Boxoffice-July.1997

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Inspectorate, GAI, will receive a portion of
the profits in return for its officers directing
dirty cars to the machines. The studio hopes
to earn $2 million annually—same as its
current budget—from the side business, for
which it took out a $3 million loan. Some
would argue that Russia's government
should devote itself to cleaning up its politicians
rather than its cars. Sergeyev's justreleased
film "Schizophrenia" draws a
startlingly bleak picture of the new Russia
with its story of a former KGB officer who
carries out hits on prominent figures. The
film's veracity has been ensured by its main
consultant, Alexander Korzhakov, himself
a former KGB officer as well as President
Boris Yeltsin's former bodyguard. The plot
is reportedly based on a true account by a
Russian mafia godfather.
SAVED BY THE BELL
MADRID—Spain is another European
country grappling with the threat of reduced
government funding for film productions.
Most recently, the Culture Ministry narrowed
the subsidies available to movies by
requiring that a film generate at least
$350,000 in boxoffice receipts before it can
qualify for a subsidy, up 67 percent from the
former requirement. The plan also lowers
the ceiling for subsidies, which can compose
no more than one-third of a film's
budget, from $ 1 .4 million to a little over $ 1
million.
Some good news, however: The
country's telecom behemoth, Telefonica, is
considering investing in local productions
as a way of smoothing the film sectors'
opposition to the perceived competition of
digital TV, which should be launched in
Spain by the summer. Telefonica, which is
a semi-public company, has had discussions
with producer Andres Vincente
Gomez's Lola Films, as well as other companies.
Telefonica's representative in the
talks is producer Pedro Perez, a former head
of the Spanish producers federation,
FAPAE. According to Telefonica, the
telecom would create a financing and sales
operation similar to that operated by the
media group Prisa. And on the wholly private
end of the spectrum, at least one production
and financing company, Sogetel,
has pumped up its commitment to films. So
far this year, Sogetel has co-production
plans with six different entities, as well as a
commitment from broadcaster Tele 5 to
fund three of its films in the next two years.
SHORT TAKE
HAMBURG—Ten European countries
will band together to promote their films
around Europe, an example of lightweights
and middleweights teaming up to battle a
champion heavyweight—America. Film
export federations from the United Kingdom,
Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland,
the Flanders half of Belgium, the
Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Italy
have establishecl the European Film Promotion.
The organization will be based in
Hamburg and its board will consist of president
Claudia Landsberger of Holland Film,
Bruno Barthemy of Unifrance, and Christian
Dorsch of the German Export Union.
The union seeks to promote members' films
collectively at international festivals.
Q&A:
ANICA'S ALBERTO
FIORETTI ON
ITALIAN CINEMA
Italy's ANICA (National Association for the Cinematography and Audiovisual
Industry) has a challenge tougher than a two-day-old biscotti
ahead of it.
The trade association for movie producers and distributors,
as well as others in the audiovisual industry, is facing one of the bleakest
periods for Italian cinema. Production in 7 995 reached a postwar low of 75
films. Although that number improved by 24 films in 1 996, domestic films
got only 20 percent of Italy's market. Abroad, the figures are even worse.
Italian exports are below 2 percent elsewhere in Europe and even lower in
the United States, according to a 1996 study. The slashing of government
funds for promotion abroad is one reason. Others say that, except for the
occasional "11 Postino, " the Italian industry hasn 't returned to the days when
lira rained down upon the glory of Federico Fellini and Michelangelo
Antonioni. Alberto Fioretti, ANICA's foreign-department representative,
discusses what his organization intends to do about it.
That's why we are
now discussing a
joint promotion
between Italy and
France. That could he
a good idea, because
in some countries
if you go alone,
you are lost.
not the minister for
Boxoffice: How is ANICA dealing with Italian cinema's low period?
ALBERTO FIORETTI: ANICA works with the government department for
movies and discusses from the point of view of the producer how to improve the new
low. As you know, we have some problems selling Italian films abroad, because, as
everywhere, the Americans are powerful in distribution. So we try to improve
distribution abroad. Our minister
now is
money, he's the minister for the
culture, Mr. (Walter) Veltroni,
and he's starting a new formula
for promoting Italian film
abroad. That's why we are now
discussing a joint promotion between
Italy and France. That
could be a good idea, because in
some countries if you go alone,
you are lost.
Boxoffice: You say the
American distribution machine
is the reason Italian
films have trouble with distribution
abroad?
FIORETTI: They make a lot
of good pictures, and the people
are used to the American style.
So every country—like France,
like us. like Germany—finds
some difficulties in promoting
and distributing film in foreign
countries. Even in markets where we're usually successful, like South America
[because of similarities in language], we have some problems now, because even
these countries are used to American films.
Boxoffice: How else do you plan to improve distribution abroad?
FIORETTI: We .still continue to attend all the festivals—Beriin. Cannes. Moscow—and
make a couple of Italian promotions. Maybe we have to use more media
promotion, to do something in television, to improve the forum for promotion.
Boxoffice: Italian film has a good reputation in the United States. What
caused the decline of popularity of Italian films in the United States and
elsewhere?
FIORETTI: I read something in the States where they say there is no more Fellini.
But that's not true. The problem is to educate the audience to go to see an Italian film.
Maybe there is a chance, because the people are grow ing tired of the usual American
film with the violence. I don't say that all the American pictures are like that, becau.se
many are very good, but the people now maybe would like to go see more European
film. That's important also for the country identity, the cultural identity.
Boxoffice: How Mould you characterize Italian cinema right now?
FIORETTI: From the cultural point of view, it is good. It starts again in a new
direction. The number of films is down from before. Before we made 100, 150
features. Now we are making 65 or 70 features. So the quantity is down, but the qualitv
is good. The last success is "II Ciclone" [directed by Leonardo Pieraccioni]. which
made probably 50 billion lira in our state.
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