During the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival we are back to talk about ITALIAN SCREENS. Born from the collaboration between the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and organised by the Special Projects Office of DGCA-MiC in Cinecittà, the initiative promotes abroad the best of Italian cinema, and tax incentives in favour of distribution and co-productions.

The ITALIAN SCREENS conference was held at the Italian Pavilion (Majestic Hotel – Cannes) and saw important institutional presences: Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture, Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, introduced by Roberto Stabile, Head of the Italian Screens Project. An extraordinary opportunity to discuss developments and possible strategies on the issue of Italian audiovisuals in the international arena.

The purpose of the agreement, that has given rise to this initiative, is to provide the Italian Institutes of Culture and the network of Diplomatic Offices and Consulates with recent audiovisual products of high cultural and/or commercial value, and to strengthen the distribution of Italian cinema abroad, increasing its presence in established markets and operating in new emerging markets, with a view to rationalizing resources and optimizing costs.

The Project consists in organizing screenings of recently produced Italian films that have won awards in Italy or abroad, with the participation of actors, directors, screenwriters and other Italian audiovisual professionals involved in their production, with a special focus on the youngest protagonists, to be combined with “business” oriented appointments presenting the Italian film industry.

Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture: “The excellences of Italian cinema are increasingly at the centre of the international scene thanks to this ambitious initiative aiming to bring the great potential of the Italian audiovisual system to the attention of audiences and experts from all over the world in a coordinated and even more far-reaching way. This commitment is particularly close to the heart of MiC, which in fact dedicates resources and every instrument available to the valorisation and promotion, also abroad, of our crews, starting with the youngest talents, figures of high professionalism and undisputed creativity. I thank MAECI and all those who will be involved in achieving this important goal for the growth of the country”.

Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: “Thanks to today’s signing of the agreement the diplomatic-consular and IICs network of the Farnesina will implement its contribution to the diffusion of Italian cinema around the world which has played and continues to play a key role in consolidating the image of Italy as a dynamic country, protagonist on the international scene. A closer and more intense collaboration with the MiC in the international promotion of our film industry is therefore particularly functional – in addition to the diffusion of Italian art – to the objective of further increasing Italy’s leading role. In doing so, besides directly and concretely supporting a production sector of absolute excellence with significant economic spin-offs, we nurture in international audiences that desire for Italy benefitting the whole country”.

ITALIAN SCREENS is a fundamental opportunity to introduce the protagonists of Italian cinema abroad, to create an audience that appreciates the great productions of the moment, but also to present to local operators the best of what the Italian audiovisual system has to offer in order to encourage co-productions, the growth of the professional quality of our industry and the internationalization of our cinema. The event also represents an important networking opportunity to allow industry professionals to get in touch with those who can best illustrate the programme of incentives at national and regional level to support production for those filming in Italy.

After Paris, Tirana and Skopje, Italian Screens’ busy calendar of events will stop in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Bogotá, Caracas, Cape Town, Sofia and Brussels, Miami, Atlanta, New Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Beirut, Tunis, Chicago, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, Singapore.