05/02/2003

2002 was a good year for cinema in Italy and especially for Italian films.

DISTRIBUTION
Fewer big films were produced and perhaps that is why Italian cinema managed to increase its share of the domestic market to 22.2 per cent from 2001’s 19.4 per cent. According to Cinetel 216 Italian films were programmed in 2002, 114 of which were new releases (coproductions included): an increase of 8 and 28 films respectively. 16 Italian films broke the Euros1m barrier at the box office and 3 entered the top ten titles of the year.

The postive performance was not the exclusive domain of Italian cinema. American films in Italy saw a 5.99 per cent hike in attendance, and although this is distant from the Italian results. There was an 8.33 per cent increase in US films while Italian films (coproductions included) increased by 22.16 per cent.
As far as Europe is concerned, French films lead the field with a significant 6.04 per cent share of the Italian market while British films dropped to 3.77 per cent after the 10.4 per cent of 2001.
The sour note is the concentration of box office takings by a handful of titles. That is also the clearest sign of the weakness of the Italian film industry. 63.4 per cent of the gross box office take was generated by just five Italian films, and 87 per cent by the first 16.

EXHIBITION
There are around 6000 cinemas in Italy and the sector is dominated by multiplexes with at least 8 screens. There are 51 operating at present in Italy. This year 15 new multiplexes were opened, bringing an additional 154 screens.
25 million tickets were sold for films screened at multiplexes, that is around 30 per cent of the potential filmgoing population. The forecasts for 2004 are that multiplexes will absorb 50 per cent of the Italian filmgoing population.

STATE INVERVENTION
The Direzione Generale per il Cinema (Italian Film Board) supports the theatrical distribution of Italian films by covering the costs of prints and advertising campaigns both at home and abroad.
The Film Board also supports the promotion of Italian cinema both in Italy and abroad as well as all other activities of a cultural nature that regard Italy’s film heritage. That includes festivals and reviews, national film associations, film libraries, university institutes, conferences and publishing, awards and various other promotional activities. The Ministry for Culture also control Cinecittà Holding, the National Film School and the Venice Biennale, part of the promotional activities of Italian cinema at home and abroad.
The State also manages cinemas in a variety of ways that include investing in technological innovation, modernisation of existing theatres and the transformation of some single-screen theatres into multi- screens.

TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION - BOX OFFICE - EXHIBITION

Market share - in percentage points	2002	Difference 2002/2001
Italian films + coprods.	22.22	+2.80
Films France	6.04	+2.24
Films United Kingdom	3.77	-6.63
Films USA	60.18	+0.48
Total EU (not Italy)	12.4	-4.7
Total extra-EU (not USA)	5.2	+1.4

Source: Anica

Italian Imports in	2002	Difference 2002/2001
Total Film Imports	285	-19
European Film Imports	83	-6
US Film Imports	169	-12

Source: Anica

Box Office	2002 (Euro)	Difference 2002/2001 In percentage points
Total Box Office	525.010.326	+7.84
Total Box Office Italian Films + coprods.	116.548.464	+24.18
Total Box Office US Films	315.951.324	+8.33

Souce: Anica & Anem with Cinetel data

Spectators	2002	Difference 2002/2001 In percentage points
Totale	89.175.917	+5.99
For Italian films & coprods.	19.885.224	+22.16
For US films	53.272.275	+6.28

Source: Anica & Anem with Cinetel data

The Season's Top Ten (From 01-08-2002 to 26-01-2003)

Pos.	Film	Nat.	Distribution	Box Office (Euros)	Attendance
1	Christmas on the Nile	Ita	Filmauro	28.723.197	4.607.264
2	Pinocchio [+see also: trailer film profile]	Ita	Medusa Film	26.170.391	4.563.525
3	The Legend of Al, John & Jack [+see also: trailer film profile]	Ita	Medusa Film	22.247.978	3.585.636
4	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Usa	Warner Bros.	20.757.406	3.496.990
5	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	Nz	Medusa Film	13.865.510	2.242.857
6	My Big Fat Greek Wedding	Usa	Nexo	13.067.223	2.091.269
7	Signs	Usa	Buena Vista	11.144.227	1.828.890
8	Minority Report	USA	20th Century Fox	10.283.449	1.702.902
9	Road to Perdition	USA	20th Century Fox	9.697.429	1.554.928
10	Unfaithful	USa	Medusa Film	9.300.410	1.475.750

(Cinetel)

The Top Ten of 2002

Pos.	Film	Nat.	Distribution	Box Office (Euros)	Attendance
1	Pinocchio [+see also: trailer film profile]	Ita	Medusa Film	26.170.391	4.563.525
2	The Lord of the Rings	NZ	Medusa	21.582.503	3.615.193
3	Spider-Man	USA	Columbia/ Tristar	19.274.833	3.306.124
4	The Legend of [+see also: trailer film profile] Al, John & Jack [+see also: trailer film profile]	Ita	Medusa Film	19.191.396	3.092.388
5	Christmas on the Nile	Ita	Filmauro	18.930.747	1.088.387
6	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Usa	Warner Bros.	17.237.488	2.912.885
7	A Beautiful Mind	USA	UIP	14.681.008	2.242.857
8	Signs	USA	Buena Vista	11.141.794	1.827.727
9	Ocean's Eleven	USA	Warner	10.297.097	1.716.554
10	Minority Report	USA	20th Century Fox	10.281.170	1.702.404

(Source: Anica with Cinetel data)