Country Focus: Italy

Tozzi proposes “third way” for supporting local cinema

by  Gabriele Barcaro

15/06/2010 - In a discussion at the conference The Economy of Italian Cinema, Riccardo Tozzi, president of producers of entertainment umbrella organization ANICA, proposed a new, Italian approach for supporting cinema. The event was held at Tor Vergata University (in collaboration with Anica and the Roma Lazio Film Commission).

After having analyzed the history of the golden years of Italian cinema, Tozzi stresses that today, “the typical distribution channels, free and pay TV, are a dead-end market”.

But how to promote a “third way” between the French system, which benefits from intelligent public support, and the US, based on very strong competition? “We need to think of a tax, that is managed, however, by trade associations, not the State. If ticket prices, which have remained fixed for years, were to be increased, we could create a tax that goes towards urban cinemas and certain types of production,” said Tozzi.

He added that other objectives include “working on regional funds and maintaining the tax credit, as well defending the FUS (Entertainment Industry Fund), increasing the number of urban theatres, and distribution over the Internet”.

Tozzi concluded with a note on the state of Italian cinema in this moment of global crisis: "The annus horribilis that many predicted didn’t come to pass. In 2010, the onslaught of 3D brought on an increase in the domestic market share, to over 30% of the total overall box office".