there has been an investment in quality overall,” Barbera said. “The quantity of this year’s productions [is] exorbitant compared to our market and the capacity of platforms to incorporate them.”
Producing 250 feature films a year, as Italy did in 2021, is a level of production “that belongs back in the 1960s,” Barbera said. The industry ”must prioritize quality” over quantity.
But if, arguably, too many Italian movies are being made, it is clear that too few people are coming out to watch them. Box office in Italy has not...
- 9/2/2022
- by Gianmaria Tammaro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Film Distribution Fund will be available to international distributors releasing Italian films from the end of 2022.
The Italian culture ministry is ramping up its support and promotion of Italian films on the international market by creating four new funds to support the theatrical release of Italian films around the world as well as co-production, festival and market participation funding.
The Film Distribution Fund will be available to international distributors releasing Italian films from the end of 2022. It will cover 30 of theatrical distribution costs, up to a maximum of €30,000.
A second funding platform, the International Exporters Fund, has a €600,000 budget...
The Italian culture ministry is ramping up its support and promotion of Italian films on the international market by creating four new funds to support the theatrical release of Italian films around the world as well as co-production, festival and market participation funding.
The Film Distribution Fund will be available to international distributors releasing Italian films from the end of 2022. It will cover 30 of theatrical distribution costs, up to a maximum of €30,000.
A second funding platform, the International Exporters Fund, has a €600,000 budget...
- 5/23/2022
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Italy’s key film and TV market Mia (Mercato Internazionale dell’Audiovisivo) is returning in 2022 with a new director in the shape of Gaia Tridente.
The eighth edition of the Rome event will run from 11 to 15 October 2022, we can also reveal. The market usually runs during the Rome Film Festival, whose 2022 dates have yet to be confirmed.
Tridente has worked at Mia between 2017 to 2021, most recently as Head of Scripted, during which time the event has become an increasingly dynamic gathering. Last year’s event included a keynote from Joe Russo and panels featuring a host of studios and streamers.
In her new role, Tridente will be flanked by two Deputy Directors: Francesca Palleschi, in the role of Head of Film Content, and Marco Spagnoli, in the role of Head of Doc/Factual Content.
Tridente succeeds Lucia Milazzotto who had worked at the event since its inception but left the project last October.
The eighth edition of the Rome event will run from 11 to 15 October 2022, we can also reveal. The market usually runs during the Rome Film Festival, whose 2022 dates have yet to be confirmed.
Tridente has worked at Mia between 2017 to 2021, most recently as Head of Scripted, during which time the event has become an increasingly dynamic gathering. Last year’s event included a keynote from Joe Russo and panels featuring a host of studios and streamers.
In her new role, Tridente will be flanked by two Deputy Directors: Francesca Palleschi, in the role of Head of Film Content, and Marco Spagnoli, in the role of Head of Doc/Factual Content.
Tridente succeeds Lucia Milazzotto who had worked at the event since its inception but left the project last October.
- 4/19/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman, Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
In spite of a disastrous box office situation, the Italian film industry is staying buoyant thanks to increased exports, a friendly rapport with streaming giants and support from the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi that is pumping money into a revamp of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios.
“Production never stopped and ailing movie theaters have been able to get subsidies,” says Francesco Rutelli, the former Rome mayor who heads Italy’s motion picture association, Anica. The org recently broadened its member base to include executives from Amazon Prime Video, Disney and ViacomCBS, after Netflix had joined.
This move — which is unique in Europe — indicates the level of friendly dialogue between film producers and streaming platforms in Italy, best encapsulated by Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Italy’s international Oscar nominee. Sorrentino’s Netflix original film was released theatrically in November across the country before dropping on the platform...
“Production never stopped and ailing movie theaters have been able to get subsidies,” says Francesco Rutelli, the former Rome mayor who heads Italy’s motion picture association, Anica. The org recently broadened its member base to include executives from Amazon Prime Video, Disney and ViacomCBS, after Netflix had joined.
This move — which is unique in Europe — indicates the level of friendly dialogue between film producers and streaming platforms in Italy, best encapsulated by Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Italy’s international Oscar nominee. Sorrentino’s Netflix original film was released theatrically in November across the country before dropping on the platform...
- 2/13/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s new concept Mia Market dedicated to international TV series, feature films, documentaries and more kicked off Wednesday in the Eternal City’s 17th century Palazzo Barberini with 1,700 registered industry execs – roughly 600 of whom have made the trek from abroad – and 350 new titles of various types, in development and production, on display.
At a press conference attended by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and all top Italian industry reps, organizers also boasted a 30% increase in completed films screening at the Mia film market where about 80 mostly European titles will be having their market – or, in some cases, even world – premieres.
While the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes is suffering a reduced presence, and the AFM this year has gone entirely online, Mia seems to be reaping the benefits of being conceived more congenially to how the global content industry is evolving.
“Mia was born as a challenge,” said...
At a press conference attended by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and all top Italian industry reps, organizers also boasted a 30% increase in completed films screening at the Mia film market where about 80 mostly European titles will be having their market – or, in some cases, even world – premieres.
While the Oct. 11-14 Mipcom market in Cannes is suffering a reduced presence, and the AFM this year has gone entirely online, Mia seems to be reaping the benefits of being conceived more congenially to how the global content industry is evolving.
“Mia was born as a challenge,” said...
