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INTERNATIONALIZATION 2/A Control Booth

The data from the first ANICA report on the Italian film industry released last month, “Cinema and Audiovisuals: the impact for employment and growth in Italy” confirm that cinema and audiovisuals are an important resource – even economically – for our country, with indicators comparable to other production sectors.
In fact, they activate one of the highest value multiplying effects (equal to €1.98), they are composed of 8500 companies the dimensions of which, equal to the European average (4.5 employees), is above the national average, with 61,000 direct jobs and almost double (112,000) in connected production chains.
They energize youth and female employment above the national average with a high knowledge content.
The work productivity per employee is very high in terms of added value, placing Italy in third place in Europe, after Belgium and Germany.
Italy is ranked among the top 10 countries in the world for audiovisuals.

According to the report, exports also represent an important dimension: € 890 million, much greater than the value of infra-sectorial imports which amounts to € 120 million.
Considering their strategic value the Government is concentrating on a series of actions to support exports.

For this purpose, in the last year, after the new Cinema Law came into force, a table was created for the internationalization of the Italian au- diovisual industry on the volition of the MiBAC (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities) and MiSE (Ministry of Economic Development), activated by the DG for Cinema and the ICE (Italian Trade Agency), coordinated by Istituto Luce Cinecittà, bringing to- gether the most representative sector Associations and the Film Com- missions. The objective was to establish a more effective presence on international markets. The various types of intervention have defined the operations and expertise of the DG Cinema, Istituto Luce and ICE. The MiSE funding (€ 4 million) is used to cover expenses abroad, counting on the widespread network of ICE offices and the creation of Audiovisual Desks in the countries our operators consider to be most important. With the MiBAC funds (€ 4 million) a series of support actions for compa- nies have been set up through the DG cinema and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. One particularly effective measure is the Fund for Foreign Distributors of Italian films. With an endowment of € 1,200,000, it is aimed at sup- porting the commercial circulation of Italian movies in Asean coun- tries, in South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, in Ibermedia Program countries, in Australia, Canada, Israel, Russia, Turkey and in Europe. The assistance consists of the co-financing of P&A expenses for the theatrical release of movies in the foreign distribution territory. Also aimed at the theatrical aspect but focused on the selling phase is the Fund which supports Italian Film Exporters (endowment: € 400,000), the purpose of which is to promote the participation of exporters in the main international markets, contributing to the expenses sustained for the promotion of feature-length movies making their first appearance on the international market.

Another two Funds are aimed at theatrical producers: one to support promotion at the main international festivals (€ 400,000). The other is for promoting participation in co-production markets, courses, workshops and training laboratories (€ 200,000).
Support is also guaranteed to producers of audiovisual works with an allocation of € 600,000 to faciltate their attendance at festivals and markets.

Special attention is dedicated to minority coproductions, highly efficient vehicles of internationalization, with a special Fund that has been set up recently and has an endowment of € 5 million.

Finally, we should mention Ibermedia, the Ibero-American assistance fund for audiovisual activities, in which Italy participates together with Spain and Portugal and, obviously, Latin American countries.

Alongside the Funds, the actions of the Istituto Luce Cinecittà continue in parallel for anything concerning institutional promotion and support initiatives that ensure an audiovisual presence in those countries which are not reached by specifically commercial actions.

In terms of communication it can also make use of a new recently created instrument: Italy for Movies, the national portal featuring locations and production incentives organized in collaboration with the Italian Film Commissions.