16/04/2014 - Data on Italian cinema elaborated on by MiBACT and ANICA show that the most important source of investment comes from outside investments

Investment into the cinema sector decreased by 27%, going down from €493 million to €358 million, despite the production side of business maintaining a stable amount of films (167 Italian ones, compared to 166 the year before). Average production cost is on the decrease: 100% Italian made films have a budget of €1.7 million while those emerging from an Italian initiative average €1.8 million. High budget films are also on the downslide, while low budget films are increasing.

Data on how Italian cinema is doing released by MiBACT and ANICA (download the PDF file) and presented in Rome this week highlight the important role of outside investors, who represent €42 million, which is €9 million less compared to 2012. Other sources of funding are also falling. International and regional funds are on the increase, for the first time reaching the €7 million mark.

The value of the credit asked for, which in particular is worth between €60 and €53 million, experienced a fall, which can in part be explained by the reduction of production budgets, of which credits are a percentage. The number of films requesting credits has also gone down. The only figure to go against the trend is the increase in tax credit, which went from €4 million to €5 million. 

Even the amount of Italian films being screened on television have fallen. Nevertheless, Italian films shown on primetime have gone up from 140 to 164: with better performances by Rai1, Rai3, Canale5 and Italia1. The La7 channel performance fell however. Canale5 comes across as the leader in terms of Italian films programmed for prime time television (over half): 36 films out of 60, compared to 11 by Rai3 (the highest Rai number). Over an entire day, only 86 Italian productions from after 2010 are in programme. Over half Italian films screened are from the 1950-1979 period.

As for the satellite and themed channels, in 2013, Sky cut the amount of independent films. When it comes to Italian films, Mediaset by far outperforms its competitors (1073 out 2081, equivalent to 62% of Iyalian films), with much of the work by Iris. Rai goes no further than 584 Italian films out of 1917 shown.

In terms of distribution, the first 2014 term indicates an increase in Italian films compared to 2013 and 2012, representing 33% of the market, or almost 10 million out of a total of 30 million tickets sold.

Distribution per month in 2013 saw progress made compared to 2012 in almost all months, except for January. November was a particularly good month. Results from summer months are also worth noting.

Finally, 75% of cinema screens have now been digitalised, with differences across the regions. 

(Translated from Italian)