- 10/13/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
230 audiovisual productions are underway in the Roman region alone, according to Anica president Francesco Rutelli, who took part in a conference on the future of the film industry. “As of 30 March, there are 230 audiovisual productions being shot in the Roman region alone”. These were the words of Anica president Francesco Rutelli, spoken during a webinar promoted by Hearst Magazines Italy and moderated by Piera Detassis, entitled “What Will The Film Industry Do: A Conversation on the Future of Film”. According to Rutelli, this boom in film production in Italy despite the desperately challenging period brought about by the pandemic, can be attributed to the patience and determination shown and the collaborative efforts made by the various actors involved in the sector. “While the situation of cinemas continues to be disastrous, productions are back up and running thanks, first and foremost, to producers, crews, actors and directors, and...
As Italy’s government wobbles, the country’s struggling film and TV industry is staying afloat thanks to beefed-up funding that in 2021 will provide a €640 million ($775 million) safety net for local exhibitors, distributors and producers.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte survived a crucial Senate confidence vote on Tuesday evening by a razor thin margin of just 16 votes (the vote went 156-140 in his favor), averting a crisis sparked by differences over how to spend more than €200 billion ($242 billion) earmarked by the European Union for a Covid-19 recovery fund to help revive its pandemic-plagued economy.
The president of Italy’s Motion Picture Association (Anica) Francesco Rutelli on Wednesday told Variety that the government now remains on track with its recovery plan for the film and audiovisual production industry, drafted by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, which Rutelli called “a major achievement.” Funding for the industry is up 60% compared with last year and is...
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte survived a crucial Senate confidence vote on Tuesday evening by a razor thin margin of just 16 votes (the vote went 156-140 in his favor), averting a crisis sparked by differences over how to spend more than €200 billion ($242 billion) earmarked by the European Union for a Covid-19 recovery fund to help revive its pandemic-plagued economy.
The president of Italy’s Motion Picture Association (Anica) Francesco Rutelli on Wednesday told Variety that the government now remains on track with its recovery plan for the film and audiovisual production industry, drafted by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, which Rutelli called “a major achievement.” Funding for the industry is up 60% compared with last year and is...
- 1/20/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s Mia market, the growing showcase for international TV series, feature films and documentaries, kicked off Wednesday in the Eternal City. The sixth edition of the event—whose acronym stands for the Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo, or the International Audiovisual Market—runs both physically in the Italian capital and online Oct. 14-18. (Find the full schedule here).
This year’s edition has attracted 1,400 participants from 41 countries. Of the 600 international executives slated to take part, half will be present in Rome for the physical edition, according to the event’s organizers. At least 80% of the registered Italian participants will also attend in person.
“Mia has responded to an urgency not only in Italy but also internationally, that of maintaining international contacts during a period of isolation,” Mia director Lucia Milazzotto said at a press conference Wednesday, before appearing in conversation with Secretary of State Mirella Liuzzi to discuss new innovations in Italy’s audiovisual industry.
This year’s edition has attracted 1,400 participants from 41 countries. Of the 600 international executives slated to take part, half will be present in Rome for the physical edition, according to the event’s organizers. At least 80% of the registered Italian participants will also attend in person.
“Mia has responded to an urgency not only in Italy but also internationally, that of maintaining international contacts during a period of isolation,” Mia director Lucia Milazzotto said at a press conference Wednesday, before appearing in conversation with Secretary of State Mirella Liuzzi to discuss new innovations in Italy’s audiovisual industry.
- 10/15/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Over the years, Francesco Rutelli, who is president of Italy’s Motion Picture Association (Anica), has been fighting for the country’s film industry in various ways and guises. As mayor of Rome, during the 1990s, he pushed to upgrade the Italian capital’s movie theaters. Subsequently, as Italy’s culture minister, Rutelli introduced the country’s tax credit system that is now the industry’s lifeblood.
As Rome’s Mia film and TV market, which runs Oct. 14-18, kicked off Rutelli spoke to Variety about the Italian industry’s state of affairs in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Excerpts from the conversation.
How has it been going in terms of Italians going back to seeing movies in theaters?
For better or worse, since movie theaters reopened in mid-June almost 4 million Italians have gone back to the movies. This gives you an idea of the huge social value of moviegoing.
As Rome’s Mia film and TV market, which runs Oct. 14-18, kicked off Rutelli spoke to Variety about the Italian industry’s state of affairs in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Excerpts from the conversation.
How has it been going in terms of Italians going back to seeing movies in theaters?
For better or worse, since movie theaters reopened in mid-June almost 4 million Italians have gone back to the movies. This gives you an idea of the huge social value of moviegoing.
- 10/15/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Venice Film Market and Rome’s Mia mart are forging a tie in a spirit of Covid-19 era collaboration.
The two entities which, in different incarnations over the years have been known to be at each other’s throats, are joining forces with a small but significant pact.
It sees the 28 feature film and doc projects that are seeking gap financing during the Venice Production Bridge – as the Venice market is officially known – extend their reach by going onwards from Venice to being hosted on the digital platform of Mia 2020, which will is set to run as both an online and physical event in mid-October. Mia is an increasingly popular showcase for new TV series, feature films and documentaries.
“It’s another service that we can offer all the films and projects that are here,” says Vpb chief Pascal Diot (pictured), who adds that it will be particularly...
The two entities which, in different incarnations over the years have been known to be at each other’s throats, are joining forces with a small but significant pact.
It sees the 28 feature film and doc projects that are seeking gap financing during the Venice Production Bridge – as the Venice market is officially known – extend their reach by going onwards from Venice to being hosted on the digital platform of Mia 2020, which will is set to run as both an online and physical event in mid-October. Mia is an increasingly popular showcase for new TV series, feature films and documentaries.
“It’s another service that we can offer all the films and projects that are here,” says Vpb chief Pascal Diot (pictured), who adds that it will be particularly...
