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Margherita Chiti • Distributor, Sacher Distribuzione

Cineuropa: Tell us about Sacher Distribuzione. What is your company’s profile?
Margherita Chiti: In 1997, Nanni Moretti, Angelo Barbagallo, Roberto Cicutto and Luigi Musini founded Tandem Distribuzione, [which mainly] focused on a selection of small arthouse films distributed as a retrospective (called Playbill), whose first successful title was Leon Gast’s When We Were Kings.

In 1998, Tandem released Moretti’s Aprile and right after changed its name to Sacher Distribuzione, re-releasing Orson Welles’ masterpiece Touch of Evil, restored and re-mastered.

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In the following years, the company distributed films by Moretti, Vincenzo Marra (Sailing Home, 2001); Valia Santella’s debut film I Can See it in Your Eyes, 2004); and Stefano Rulli’s documentary Un silenzio particolare.

Nowadays, Sacher Distribuzione still looks for those independent and arthouse films that more than others have difficulties finding some room in the current market. Among our recent releases are Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain Chomet
film profile
]
and Pernilla August’s Beyond [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
. We will soon be releasing Angèle and Tony [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Alix Delaporte.

What marketing strategies do you use when launching a film?
Our greatest promotion is word of mouth and the main part of our strategy [goes] through press activity. We also do some web promotion and trailering in the Circuito Cinema chain of arthouse venues.

How is independent distribution currently doing in Italy? What are the sector’s biggest challenges and its biggest obstacles?
Independent distribution in Italy right now is doing quite bad. The biggest challenge is to find some room to release our prints. It’s becoming every film more difficult to find some venues. Arthouse theatres are fewer and fewer and in order to survive they open up to commercial films. We are experiencing a big loss of identity especially concerning exhibitors.

Also, the old marketing strategies no longer work for independent line-ups. We are facing a huge crisis and we should reconsider our strategies and our position in order to survive and be [once] again the promoter of independent cinema.

What elements influence you when you decide to pick up a film?
We mainly look for directors, artists that have a strong idea of cinema and of mise-en-scène. Independent and interesting filmmakers.

Why did you decide to take part of the Cinemalab workshops and what are your expectations?
To meet other professionals in the independent area, to learn more about the circulation of Latin American cinema. I expect it to be a good experience that will enrich me and motivate me.

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