Senate approves the "Salvage Cinema" law

by Camillo De Marco

20/10/2005 - The Senate Cultural Commission has approved the government bill that will contribute to unfreezing Italian film funds. Comprised of two articles, the bill will render the complex mechanism of financing procedures operative for film projects of national cultural interest, as stipulated by legislative decree no. 28 of January 22, 2004 (the so-called "Cinema Law").
The Provision will now pass to Congress for the subsequent consideration.

Last July, a Constitutional Court ruling blocked the legislative decree regulating the new support and financing system of the film industry because the passing of those norms required an accorded measure with the Standing Conference on Relations between the state, the regions and the autonomous provinces. In compliance with the ruling, the Government presented a decree law in August, which, however, it recently withdrew. An agreement was reached with the Senate on October 12 to unblock the situation.

In the meantime, yesterday, Cultural Minister Rocco Buttiglione threatened to step down if the 300m Euro in cuts proposed by the 2006 Finance Law to his Ministry were not suspended (see article).

(Translated from Italian)