Now in its second year, Rai Cinema International Distribution comes to Cannes with its biggest slate yet — and an ambition to grow the Italian industry.
This edition of Cannes is a key moment for us,” says Fulvio Firrito, the head of Rai Cinema International Distribution. The film sales arm of Italy’s Rai Cinema launched last year, focusing on building its team and signing partnerships. Now, says Firrito, it is time “to be fully present in the market and communicate our positioning”.
Rai, of course, has long been involved in international distribution through Rai Com. Since last year, Rai Cinema International Distribution has handled sales of new films, while Rai Com continues to look after library titles. As both a producer and a distributor of the country’s state broadcaster, Rai Cinema has an industrial and a cultural mission. This guides its approach to international sales, says Firrito.
“For years, many Italian producers were turning to foreign sales agents for their films, while the international distribution landscape in Italy remained small,” he says. “This new role plays a strategic part in promoting Italian cinema abroad, sharing our culture and identity, and supporting the entire industry’s growth.”
Dedicated unit
Rai Cinema produces between 50-60 films a year, making it the leading production company in Italy. Firrito says around 20% of them feature in Rai Cinema International Distribution’s line-up, while the majority continue to be sold abroad by both Italian and international sales companies. “Having a dedicated business unit for international sales means working closely with Rai Cinema’s production team to achieve an integrated and strategic approach,” he explains.
Nevertheless, the launch ruffled feathers among Italian sales companies last year. At the time Anica, the union of Italian exporters, issued a statement to Screen International, noting its “concern about the entry into the market of a fully publicly funded operator”. Some companies were worried the sales division would take on all films produced by Rai Cinema, but that is not the case, insists Firrito. “Only a small part of those films are included in our international lineup, and some of them probably would have been handled by foreign sales agents anyway,” he says.
He sees the launch of Rai Cinema International Distribution as a chance for the Italian industry to grow. “The fact the market is evolving is shown by the presence of other strong, vertically integrated companies like Vision Distribution and Piper Film,” says Firrito, who took over the division after 10 years as a producer at Rai. His team includes Valentina Di Palma, who focuses on sales and joined from Vision Distribution; festival specialist Maria Lanfranchi, who recently joined from Intramovies; and Claudia Julia Catalano, who handles business affairs and industry relations.
Here in Cannes
Rai’s Croisette slate includes Un Certain Regard title Heads Or Tails? by Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, an Italian western whose cast includes Alessandro Borghi and Nadia Tereszkiewicz, with John C Reilly as Buffalo Bill. It has just added Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores’ latest Napoli — New York, about two Neapolitan children travelling to the US in the post-war years, starring Pierfrancesco Favino. Released late last year in Italy, it has taken more than $5.6m (€5m) at the box office.
The line-up also includes Madly by Paolo Genovese, which has hit an impressive $20.2m (€18m) at the Italian box office, surpassing his previous hit Perfect Strangers, and has already sold to 40 territories after being introduced to buyers at the European Film Market; The Illusion by Roberto Ando, a tale about the unification of Italy led by Garibaldi, with Toni Servillo, Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone; and Siblings, the directorial debut of Greta Scarano, which focuses on the relationship between two siblings, one of whom is autistic, and stars Matilda De Angelis.
In the pipeline are titles including Un Anno Di Scuola, the second film by Laura Samani; Christmas Song by Roberta Torre; Elisa — I Wanted to Kill Her by Leonardo Di Costanzo; and the documentaries The Last First Lady by Barbara Cupisti, School Of Life by Giuseppe Marco Albano and Tears For Firs by Victor Kossakovsky.
In the past year, the company has also sold Berlinale title Gloria! by Margherita Vicario to more than 40 countries, including the US and Canada. Another strong result is Posso Entrare? An Ode To Naples by Trudie Styler, a love letter to the city, which has been sold in nearly 30 territories.
Firrito notes that its line-up spans young directors to more established auteurs. “International sales are not just a business opportunity,” he asserts. “They are a way of promoting Italian culture and identity abroad, and of giving our films the recognition they deserve.”
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