14/03/2007

Defining a new form of governance and new modes of financial support, as well as an incisive antitrust law that covers the entire communications sphere, is what the promoters of Venice Days are asking the government, which is committed to approving the new Film Law before the end of 2007.

In a document (see entire text in Italian) drafted after a seminar held during last year’s Venice Film Festival, and followed up in subsequent meetings - at which representatives of all sectors within the film industry, including directors, producers, distributors, exhibitors, journalists and critics, took part – members of the directors association ANAC and independent producers association API have indicated resolutions to adopt in order to solve the problems plaguing Italian cinema, defined as a "distorted and closed market".

At the heart of the document lies the creation of a National Cinema Centre, based on the French CNC model and financial and operation autonomy, which would take on many of the functions that are currently managed by the General Direction for Cinema of the Ministry of Culture: implementing public policy; conducting research on market trends through an Observatory; deciding on financial backing for production, development, promotion, distribution, diffusion and exhibition; managing the relative resources; and collaborating on professional training programmes.

Most also feel it is urgent to create an antitrust law to reconstruct a dynamic market in terms of competition and pluralistic content. "We know full well that the dominant positions are not eliminable only through legislation”, emphasised Venice Days president Roberto Barzanti, “but this is an important starting point, seeing as how plurality is as fundamental to culture as competition".

The entire document (only in Italian).

(Translated from Italian)