Italian Film Commission

Feature Films, short (up to 75 minutes), documentaries and animated films are eligible for financing through State Funding.
To apply for funding, the Italian Company (or European company with a headquarter in Italy) must register the company with the Ministry of Culture - Cinema Department (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per il Cinema).

The registration is subject to the following criteria:

1) Quality of film produced
2) The business stability of the production company
3) Ability to demonstrate the commercial value of the production company itself.

At present, the distribution of funds available for film companies is managed by the BNL (Banca Nazionale del Lavoro) through their associate:

Artigiancassa
Direzione Generale
Via Crescenzo del Monte, 25/45
00153 Roma, Italy
Tel +39 0658451 / +39 06 5845234
Fax +39 065899672 / +39 06 5899672
cinema@artigiancassa.it
www.artigiancassa.it

Support for production
To apply for funding, the production companies must submit the following documentation at least one day prior to start date of production:

1) Date of the start of production
2) Screenplay and synopsis
3) List of cast and crew
4) Budget and financial plan
5) Shooting schedule

The Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali will send a copy of the above documents to the SIAE (Italian Authors and Publishers Association) for registration at the Motion Picture Public Registry.

To apply for funding a film must be recognized as being of Italian Nationality.

The request for recognition of Italian Nationality must be presented to the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Cinema along with the receipt of the application fee.
For a film to be recognized as Italian, it must include the following elements:

1) Italian director
2) Italian story author, in the case of more than 1 author, the majority of authors must be Italian
3) Italian screenwriter, in the case of more than 1 writer, the majority of writers must be Italian Italian
4) soundtrack*
5) Italian crew*
6) utilization of Italian stages and the expenditure of at least 30% of budget in Italy

*exemption may be requested through the Film Management Board (Commissione per la Cinematografia) at the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Cinema.

In addition to the above listed obligatory elements, the project must also include:
At least three of the following elements:

6) Majority of principal cast must be Italian
7) Three-quarters of the secondary cast must be Italian
8) Italian director of photography
9) Italian film editor

At least two of the following elements:

10) Italian composer
11) Italian set designer
12) Italian costume designer

At least one of the following elements:

13) Utilization of Italian sets or stages
14) Utilization of Italian technical facilities

Guaranteed Loans
Producers of a film that has been recognized as of Italian Nationality may request that the film be further recognized as of “National Cultural Interest” or as a “First or second film”.
Financing is provided in a three year guaranteed loan.

For a film to be recognized as being of cultural interest to the nation, it must include the following elements:

1) Italian director
2) Italian story author, in the case of more than 1 author, the majority of authors must be Italian
3) Italian screenwriter, in the case of more than 1 writer, the majority of writers must be Italian
4) Majority of principal cast must be Italian
5) Three-quarters of the secondary cast must be Italian
6) Italian Soundtrack
7) Italian crew
8) Utilization of Italian sets or stages
9) Utilization of Italian technical facilities
10) Utilization of Italian stages and the expenditure of at least 30% of budget in Italy

In addition to the above listed obligatory elements, the project must also include at least four of the following elements:

1) Italian director of photography
2) Italian film editor
3) Italian composer
4) Italian set designer
5) Italian costume designer

Films designated as being of “National Cultural Interest”
Following a preliminary examination of the screenplay and project, the Film Management Board (Commissione per la Cinematografia) decides whether or not a given film should receive the appellate: “National Cultural Interest”. The three year loan cannot exceed 50% of the total budget.

First and Second films
The maximum amount of financing can cover up to 90% of total budget. For shorts, up to 100% of the budget is covered, up to a maximum of €75,000. If the loan is not paid back within a three year period, the State can repossess the rights of the film for the outstanding amount on loan.

Unguaranteed Loans
Films of Italian nationality that have not requested recognition as of “National Cultural Interest” or as a “First and Second Films”, can apply for funding in the form of a three year unwarranted loan that cannot exceed 70% of the total budget. Production companies can find additional funding resources through product placement.

Quality Awards
Financial funds awarded to an Italian film or co-production by a special commission set up at the Film Management Board (Commissione per la Cinematografia). The production company awarded the funds must invest the total amount of the award in a film of Italian Nationality.

Co-productions
Features films and shorts films co-produced with foreign countries can be recognized as Italian Films. In the case of a co-production with a production company from a non-EU country, the share of participation cannot be less that 20% of budget and must be paid within sixty days of the opening of the film in theatres in the country of the co-production. In the case of a country with a co-production agreement, the share of participation can be re-negotiated with the authorization of the Film Management Board (Commissione per la Cinematografia) at the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Cinema.
In the case of a country with no co-production agreement with Italy, the profit sharing between the Italian and foreign company must be authorized by the Film Management Board (Commissione per la Cinematografia) at the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Cinema. The Italian production company must present the request for recognition of co-production to the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Cinema at least thirty days prior to the start date of production.
Italy with the support of ANICA (The Italian Producers Trade Union) has drawn up co-production agreements with the following countries:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Morocco, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, UK, USA, Venezuela. Copies of the co-production agreements can be viewed on the ANICA website.

ANICA
Associazione Nazionale
Industrie Cinematografiche Audiovisive e Multimediali
Viale Regina Margherita, 286
00198 Roma
Tel +39 06 4425961
Fax +39 06 4404128
anica@anica.it direzione@anica.it
www.anica.it

Support for distribution
For production companies that are registered at the Motion Picture Public Registry, there are contributions for distribution in Italy as well for exportation of films recognized as of cultural interest. The award granted is proportional to the total amount the film grossed at the box office.

Support for Technical Facilities
Funds are available in the form of a ten-year low interest-rate loan for the technological upgrading, refurbishing, and structural changes to sets, stages/studios, post production facilities and labs. The amount awarded is dependent upon the number of people employed by the company making the request for funding; the region in which the company is based, and the amount of total investment.

Support for Promotion
On consultation with the Film Commission, the Cinema Management Board allocates grants to three public institutions whose existence is designated by law (Cinecittà Holding, Scuola Nazionale di Cinema, the National Film School (SNC) and the Venice Biennale) as well as to other organizations charged with promoting Italian Cinema at home and abroad (festivals, reviews, art house or church theatres, film and cultural associations, film restoration and conservation, universities, conferences, various publishing initiatives, training schemes, professional associations and film awards).
The new Italian Motion Picture Law was recently approved on January 22, 2004 and modified by the budget law 2007 n 296/2006. The above information will be integrated in the following months. Please consult the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali/Direzione Cinema for updates:

Direzione Generale per il Cinema
P.zza Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, 9/A
00185 Roma, Italy
Tel. +39 0667231
segreteria@cinema.beniculturali.it
www.cinema.beniculturali.it