Producing in Italy

The conference “Italy: New Law & Opportunities for International Players” held at MIA presented an overview of the tools offered by the new Cinema Law for the international productions in Italy: tax incentives, funds, national and local financing. “We are putting in place a series of tools to increase the number of Italian coproductions,” Maria Giuseppina Troccoli from MiBACT – Cinema Office says. “From the certainty of financing – which will never go under 400 million Euro per year – to the overcoming of the concept of financeable cinema, conceived as a product for the big screen, in favour of a broader context including the whole audio-visual field. “Funds that can be used for coproductions with Italy are all those destined for national productions: selective direct contribution, various forms of tax credit, and automatic contribution on the basis of artistic and commercial achievements. The tax credit for foreign films shot in Italy is actually at 25% per film, but it will be increased to 30% thanks to future decrees.” A very useful tool, which facilitates the productions in development, is represented by those co-development funds activated with several countries since 2013, when the first deal with France has been signed. “Among the latest acquisitions, signed in 2016 but active since 2017, the participation of Italy in the Ibermedia Fund, that mainly works in favour of coproductions between two countries, whereas one of these should be either Spain, Italy, or Portugal. Another news is the agreement with Argentina, that also involves audio-visual products for the web; and an agreement with Brazil.” Among the changes introduced by the implementing decrees, which are actually waiting for the approval of Brussels, the eligible expenses for the tax credit: “With the new decree the expenses made in Italy, even if exceeding the Italian quota, will also be eligible in the coproduction,” Iole Giannattasio (Cinema Office) says. “A specific tax credit will be put in place to support experimentation, that is, not destined to films that must necessarily be produced. Moreover, there’ll be tax credits to support theatre programming and videogames.”

Among the opportunities that Italy offers to the international markets, the new platform Italy for Movies, online since last August, that offers to industry professionals information on a number of Italian locations by providing technical details on the possibility of financing both at the national and regional levels. This is meant to be an entry point to all the funding oppornities for Italian cinema, aiming to increase the degree of attractiveness and visibility of our territory. This is a project of the Cinema Office and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, implemented by Istituto Luce Cinecittà in association with the Italian Film Commissions. For more information, please check www.italyformovies.it

(from Cinecittà News -Carmen Diolaiuti)

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