The Film Commission Torino Piemonte (FCTP) was one of the first to open its doors almost twenty years ago.
It was the first to equip itself with economic incentives in addition to sup- plying services before, during and after filming in the region.

“We believe that 2018 brought to light the first results of a change of course that began a few years ago and which was strategically necessary in order to expand and diversify the actions of our Film Commission”.
The President of the FCTP, Paolo Damilano, who has led the Turin Foundation since 2013, states with satisfaction that “we tried to take a quality leap, fully aware that to attract productions to Piedmont it was necessary to also offer and propose a range of structured and targeted training and promotional actions.
On one side we tried to activate projects that could facilitate the growth of the local sector, attracting festivals and markets of an international caliber to the region, launching industry events that would bring Piedmontese professionals into contact with major players in audiovisuals; on the other, we aimed to devise exhibitions, conferences and premieres that would bring the local public closer to the world of cinema”.

«An important and recent growth factor came from the Piemonte Film TV Fund, a regional fund that supports the production of feature films and TV series which, with an annual allocation of € 1,500,000 flanks the existing funds managed by the FCTP which already counted on specific contributions for shorts and documentaries (the Short Film Fund, active since 2014, and the Piemonte Doc Film Fund, active since 2007, with an annual allocation of € 350,000)» the Director, Paolo Manera, explains today. «It was necessary to boost growth so we needed more instruments. The new regional fund that sees the FCTP in the role of technical partner was the keystone to accelerating the number of productions in the region.
117 pro- ductions were supported in 2018 alone: 9 TV series, 12 features, 15 shorts, 35 documentaries, 24 commercials, 10 TV broadcasts, 4 institutional films and 4 video clips, highlighting a district in constant growth and ferment».

Excellent results have also been achieved as a result of the actions supporting the local sector: the “Production Days” experience – meetings, workshops, conferences organized by the FCTP for Piedmontese production companies scheduled to be held concomitantly with the city’s main sector events (View Conference, Torino- FilmLab, Torino Short Film Market, TFF) – in 2018 developed into the launch of the Torino Film Industry, an exhibition that offers 6 days of panels, networking opportunities for national operators and international guests during the Torino Film Festival. “Helping creatives and local workers meet with major European producers and broadcasters is the imperative of this new season for the FCTP which in April will, in fact, host the Screenings for the first time – a preview of the Rai portfolio for buyers – and which, for the third year running, has been chosen by Rai to host Cartoons on The Bay”, continues Paolo Manera.

According to Paolo Tenna, CEO of FIP Film Investimenti Piemonte (FIP) – the branch of the FCTP whose activities are based on sourcing investors through a service of free consultancy on external tax credits,
«Cartoons is an ideal instrument for helping local animation, which is historically devoted to excellence, become stronger: in fact we have production houses of an international caliber and other very recent ones, start ups and studios, filmmakers, cartoonists, the headquarters of Cartoon Italia, of Asifa, CSC Animazione: we have worked together with Rai Com to create ad hoc moments for professionals and also to offer children and families the opportunity to approach animation and experience it as protagonists».

Thanks to the intervention of the FCTP and FIP, Cartoons 2019 will be offering the Piemonte Lounge, a corner which, throughout the event, will act as a meeting place for local professional entities and international guests, the training route for comedy writing, “Funny Faces”, the networking cocktail party “Aperitoon” and, brand new, “Cartoon Games”: a whole day organized by Cus Torino to bring the littlest set to the market and involve the people of Turin in activities that combine sport and cartoons.

Finally, a further example of the variety of special projects set up by the FCTP and FIP is the “Contest Savoia. La Serie”, an international open call to choose the best concept for a TV series set at the time of the Savoy dynasty which can valorize the history of the Piedmont region, i.e. narrate the region’s glorious past and exploit its architectural treasures as locations, giving employment to workers and businesses and attracting tourism. 150 projects were presented from all over Europe, 10 finalists were selected and proposed to the Industry at the 2018 Venice Film Festival and then at MIA.

“One of these, “Madama Reale”, captured the interest of an Italian and a French producer and was awarded € 50,000 to invest in development.
At the moment the “bible” has been realized and work has begun on the screenplay while the selection of locations in Piedmont and the technical crew is in progress.

The Contest followed a complex yet positive and successful itinerary that can be considered to be a test for future similar initiatives» underlines Paolo Tenna.
“We want the actions of the FCTP to constitute an all-round agent of development in audiovisuals and for this reason we are operating like a kind of permanent laboratory combining a very important tradition in cinema and trying to experiment and innovate.

President Damilano concludes by pointing out that for the coming year – “2020 Torino Città del Cinema- Turin City of Cinema”, twenty years after the birth of the FCTP and the Museo Nazionale del Cinema-National Museum of Cinema – we will be working with great conviction to make our significant contribution to the City.”