- 9/4/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in early July quietly made a surprise appearance at an open-air film screening in Rome’s central Piazza San Cosimato, where the country’s leader and his girlfriend wore masks and sat on pillows in a socially distanced spot on the pavement.
They attended the thriving “Il Cinema in Piazza” summer arena amid 1,000 spectators who had each passed a thermoscanner before settling down on their free, pre-booked spot to watch Paolo Virzì’s 1994 dramedy “La Bella Vita,” presented by the director.
The event is run by the Piccolo America nonprofit association, a feisty group of young film buffs who have been shaking things up for years after occupying the nearby shuttered Cinema America movie theater.
There’s greater significance to the org’s summer screenings this year, given a recent legal fight to secure content from local distributors who were wary of films being...
They attended the thriving “Il Cinema in Piazza” summer arena amid 1,000 spectators who had each passed a thermoscanner before settling down on their free, pre-booked spot to watch Paolo Virzì’s 1994 dramedy “La Bella Vita,” presented by the director.
The event is run by the Piccolo America nonprofit association, a feisty group of young film buffs who have been shaking things up for years after occupying the nearby shuttered Cinema America movie theater.
There’s greater significance to the org’s summer screenings this year, given a recent legal fight to secure content from local distributors who were wary of films being...
- 8/5/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s Mia market for TV series, feature films and documentaries is ramping up operations for its upcoming mixed physical and digital edition in October, which looks set to attract a robust roster of international execs and high-profile projects.
Rome’s new concept mart in May announced the launch of its Mia digital platform alongside its planned physical event for the 6th edition, to be held in the Eternal City Oct. 14-18. Since then, the American Film Market in November has gone entirely online, and the Mipcom TV market in Cannes — which directly precedes Mia — has seen major distributors such as the BBC, ITV and Fremantle pull out of physically attending.
Conversely, some big industry players are joining the Mia advisory board, in a clear indication of support for the Rome mart. Some standout execs among those recruited by Mia are Wild Sheep Content chief and former Netflix executive Erik...
Rome’s new concept mart in May announced the launch of its Mia digital platform alongside its planned physical event for the 6th edition, to be held in the Eternal City Oct. 14-18. Since then, the American Film Market in November has gone entirely online, and the Mipcom TV market in Cannes — which directly precedes Mia — has seen major distributors such as the BBC, ITV and Fremantle pull out of physically attending.
Conversely, some big industry players are joining the Mia advisory board, in a clear indication of support for the Rome mart. Some standout execs among those recruited by Mia are Wild Sheep Content chief and former Netflix executive Erik...
- 7/30/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Festival director Alberto Barbera has ruled out a virtual Venice.
The organisers of the Venice Film Festival, set to run in four and a half months time from September 2-12, are proceeding with business as usual as attention turns from Cannes to the next big event in the industry calendar.
However a great deal of uncertainty remains as to whether the festival can take place in any form at all. As of April 17, Italy was the European country worst-hit by the coronavirus crisis. But it was also the first which suggests it may soon start to recover.
Lockdown in Italy...
The organisers of the Venice Film Festival, set to run in four and a half months time from September 2-12, are proceeding with business as usual as attention turns from Cannes to the next big event in the industry calendar.
However a great deal of uncertainty remains as to whether the festival can take place in any form at all. As of April 17, Italy was the European country worst-hit by the coronavirus crisis. But it was also the first which suggests it may soon start to recover.
Lockdown in Italy...
- 4/17/2020
- by 1100976¦Gabriele Niola¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
With Italy, France and Spain in full lockdown in the face of the unrelenting coronavirus outbreak, their respective film industries are preparing to take exceptional measures that could limit the anticipated economic damage by opening themselves up to an uncharted gamble in streaming.
To date, dozens of film releases have been postponed to between July and October across all three countries, which are the hardest hit in Europe. This could trigger a bloodbath for theaters in markets where independent distributors are already struggling to compete with U.S. majors, such as France, where Hollywood titles accounted for 59% of the nation’s record-breaking 213 million admissions in 2019.
The crux of the battle is ensuring the box office debuts of independent European movies aren’t crushed by a tsunami of movie releases. One increasingly attractive option is to offer these films immediately on demand via streamers or broadcasters — a radical move already enacted...
To date, dozens of film releases have been postponed to between July and October across all three countries, which are the hardest hit in Europe. This could trigger a bloodbath for theaters in markets where independent distributors are already struggling to compete with U.S. majors, such as France, where Hollywood titles accounted for 59% of the nation’s record-breaking 213 million admissions in 2019.
The crux of the battle is ensuring the box office debuts of independent European movies aren’t crushed by a tsunami of movie releases. One increasingly attractive option is to offer these films immediately on demand via streamers or broadcasters — a radical move already enacted...
- 3/25/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy, Nick Vivarelli and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Francesco Rutelli, head of Italy’s motion picture association Anica (pictured), has said plans are in the works to modify Italy’s theatrical window regulations so that some of the blocked product from around 70 feature films can go straight to TV and streamers without producers or exhibitors taking too much of an economic hit.
“We have dozens of local and international films that can’t be released,” Rutelli said. This means that when the coronavirus crisis subsides “we will have a huge glut,” he noted.
That’s why “the business model as we knew it…the window between theatrical, TV and platforms will undoubtedly — very constructively, and not unilaterally — change,” Rutelli said, adding that he is in negotiations with Netflix and other streamers, as well as reps from the country’s distribution and exhibition orgs, to “try and find new balances” going forward.
At least 40 film shoots in different stages across Italy have been halted,...
“We have dozens of local and international films that can’t be released,” Rutelli said. This means that when the coronavirus crisis subsides “we will have a huge glut,” he noted.
