The second operational meeting between Italian Film Commissions and the world of film distribution took place during the 81st Venice International Film Festival. IFC is the association that brings together the 20 Italian film commissions, whereas the distribution industry was represented by the Unione Distributori ed Editori and ANEC, the National Association of Cinema Operators.
This meeting follows the one between Film Commissions and Italian distributors held during Ciné 2024, during which the Film Commissions presented a set of proposals to optimize and encourage collaboration between the various players in the supply chain (production-film commission-distribution-exhibition).
“In a time of great transformation for Italian cinema in defining new paths of relationship with the general public, the Italian Film Commissions, thanks to the multiplicity of lines of action, can be an effective tool for attracting people to the cinema,” says Cristina Priarone, President of IFC.
Italian Film Commissions – which this year celebrates its twentieth anniversary – intends to activate concrete collaborations on the distribution axis. In addition to supporting film production (from development to location research to filming), Film Commissions have always been an effective resource for the promotion, communication and dissemination of works, thanks to the dense network of institutional and cultural links and relationships in individual territories and the ability to involve professionals, as well as students, enthusiasts and the entire citizenry.
“Italian distributors, producers and film exhibitors continue to work together” – says Luigi Lonigro, President of the Distributors and Publishers Union of Anica – “to make the territories, even those historically less involved, increasingly active protagonists in the promotion and dissemination of Italian cinema in theaters. Our directors and actors have been enthusiastically at our side for a long time and today we welcome Italian Film Commissions into our working group with the certainty that it will be able to enrich the theatrical supply chain team with new energy and ideas.”
To define concrete proposals, IFC Italian Film Commissions, the Unione Distributori ed Editori of Anica and ANEC, will sign a protocol that will be presented in October in Rome.
Mario Lorini, president of ANEC, states: “After having introduced and shared the importance of the action of exhibitors in the territories in promoting and supporting the launch of Italian films, on the occasion of our AnecLab, we are happy that the path reaches a concrete, collegial agreement, which will certainly give new life and opportunities to the best exploitation of our national product.”
The protocol will give the go-ahead to a permanent working table that will meet on a quarterly basis to facilitate maximum collaboration between the 20 film commissions, distributors and the network of cinemas, for the benefit of the works and the audiovisual sector.
For further information: info@italianfilmcommissions.it