Italy’s DGCA to organise events at 79th Venice International film fest

Venice: The Italian Pavilion will host conferences, conventions, and business meetings aimed at identifying industry trends.

During the 79th Venice International Film Festival, which will take place from September 1 to 6, 2022, the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual (DGCA) of Italy’s Ministry of Culture (MiC) has scheduled an array of meetings and special events with top actors in the international audiovisual industry.

The Italian Pavilion working space, created by Cinecittà, will host conferences, conventions and business meetings with the aim of identifying industry trends.

The first event, in collaboration with CNC and Unifrance, is scheduled on September 1, and will focus on the progress made by the bilateral co-production fund and audiovisual distribution.

This will be followed by a focus on Distribution and Exhibition in France and Italy: Today’s Challenges, moderated by Gilles Renouard (Director of Cinema, Unifrance) and featuring Nicola Maccanico (GM, Cinecittà), Eric Lagesse (CEO, Pyramide Distribution), Simone Gialdini (GM, ANEC and President, Cinetel), Antonio Medici (CEO, BIM Distribuzione) and other prestigious guests. The day continues with a second Mapping Italian/French Co-Production Status session, moderated by Roberto Stabile with the participation of Michel Plazanet (Deputy Director of International and European Affairs, CNC), Iole Maria Giannattasio (Head of International and Legal Affairs, Research Unit, DGCA-MiC), Giovanni Pompili (Producer, Kino Produzioni), Caroline Bonmarchand (Producer, Avenue B Productions) and closing remarks from Dominique Boutonnat (President, CNC) and Nicola Borrelli (DG, DGCA-MiC).

A special screening – in collaboration with Venice Production Bridge – of the documentary Passione Cinema, directed by Francesco Ranieri Martinotti (Palazzo del Cinema, Sala Pasinetti) will end the event.

On 2nd September, the Italian Pavilion will host a special event in collaboration with the Motion Picture Association: the session entitled Economic Impact of Audiovisual and Cinema Productions on States and Regions in USA and Italy will present case studies, producer reports, data and statistics to explore the financial impact that an audiovisual production can bring to a territory. Following opening remarks from Roberto Stabile and Charles H. Rivkin (Chairman & CEO, MPA) the day kicks off with the first international session: There Is No Business Like Show Business, moderated by Stan McCoy (President & Managing Director, MPA EMEA) with the participation of Iole Maria Giannattasio, Nicola Maccanico, Lee Rosenthal (President, Worldwide Physical Production, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Studios) and Andrew Hall (Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs, NBCUniversal International Ltd). A second session, focussing on case studies, features the participation of Maria Pia Ammirati (Head of Drama, Rai), Marco Valerio Pugini (President, Panorama Films and Italian Association of Production Service Companies, A.P.E.), Madeleine de Cock Buning (Vice President, Public Policy EMEA for Netflix) and a closing presentation by Nicola Borrelli.

Further opportunity for reflection is offered by the panel on Sunday 4 September: Protecting the Film Industry Post Digital Services Act, What Now? presented in collaboration with FAPAV – Federazione per la Tutela delle Industrie dei Contenuti Audiovisivi e Multimediali and MPA.

A special screening closes the day featuring a series of short films selected for the Blue Planet Sci-Fi Film Festival, China’s first science-fiction film festival (Palazzo del Cinema, Sala Volpi), in collaboration with Venice Production Bridge.

Work continues on 3rd September with Focus on India – Italy and India: Building a Common Audience, a session to encourage the international operators present to share stories of the tools and strategies they use to promote their films and reach new audiences. The initiative, which includes the participation of India’s Foreign Minister Meenakhashi Lekhi, is part of a broader project organized by Cinecittà for DGCA –MiC that works to facilitate a closer relationship with Bollywood. Examination of the Asian audiovisual market continues on 4th September with Focus on the Philippines – Fostering Creative Collaborations. Common Strategies and Opportunities in collaboration with the Embassy of the Philippines in Italy and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Productions: What’s New in China? will examine the present state of audiovisual production and distribution in China and reflect on new perspectives with an aim to boost sales of Italian TV series and films and collaborations.

On 6th September, the Cultural Collaborations between Italy and Thailand panel will present and examine perspectives of the relationship between Italy and Thailand, with the aim of facilitating artistic and cultural cooperation between the countries.