That’s why “the business model as we knew it…the window between theatrical, TV and platforms will undoubtedly — very constructively, and not unilaterally — change,” Rutelli said, adding that he is in negotiations with Netflix and other streamers, as well as reps from the country’s distribution and exhibition orgs, to “try and find new balances” going forward.
At least 40 film shoots in different stages across Italy have been halted,...
- 3/16/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In Italy, which is suffering the biggest coronavirus outbreak in Europe with more than 350 deaths, box office crashed to an all time low of €439.000 over the March 5 weekend frame. Or rather, the portion of the weekend prior to Sunday May 8.
On Sunday the government ordered a total shutdown until at least April 3 of all movie theaters. Prior to Sunday, roughly half the country’s screens – those in the less affected central and southern regions – had been allowed to stay open, provided spectators sit three seats apart in what turned out to be a short-lived Italian experiment.
Battered by all these impediments, Italy’s March 5 frame repped a roughly 90% plunge in grosses compared with the same period in 2019 and a 79% drop compared to the previous weekend, which had already been a total bloodbath.
The top title was Berlin prizewinner “Hidden Away,” the biopic of eclectic painter Antonio Ligabue that recently scored...
On Sunday the government ordered a total shutdown until at least April 3 of all movie theaters. Prior to Sunday, roughly half the country’s screens – those in the less affected central and southern regions – had been allowed to stay open, provided spectators sit three seats apart in what turned out to be a short-lived Italian experiment.
Battered by all these impediments, Italy’s March 5 frame repped a roughly 90% plunge in grosses compared with the same period in 2019 and a 79% drop compared to the previous weekend, which had already been a total bloodbath.
The top title was Berlin prizewinner “Hidden Away,” the biopic of eclectic painter Antonio Ligabue that recently scored...
- 3/9/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Distributors rapidly shuffling release schedules with some films even coming forward.
On the second weekend after the coronavirus outbreak in the north of Italy, the country’s box office is down 75% year-on-year and 63% on the previous weekend.
Total gross from February 27 to March 1 was €2m ($2.2m) compared to €8.3m ($9.23m) for the first weekend of March in 2019, according to Cinetel.
Italy is the European country with the highest infection rate from coronavirus. Since the major spike in cases last weekend (February 21), severe measures have been taken by the government to contain the virus in five of the country’s 21 regions,...
On the second weekend after the coronavirus outbreak in the north of Italy, the country’s box office is down 75% year-on-year and 63% on the previous weekend.
Total gross from February 27 to March 1 was €2m ($2.2m) compared to €8.3m ($9.23m) for the first weekend of March in 2019, according to Cinetel.
Italy is the European country with the highest infection rate from coronavirus. Since the major spike in cases last weekend (February 21), severe measures have been taken by the government to contain the virus in five of the country’s 21 regions,...
- 3/3/2020
- by 1100976¦Gabriele Niola¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Box office returns in Italy rose 14% in 2019 to €630 million ($706.5 million), a welcome uptick prompted by a joint effort made by Hollywood and the local industry this year to schedule more summer releases, after the country in 2018 had suffered its worst results in a decade in terms of movie ticket sales.
Italian ticket sales in 2019 reached 97 million, a 13% rise, according to still incomplete figures released at year’s end by local box office compiler Cinetel, which monitors 95% of the market.
The numbers indicate that once the final tally is in the 100 million admissions mark that is considered the benchmark below which in Italy the year is considered a negative one will be surpassed said Francesco Rutelli, head of Italian motion picture association Anica, in a statement.
The chief of Italy’s distributors, Luigi Lonigro, called 2019 “a turning point,” noting that the country’s summer box office was “the best of the...
Italian ticket sales in 2019 reached 97 million, a 13% rise, according to still incomplete figures released at year’s end by local box office compiler Cinetel, which monitors 95% of the market.
The numbers indicate that once the final tally is in the 100 million admissions mark that is considered the benchmark below which in Italy the year is considered a negative one will be surpassed said Francesco Rutelli, head of Italian motion picture association Anica, in a statement.
The chief of Italy’s distributors, Luigi Lonigro, called 2019 “a turning point,” noting that the country’s summer box office was “the best of the...
- 12/31/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Rome’s Mia market for TV series, feature films and documentaries wrapped positively Sunday with organizers boasting a bump in attendance just as some 2,500 executives departed in an upbeat mood after four days of dealmaking and presentations of mostly European fresh product, which elevated Italy’s global standing in the industry, especially within the TV sector.
“Italy is in a full Renaissance phase in terms of scripted,” said Walter Iuzzolino, curator of Walter Presents, the joint venture between British broadcaster Channel 4 and Global Series Network, specialized in foreign-language drama series.
Iuzzolino, who at Mia presented the Greenlit section dedicated to new series, added that there is a push underway in Italy’s TV industry “towards a gigantic upgrading of quality in terms of writing, production, acting, everything. The Italian shows showcased in Greenlit “could be playing on Channel 4 this evening in primetime,” he noted.
European TV took center stage,...
“Italy is in a full Renaissance phase in terms of scripted,” said Walter Iuzzolino, curator of Walter Presents, the joint venture between British broadcaster Channel 4 and Global Series Network, specialized in foreign-language drama series.
Iuzzolino, who at Mia presented the Greenlit section dedicated to new series, added that there is a push underway in Italy’s TV industry “towards a gigantic upgrading of quality in terms of writing, production, acting, everything. The Italian shows showcased in Greenlit “could be playing on Channel 4 this evening in primetime,” he noted.
European TV took center stage,...
