Councilor Felicori: “A sector that produces quality resources and jobs, we intend to continue supporting and promoting, with a greater commitment to distribution”
Do someEmilia-Romagna the cinema hub in Italyalso strengthening international collaborations, especially with France and Germany, increasing the distribution of local cinematographic products, enhancing their participation in international festivals. And then calls for regional productions which will become single window and which they will be able to count on Por Fesr fundsa change for audiovisual companies with the aim of leading them increasingly towards the internationalization of ideas and increasing competitiveness.
These are the strengths of the “Three-year program 2024-2026 for cinema and audiovisual” of the Regional Council, which was approved today in the Legislative Assembly.
The Plan provides that in 2024 the tender window will open at the end of January for the national tenders and in the spring for the tender aimed at regional companies, together with that of the annual call for Developmentwhich will be focused on with greater attention for a fundamental phase in the creation of new works.
The Region will also undertake to expand the network of municipalities adhering to the territorial agreement which strengthens the collaboration between Emilia-Romagna Film Commission and local authorities, and to strengthen the synergy with the Tourist Destinations, to provide support and welcome to film productions that want to shoot in the Emilia-Romagna area. Just as the range of suppliers of goods and services present in will be expanded database to consolidate collaboration in the territories, as well as an appropriate promotion of the professionalism of the sector for the purposes of increasing regional employment.
And also the Film promotion will be at the center of the activities of the next three years, with greater intervention by the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission in the guidelines for the supported Festivals and Reviews, also increasing the dialogue between operators, territories and institutions. In particular, events intending to apply for a three-year contribution will be asked for more specific requirements such as, for example, the commitment to coordinate the calendars and maintain fixed holding slots for the entire duration of the regional support. A meeting with festival operators is expected at the beginning of 2024 to share good practices.
The three-year period 2021-2023
A very important period, the one just concluded, which effectively brought the audiovisual sector within the industrial policies of the Region. Emilia-Romagna Film Commission closes the three-year period 2021-2023 with positive data, preparing in 2024 to activate the Regional Audiovisual Fund.
An important commitment by the Region in favor of the audiovisual sector in Emilia-Romagna (+17% compared to 2018) with supports for 16.8 million euros, equally distributed between production (53%) and promotion (46%). An increase in contributions which concerned, beyond allo development and production cinematic, the festivals, exhibitions and three-year projectswith fundamental system interventions to strengthen the supply chain and to make the different areas that benefit from the investments made dynamic and communicating.
Emilia-Romagna also confirms its vocation for real cinema, which constitutes 52% of the projects supported, followed by cinematographic works (25%), short films (13%), television works (9%) and, finally, from web series which stand at around 1%. A total of 126 projects supported in the period 2021–2023with attention to production and authorial innovation, attested by 32 works directed by female directors, 46 dramas by women, 22 dramas by under 35s, 68 with ‘green film’ certification or other sustainability protocols and 24 first works.
The average cost also tripled of projects, ranging from 500 thousand euros in 2018 to one and a half million in 2023.
The last three-year period has also seen securities financed by the regional sui fund principali red carpet: from the Berlinale to Cannes, from Venice to Karlovy Vary passing through Locarno, New York, Toronto, the Rome Film Festival, the Bari Bifest and other events, thus making Emilia-Romagna cinema increasingly international.