Italy’s Rai Cinema has confirmed the launch of its own dedicated international film sales arm.
Rai Cinema International Distribution will officially launch at the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale.
Rai Cinema, the film production division of state broadcaster Rai, has an annual budget of $85m and invests in a large slate of 50-70 films a year. It also handles distribution in Italy through its distribution division 01 Distribution. The launch of a dedicated sales arm marks a new departure.
Rai Cinema will handle international distribution of new films which will then continue to be managed by existing TV and film sales operation Rai Com for library exploitation.
In a statement, Rai Cinema said that the new division will “increase the visibility of Italian cinema worldwide.”
There has been widespread talk within the Italian industry for some time about the launch of Rai’s film sales arm. Some rival sales companies are concerned that, as a major backer of Italian films, Rai Cinema International Distribution will be in a strong position to handle sales for top Italian films.
Other industry figures argue that Italy needs a major local sales company that can compete with international sales companies, typically from France and Germany, that have historically represented the biggest Italian films. France’s Kinology, for example, handled sales for Nanni Moretti’s A Brighter Tomorrow while Germany’s The Match Factory repped Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped.
Recent RAI Cinema-backed films include Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitane and Saverio Costanzo’s Finalmente l’Alba. Rai Cinema is headed by Paolo del Brocco.
More details to follow
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