- 10/20/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Francesco Rutelli, president of Anica, Italy's Association of Cinema, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries, has launched Videocitta, a festival that will showcase Rome as a top center for film creation. The 10-day event will run parallel to Mia, Rome's international Audiovisual Market, and the Rome Film Festival.
The fest aims to promote the entire filmmaking chain from below-the-line crafts to technological advances in the editing room, showcasing the industry as one of Rome and Italy's most important employment sectors.
Events will include videomapping of Rome's historical monuments in the city center, a virtual reality festival ...
The fest aims to promote the entire filmmaking chain from below-the-line crafts to technological advances in the editing room, showcasing the industry as one of Rome and Italy's most important employment sectors.
Events will include videomapping of Rome's historical monuments in the city center, a virtual reality festival ...
- 9/18/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francesco Rutelli, president of Anica, Italy's Association of Cinema, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries, has launched Videocitta, a festival that will showcase Rome as a top center for film creation. The 10-day event will run parallel to Mia, Rome's international Audiovisual Market, and the Rome Film Festival.
The fest aims to promote the entire filmmaking chain from below-the-line crafts to technological advances in the editing room, showcasing the industry as one of Rome and Italy's most important employment sectors.
Events will include videomapping of Rome's historical monuments in the city center, a virtual reality festival ...
The fest aims to promote the entire filmmaking chain from below-the-line crafts to technological advances in the editing room, showcasing the industry as one of Rome and Italy's most important employment sectors.
Events will include videomapping of Rome's historical monuments in the city center, a virtual reality festival ...
- 9/18/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Cinecitta Holding leadership to resign
ROME -- Alessandro Battisti and the rest of the leadership of Cinecitta Holding will present their resignations to newly installed Minister of Culture Sandro Bondi this week.
The resignations will allow Bondi the chance to install his allies at the head of the holding company that directs Rome's storied Cinecitta Studios, a move that could have a significant impact on the organization.
Since taking office May 9, Bondi has repeatedly said he is a fan of cinema, but other members of the Silvio Berlusconi-led government have said they view spending on culture-related areas as nonessential.
Battisti and his team, which was appointed by Bondi's successor, Francesco Rutelli, had been scheduled to stay in power until August 2009. Rutelli is now a leading member of the government opposition.
The resignations come during a period of transition for Cinecitta, which is mulling whether to absorb film promotion body FilmItalia and taking steps to remain essential to a resurgent local film industry that sometimes outsources its work to other countries.
The resignations will allow Bondi the chance to install his allies at the head of the holding company that directs Rome's storied Cinecitta Studios, a move that could have a significant impact on the organization.
Since taking office May 9, Bondi has repeatedly said he is a fan of cinema, but other members of the Silvio Berlusconi-led government have said they view spending on culture-related areas as nonessential.
Battisti and his team, which was appointed by Bondi's successor, Francesco Rutelli, had been scheduled to stay in power until August 2009. Rutelli is now a leading member of the government opposition.
The resignations come during a period of transition for Cinecitta, which is mulling whether to absorb film promotion body FilmItalia and taking steps to remain essential to a resurgent local film industry that sometimes outsources its work to other countries.
- 6/2/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gianni Alemanno wins upset victory in Rome
ROME -- Former parliamentarian Gianni Alemanno is your next mayor of Rome, a development that could be bad news for the three-year-old RomaCinemaFest.
In what many are calling an upset victory, Alemanno -- candidate of the same center-right coalition that backed media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, who was elected prime minister two weeks ago -- held a comfortable 53.3%-to-46.7% advantage over former Minister of Culture and Mayor Francesco Rutelli, with 95% of the votes counted.
Although fighting illegal immigration was the main plank of Alemanno's campaign, he also has said he believes the RomaCinemaFest should be downsized and de-emphasized in the city's budget.
The festival, founded by Rutelli ally Walter Veltroni, played a central role in Alemanno's ads, some of which contrasted the festival's star-studded red carpet with immigrant shanty towns on the edge of town and city streets filled with potholes.
One widely distributed print ad carried the slogan "Alemanno, for less cinema and more security."
In remarks during the campaign, Alemanno said he would look to replace some of the festival's main directors, shrink the festival staff of 650 and reduce the festival's 15 million euros ($23.9 million) budget by at least 1 million euros ($1.6 million).
In what many are calling an upset victory, Alemanno -- candidate of the same center-right coalition that backed media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, who was elected prime minister two weeks ago -- held a comfortable 53.3%-to-46.7% advantage over former Minister of Culture and Mayor Francesco Rutelli, with 95% of the votes counted.
Although fighting illegal immigration was the main plank of Alemanno's campaign, he also has said he believes the RomaCinemaFest should be downsized and de-emphasized in the city's budget.
The festival, founded by Rutelli ally Walter Veltroni, played a central role in Alemanno's ads, some of which contrasted the festival's star-studded red carpet with immigrant shanty towns on the edge of town and city streets filled with potholes.
One widely distributed print ad carried the slogan "Alemanno, for less cinema and more security."
In remarks during the campaign, Alemanno said he would look to replace some of the festival's main directors, shrink the festival staff of 650 and reduce the festival's 15 million euros ($23.9 million) budget by at least 1 million euros ($1.6 million).
- 4/28/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rome mayor election might affect film fest
ROME -- The upcoming Rome mayoral election could have major implications for the three-year-old RomaCinemaFest.
Downsizing the festival has become one of the major planks in the platform of Gianni Alemanno, one of the two major candidates seeking to replace festival founder Walter Veltroni as mayor of the Italian capital.
Alemanno, a member of parliament, is running as the main center-right candidate, facing former Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli from the center-left. Voting will take place Sunday and Monday, and polls indicate a close race.
