Cinema, 10 million euro in 2025. 'It's industry, not just entertainment'

It is no coincidence that, at the Venice Lido, amidst the swarming of stars and red carpets, it was the Lombardy Region that took a moment in the spotlight. With the Councillor for Culture Francesca Caruso acting as spokesperson, the Region wanted to reiterate its commitment to the cinema with figures: almost ten million euros destined for the sector in 2025, including calls for productions, support for cinemas, contributions to festivals and initiatives for schools. A figure that, in times of profound changes in consumer habits in the audiovisual sector, is intended to be a strong signal.

There is no shortage of numbers to support this. According to the data of the SIAE Report on 2024, the latest available with data subdivided by region, with 14.4 million registered spectators - 19.6% of the Italian total - and around half a million films screened (18% of the national total), Lombardy confirms its position as the leading region in terms of audiences and cinema offer.

And it is not just a question of spectators: more than 1,700 companies in the sector operate here, equal to 18.6% of the national total, with more than 16,000 employees. This explains the fact that Councillor Caruso, at the panel 'Lombardy: a Region for Cinema' organised at the Hotel Excelsior during the 82nd Venice Film Festival, spoke without hesitation of 'industry' as well as 'entertainment'.

The first instruments in terms of support put in the field by the Lombardy Region go in the direction of productions. The first edition of the 'Lombardy for Cinema' call for proposals, with an endowment of 3 million, supported 19 projects, including feature films, series and documentaries, some of which were presented in Venice. Now the regional council has approved the second edition, also for 3 million, financed with European funds from the 2021-2027 ERDF PR, which will open in October. This is a support that not only aims to encourage the release of new titles, but also to make the Lombardy region increasingly attractive to national and international productions.

As for the chapter on cinemas, the 5 million call for technological and structural adaptations expired on 25 September, in addition to the 750,000 euros already allocated through the Culture Single Notice and the 500,000 from the Next - Line F call for quality programming. These are signs that aim to support the resilience and innovation of a sector sorely tested by the pandemic and competition from streaming.