28/05/2009

Over 12 million tickets were sold from 524 screens that participated in the third edition of the Progetto Schermi di Qualità (“Quality Screens Project”), created by AGIS in the name of all exhibitors, and chosen by the General Direction for Cinema of the Ministry for Culture as a useful tool for backing the distribution of quality Italian and European films.

According to Paolo Protti, president of the exhibitors’ group ANEC, the project, the results of which were presented yesterday at Rome’s Casa del Cinema, "is important for exhibition and all of Italian cinema.”

“It is better for the state to invest in projects like come Schermi di Qualità rather in Italian film production,” added the president of ANICA producers, Riccardo Tozzi.

European films garnered 7,173,944 admissions (59%), of which 4,032,570 (33%) were Italian, a rise over last year. This figure is all the more significant given the decrease in overall performance of quality Italian films in the first trimester of 2009.

The five most seen films were Slumdog Millionaire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danny Boyle
film profile], Gomorrah [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile], Il Divo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicola Giuliano
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
interview: Philippe Desandre
film profile], A Perfect Day [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Mid-August Lunch [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from Italian)