Veltroni stepped down as mayor to run for prime minister two weeks ago. He was defeated by media tycoon and Alemanno ally Silvio Berlusconi.
Alemanno said he wants to replace some of the festival's top management, shrink the festival's staff of more than 650 and reduce the festival's 15 million euros ($23.9 million) budget by at least 1 million euros ($1.6 million).
Rutelli, a longtime ally of Veltroni's, has said he has no major changes planned for the festival.
Downsizing the festival has become one of the major planks in the platform of Gianni Alemanno, one of the two major candidates seeking to replace festival founder Walter Veltroni as mayor of the Italian capital.
Alemanno, a member of parliament, is running as the main center-right candidate, facing former Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli from the center-left. Voting will take place Sunday and Monday, and polls indicate a close race.
Veltroni stepped down as mayor to run for prime minister two weeks ago. He was defeated by media tycoon and Alemanno ally Silvio Berlusconi.
Alemanno said he wants to replace some of the festival's top management, shrink the festival's staff of more than 650 and reduce the festival's 15 million euros ($23.9 million) budget by at least 1 million euros ($1.6 million).
Rutelli, a longtime ally of Veltroni's, has said he has no major changes planned for the festival.
- 4/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Capturing Italy's Golden Age
ROME -- Federico Fellini's iconic "La Dolce Vita" and Vittorio De Sica's neo-realism classic "Ladri di Biciclette" (The Bicycle Thieves) are among the 100 films that will be protected and highlighted as part of the "Hundred Films and One Country" project.
The initiative, unveiled during the Venice Days sidebar at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and officially launched there a year later, will protect 100 films made from 1942-78, Italy's so-called Golden Age of film.
The films selected will be refurbished if necessary, and protected, promoted and made available free of charge for educational and cultural uses.
Organizers of the project caution that the list should not be seen as a list of the 100 best films of the period in question but rather a "cinematographic examination" of Italy during those decades.
Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli, on hand for the official launch last year, likened the project to a "cinema-based cultural archive."
"This is very important because the youngest generation is very familiar with cinema but not necessarily with the history of cinema," Rutelli said.
The initiative, unveiled during the Venice Days sidebar at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and officially launched there a year later, will protect 100 films made from 1942-78, Italy's so-called Golden Age of film.
The films selected will be refurbished if necessary, and protected, promoted and made available free of charge for educational and cultural uses.
Organizers of the project caution that the list should not be seen as a list of the 100 best films of the period in question but rather a "cinematographic examination" of Italy during those decades.
Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli, on hand for the official launch last year, likened the project to a "cinema-based cultural archive."
"This is very important because the youngest generation is very familiar with cinema but not necessarily with the history of cinema," Rutelli said.
- 2/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rome fest adjusts dates
ROME -- Facing intense pressure after moving its starting date to within three weeks of the close of the Venice Film Festival, the RomaCinemaFest has picked a new set of dates that will nearly double the span between Italy's most visible festivals.
Rome officials said Friday that the three-year-old festival will take place Oct. 22-31. The festival had been scheduled for Oct. 2-12, a little more than three weeks after the close of the Aug. 27-Sept. 6 Venice festival.
The new dates are much closer to those from the 2007 RomaCinemaFest, which ran Oct. 18-27.
Previously, RomaCinemaFest president Goffredo Bettini had said the change in dates was a one-off move because of a scheduling conflict at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the Rome festival's headquarters.
Although Venice officials were officially mum about the date change, the early October start for Rome attracted plenty of criticism elsewhere: Giancarlo Galan, president of the region that includes Venice, called the change of dates "miserable news" and Italian Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli told reporters last weekend that he would "appreciate it if Rome stopped stepping on Venice's toes," though he said he could do nothing to force a change.
Rome officials said Friday that the three-year-old festival will take place Oct. 22-31. The festival had been scheduled for Oct. 2-12, a little more than three weeks after the close of the Aug. 27-Sept. 6 Venice festival.
The new dates are much closer to those from the 2007 RomaCinemaFest, which ran Oct. 18-27.
Previously, RomaCinemaFest president Goffredo Bettini had said the change in dates was a one-off move because of a scheduling conflict at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the Rome festival's headquarters.
Although Venice officials were officially mum about the date change, the early October start for Rome attracted plenty of criticism elsewhere: Giancarlo Galan, president of the region that includes Venice, called the change of dates "miserable news" and Italian Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli told reporters last weekend that he would "appreciate it if Rome stopped stepping on Venice's toes," though he said he could do nothing to force a change.
- 1/19/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mueller remains in Venice director chair
ROME -- Venice Film Festival artistic director Marco Mueller was officially reappointed for a second four-year term Wednesday, giving the film festival unusual continuity in that role during what is sure to be a challenging period.
Italian Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli said in November that Mueller would be asked to stay on, but the 54-year-old veteran festival director's appointment did not become official until Wednesday, when the board of the Venice Biennale approved his retention.
Venice has had unprecedented success in the past two years under Mueller, with star-studded red carpet and competition lineups made up entirely of world premiere films in each of the last two editions.
But the coming years could prove unusually difficult for the festival, as it operates around the construction of a new Palazzo del Cinema -- something Mueller lobbied for since he first came to Venice in 2004 -- and deals with a festival calendar that will see it operating closer than ever to the three-year-old RomaCinemaFest in the Italian capital.
Italian Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli said in November that Mueller would be asked to stay on, but the 54-year-old veteran festival director's appointment did not become official until Wednesday, when the board of the Venice Biennale approved his retention.
Venice has had unprecedented success in the past two years under Mueller, with star-studded red carpet and competition lineups made up entirely of world premiere films in each of the last two editions.
