Cinema: costs of films, TV and web productions set to fall in 2025
The report by the DGCA of the Ministry of Culture was presented in Venice. Investment in cinema has fallen (-4.6 per cent), whilst the situation is even worse in the audiovisual sector: -19 per cent
The industry is regaining ground and film sets are continuing to operate. However, after years of expansion, there are signs of a slowdown in the film and audiovisual sector. The litmus test lies in the data showing a slowdown in production and its associated costs.
The picture that emerged yesterday from the presentation of the report by the Directorate-General for Cinema and Audiovisual Media, together with a focus on the investments generated by the international tax credit, as compiled by the Institute for Sport and Cultural Credit and the Ministry’s DGCA, paints a picture of a sector seeking a new balance, where the challenge lies in ensuring that, built around the tax credit as a lever, financial instruments capable of supporting businesses can be developed.
One figure worth considering relates to production costs. In 2025, there were 403 feature films classified, essentially stable compared with the previous year and 29 per cent higher than in 2021, but the total value of the films fell to 799 million euros, 4.6 per cent lower than in 2024. There were 364 eligible Italian films, whilst co-productions fell by 10.6 per cent. The production tax credit also declined: applications totalled 215 million, compared with 234.6 million the previous year.
The decline is even more pronounced in the audiovisual sector. A total of 226 TV and web productions were submitted to the DGCA, down on 2024, and their total cost fell by 19 per cent, from around one billion to 814 million. The tax credit claimed stands at 234 million, down by 17 per cent. These figures point to a slowdown following the period of expansion seen in recent years.
In Venice, Alessandro Giuli emphasises the need for reform. “There is a jointly agreed draft bill to reform the regulations governing the film and audiovisual sectors, which has been unanimously approved by the Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Committee and is now being considered by the full Chamber,” says the Minister for Culture. He adds: ‘In Italia, we are working to simplify and reform the system, and we are able to do so without falling out. That in itself is news.’ The bill includes the reorganisation of the tax credit, two annual windows for accessing support measures, and the establishment of an Agency for Cinema and Audiovisual Media. Giuli also highlighted the ‘€200 million recovered’ before the summer recess and emphasised that ‘the sector has faced difficulties and still needs confidence’.
