International co-productions are playing an increasingly important role in the Italian film and TV industry, according to research published by the country’s film and audiovisual body Anica and producers’ association the APA.
The research shows that there has been a 51% increase in the number of films and TV series made with international producers when comparing the three-year periods 2017-2019 and 2020-2022.
Italy is also co-producing with more countries: 25 per year in the 2020-2022 period, against 16 in 2017-2022.
France is the country with which Italy most often co-produces; the two countries co-produced 73 film and TV series between 2020-2022. Switzerland follows with 31 co-productions, followed by Belgium (25), Germany (24) and Spain (12). Italy registered six co-productions with the UK in the period.
Italy co-produced 18 projects outside Europe between 2020-2022. Five of these were with the US and four with both Canada and Argentina.
The value of international investment in co-productions for films and TV series was €103m for the 2020-2022 period, up 49% compared to the €69m for 2017 -2019.
Recent co-productions include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (US-Italy), Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano (Italy-Belgium) and Liliana Cavani’s L’Ordine Del Tempo (Italy-Belgium), all of which played at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
On the TV side, the UK’s House Productions collaborated with Rome-based Wildside on Disney+ Mafia series The Good Mothers.
The research estimates the number of Italian series and films produced in 2022 that achieve some international distribution will be between 183 and 203, for a total export-related value of between €106-€156m.
The study, titled ‘Italian series and films on foreign markets: circulation and economic value’, was published in collaboration with research institute eMedia and with the support of ITA-Italian Trade Agency within the framework of the MIA market.
The research said between 2017 and 2022, Italian production volumes and international exports had risen as a result of four factors: Increasing demand for content; the arrival and commissioning of VOD players; Italy’s 30% tax credit for films and TV; and investment by international groups in Italian production companies.
The latter has seen groups such as Fremantle invest in Italian companies such as Lux Vide, The Apartment and Wildside, and Vuelta and Indiana Production to its stable.
The study said, however, the impact of these four factors would wane in the coming years. “Discussions between stakeholders and institutions will be fundamental in order to continue to support the strengthening of the production and distribution capabilities of our industry and to encourage the growth of the economic and cultural value that the national audiovisual sector can bring to Italy in the international contest.”
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