But the coming years could prove unusually difficult for the festival, as it operates around the construction of a new Palazzo del Cinema -- something Mueller lobbied for since he first came to Venice in 2004 -- and deals with a festival calendar that will see it operating closer than ever to the three-year-old RomaCinemaFest in the Italian capital.
- 1/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Calendar dominates talk at Turin
TURIN, Italy -- Speculation about the Turin Film Festival's place on Italy's crowded festival calendar and first-year artistic director Nanni Moretti's plans for a second term are swirling as this year's event hits the home stretch.
In recent weeks, Moretti has called new attention to the timing of Turin, which takes place less than a month after the close of the 2-year-old RomaCinemaFest, which, in turn, starts just five weeks after the conclusion of the venerable Venice Film Festival.
Asked about a possible change in dates, Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli said only that "Italy has three great film festivals," without discussing their proximity.
Moretti, when asked the same question, only reiterated his opposition to the Rome event taking place halfway between Venice and Turin.
But speculation persists that one of the festivals might have to change its dates next year and that it could be Turin, though there is no indication of a possible alternative date.
Meanwhile, Moretti's future with the festival job that he accepted, quit and then re-accepted in the space of a week in January remains uncertain.
In recent weeks, Moretti has called new attention to the timing of Turin, which takes place less than a month after the close of the 2-year-old RomaCinemaFest, which, in turn, starts just five weeks after the conclusion of the venerable Venice Film Festival.
Asked about a possible change in dates, Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli said only that "Italy has three great film festivals," without discussing their proximity.
Moretti, when asked the same question, only reiterated his opposition to the Rome event taking place halfway between Venice and Turin.
But speculation persists that one of the festivals might have to change its dates next year and that it could be Turin, though there is no indication of a possible alternative date.
Meanwhile, Moretti's future with the festival job that he accepted, quit and then re-accepted in the space of a week in January remains uncertain.
- 11/29/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Moretti's Turin a marquee event
TURIN, Italy -- A surge in local interest and the accompanying long lines at the ticket counter are giving organizers of the 25th annual Turin Film Festival something to cheer about.
Ticket sales over the festival's first three days are up 50% in euro terms from the same period last year, the festival reported Monday, and the unexpectedly strong attendance figures have helped to distract attention from Turin's feud with the two-year-old RomaCinemaFest.
Turin's first-year artistic director Nanni Moretti fanned those flames this month when he blasted Rome's decision to hold its deep-pocketed festival so close to Turin's dates -- it concluded just a month before Turin opened -- briefly sparking a war of words with organizers from the Rome event.
On Monday, in one of his few public appearances since the festival began, the auteur-turned-artistic director was unable to escape the topic.
Moretti held a 20-minute closed-door meeting with Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, and the two emerged to questions from reporters about whether the issue of the two festivals' proximity -- along with that of the venerable Venice Film Festival -- had been discussed.
Ticket sales over the festival's first three days are up 50% in euro terms from the same period last year, the festival reported Monday, and the unexpectedly strong attendance figures have helped to distract attention from Turin's feud with the two-year-old RomaCinemaFest.
Turin's first-year artistic director Nanni Moretti fanned those flames this month when he blasted Rome's decision to hold its deep-pocketed festival so close to Turin's dates -- it concluded just a month before Turin opened -- briefly sparking a war of words with organizers from the Rome event.
On Monday, in one of his few public appearances since the festival began, the auteur-turned-artistic director was unable to escape the topic.
Moretti held a 20-minute closed-door meeting with Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, and the two emerged to questions from reporters about whether the issue of the two festivals' proximity -- along with that of the venerable Venice Film Festival -- had been discussed.
- 11/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mueller remains as head of Venice fest
ROME -- Marco Mueller will stay on the job as the Venice Film Festival's artistic director for four more years, while a former head of the Venice Biennale will return to that post to replace Davide Croff, whose mandate was not renewed last month, Italy's Ministry of Culture said Friday.
Croff's replacement will be 68-year-old Paolo Baratta, a banker, former lawmaker and minister, and the man Croff replaced in 2002.
But the big news for film industry is that Mueller will be retained, a rare event for a festival that has seen six artistic directors over the previous 19 years. Though Baratta must formally reappoint Mueller, the move is considered automatic.
Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli issued a statement Friday calling Mueller's work "excellent" and said that the festival would benefit from having the experienced Mueller at its helm for another four years. Without the renewal, Mueller's mandate would have expired at the end of the year.
Croff's replacement will be 68-year-old Paolo Baratta, a banker, former lawmaker and minister, and the man Croff replaced in 2002.
But the big news for film industry is that Mueller will be retained, a rare event for a festival that has seen six artistic directors over the previous 19 years. Though Baratta must formally reappoint Mueller, the move is considered automatic.
Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli issued a statement Friday calling Mueller's work "excellent" and said that the festival would benefit from having the experienced Mueller at its helm for another four years. Without the renewal, Mueller's mandate would have expired at the end of the year.
- 11/10/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Croff dropped as head of Venice Biennale
ROME -- Davide Croff, longtime head of the Venice Biennale Foundation, will not continue in that capacity, Italy's Ministry of Culture said Thursday. A replacement is expected to be named next month.
Speculation about Croff's future started when Prime Minister Romano Prodi was elected last year.
The position traditionally has been considered a political appointment, and Croff had been appointed by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, Prodi's main political rival.
Opinion seemed to shift in recent months, with Croff telling The Hollywood Reporter in September that he felt the position was no longer political, while local media speculated that Croff would be kept on.
But indications from Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli -- who announced the change late Wednesday at a Biennale Foundation meeting -- are that Croff's regular clashes with local and regional politicians, such as Veneto regional president Giancarlo Galan and Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, were too much.
