Italy

[IT] New Law for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Lazio Region

IRIS 2012-5:1/28

Valentina Moscon

Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law. Trento Law and Technology Research Group, University of Trento

On 14 March 2012 the “Regione Lazio” in Italy adopted a reform (known as "Interventi Regionali per il Cinema e l’Audiovisivo"), aimed at promoting cinema and audiovisual fields according to Articles 21 and 33 of the Italian Constitution. Essentially, the regional government aim is to support the activities of production, distribution, export, promotion, cinema exhibition, preservation, study and dissemination of audiovisual works.

The need for a regional act on cinema was based on two critical aspects of the system: 1) the fragmentation of regulation, resulting in a confused and inefficient use of human and financial resources; 2) the lack of a legal entity with responsibility for strategic interventions. Hence, the recent law states the establishment of a Centre for Cinema and Audiovisual and a regional fund with a total budget of 45 million euros covering the period 2012 - 2014.

The Centre - equipped with two structures called respectively “Film Commission” and “Ufficio Studi e Ricerca sul Cinema e l’Audiovisivo” - will support the film production in the region and monitor the effectiveness of the measures envisaged to promote human and natural resources available. Moreover, it may be able to provide services to the cinematographic industry and carry out connecting activities between the cinema industry and local companies that support it.

The economic aid will be given, in particular, to anyone who will produce in the Lazio Region a certain percentage of their cinematographic or audiovisual works recognized as a cultural product. This might be an incentive for foreign cinematographic companies to choose the Lazio Region and therefore promote the growth of independent cinema.

To complete the rationalisation and coordination process of the film industry, the new law also includes the adoption of the Annual Operational Programme which, year by year, will define goals, priorities, execution times, procedures and criteria for granting aid.

The law also provides grants for training, upgrading and requalification of workers involved in this business and also for research activity. Moreover, in order to grant the collection and preservation of cinema products, it has provided a dedicated audiovisual library.