While Rutelli praised Croff's work, particularly in terms of increasing the Biennale's private sector financing, he also said that "bad feelings between local institutions and the Biennale make a continued relationship impossible."
Galan, quoted in the local press, was more succinct: "Croff can consider his mandate concluded," he said.
Speculation about Croff's future started when Prime Minister Romano Prodi was elected last year.
The position traditionally has been considered a political appointment, and Croff had been appointed by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, Prodi's main political rival.
Opinion seemed to shift in recent months, with Croff telling The Hollywood Reporter in September that he felt the position was no longer political, while local media speculated that Croff would be kept on.
But indications from Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli -- who announced the change late Wednesday at a Biennale Foundation meeting -- are that Croff's regular clashes with local and regional politicians, such as Veneto regional president Giancarlo Galan and Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, were too much.
While Rutelli praised Croff's work, particularly in terms of increasing the Biennale's private sector financing, he also said that "bad feelings between local institutions and the Biennale make a continued relationship impossible."
Galan, quoted in the local press, was more succinct: "Croff can consider his mandate concluded," he said.
- 10/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Croff dropped from Venice Biennale
ROME -- Davide Croff, longtime head of the Venice Biennale Foundation, will not continue in that capacity, Italy's Ministry of Culture said Thursday. A replacement is expected to be named next month.
Speculation about Croff's future started when Prime Minister Romano Prodi was elected last year.
The position traditionally has been considered a political appointment, and Croff had been appointed by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, Prodi's main political rival.
Opinion seemed to shift in recent months, with Croff telling The Hollywood Reporter in September that he felt the position was no longer political, while local media speculated that Croff would be kept on.
But indications from Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli -- who announced the change late Wednesday at a Biennale Foundation meeting -- are that Croff's regular clashes with local and regional politicians, such as Veneto regional president Giancarlo Galan and Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, were too much.
While Rutelli praised Croff's work, particularly in terms of increasing the Biennale's private sector financing, he also said that "bad feelings between local institutions and the Biennale make a continued relationship impossible."
Galan, quoted in the local press, was more succinct: "Croff can consider his mandate concluded," he said.
Speculation about Croff's future started when Prime Minister Romano Prodi was elected last year.
The position traditionally has been considered a political appointment, and Croff had been appointed by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, Prodi's main political rival.
Opinion seemed to shift in recent months, with Croff telling The Hollywood Reporter in September that he felt the position was no longer political, while local media speculated that Croff would be kept on.
But indications from Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli -- who announced the change late Wednesday at a Biennale Foundation meeting -- are that Croff's regular clashes with local and regional politicians, such as Veneto regional president Giancarlo Galan and Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, were too much.
While Rutelli praised Croff's work, particularly in terms of increasing the Biennale's private sector financing, he also said that "bad feelings between local institutions and the Biennale make a continued relationship impossible."
Galan, quoted in the local press, was more succinct: "Croff can consider his mandate concluded," he said.
- 10/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Almodovar receives Italy's Order of Merit
ROME -- Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodovar on Thursday was presented with the Commendation of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by Francesco Rutelli, Italy's minister of culture.
The ceremony at Palazzo Chigi followed a reception for the nominees for the David di Donatello Awards. But Almodovar opted out of participating in the early morning Donatello ceremony and received the award on his own.
Almodovar -- known for acclaimed films such as last year's Palme d'Or-nominated "Volver" and 2003 Oscar winner "Hable Con Ella" (Talk to Her) -- was given the award for his "contributions to European cinema and culture," according to the Italian government's Web site.
After putting the gold medal around Almodovar's neck, Rutelli said he hoped Almodovar will have continued successes.
"We hope that his cinematic biography will continue to be enriched as it has been enriched in recent years," the minister said.
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is one of Italy's highest civilian awards.
The ceremony at Palazzo Chigi followed a reception for the nominees for the David di Donatello Awards. But Almodovar opted out of participating in the early morning Donatello ceremony and received the award on his own.
Almodovar -- known for acclaimed films such as last year's Palme d'Or-nominated "Volver" and 2003 Oscar winner "Hable Con Ella" (Talk to Her) -- was given the award for his "contributions to European cinema and culture," according to the Italian government's Web site.
After putting the gold medal around Almodovar's neck, Rutelli said he hoped Almodovar will have continued successes.
"We hope that his cinematic biography will continue to be enriched as it has been enriched in recent years," the minister said.
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is one of Italy's highest civilian awards.
- 6/15/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy eyes co-producer title
ROME -- The Italian government is getting into the movie business, according to an announcement Monday from the Ministry of Culture, which said that the Italian state will begin taking the title of "co-producer" on certain films it helps fund.
According to the statement from Minister Francesco Rutelli, the state is likely to take the title on films to which it contributes a "significant" level of financing and when the film contains some "cultural interest."
Films funded in part by the state's co-financing programs will automatically be candidates for this status if the state's contribution to the film is not repaid within five years of the film's release.
Though the change is being billed as a way for the Italian state to protect its investments in domestic films, experts said the switch also made the government an official film producer, which could give it a say in how some films are distributed after the five-year period expires.
According to the statement from Minister Francesco Rutelli, the state is likely to take the title on films to which it contributes a "significant" level of financing and when the film contains some "cultural interest."
Films funded in part by the state's co-financing programs will automatically be candidates for this status if the state's contribution to the film is not repaid within five years of the film's release.
Though the change is being billed as a way for the Italian state to protect its investments in domestic films, experts said the switch also made the government an official film producer, which could give it a say in how some films are distributed after the five-year period expires.
- 4/17/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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