Cinema and tax credit: the sector demands certainty on timing and resources

The cinema and audiovisual associations are said to have expressed their concerns about the mechanisms and timing of the allocation of funds (especially tax credit) at a time that is inevitably complicated by the exit of the Director General for Cinema and Audiovisual, Nicola Borrelli. From the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, who attended the meeting together with the undersecretary in charge of cinema and audiovisual issues Lucia Borgonzoni, came an assurance, as reconstructed by Il Sole 24 Ore, to close the tax credit allocation dossier by the end of the month.

The meeting that took place yesterday between the minister, the undersecretary 'and a broad representation of associations from the world of Cinema and Audiovisual', reads a note from the Ministry, was a meeting that 'took place in an atmosphere of harmony and effective collaboration to identify and resolve the production and work needs of the entire sector, which remains a central and strategic sector in the Ministry's policies'.

The meeting was convened on Friday, without any specific reference to the agenda, but it was essentially a response to the concerns expressed by the sector, which has been troubled by the bailamme created around tax credit: a subject that has long been at the centre of the debate and sadly made the headlines for the Villa Pamphili affair (Francis Kaufmann, the alleged murderer, was granted almost 1 million). From all the associations, the ministry's note goes on to explain, "there was appreciation for the reform of the Cinema Tax Credit, aimed at bringing the use of contributions back into a regime of strict legality". Along with this, 'the Ministry took note of all the urgencies represented, including certain deadlines on the directorial decrees, ensuring immediate and effective collaboration'.

The issue of time and resources was central to the meeting, in which the various associations also brought up issues specific to the individual sectors. 'Starting in September, it was agreed to organise a series of sector-specific thematic tables,' the Mic note concludes.

The tax credit, however, as mentioned, was a general starting point. 'The constant dialogue we have had with the ministry in reviewing the text of the tax credit reform has shown that the audiovisual sector has been the most solid in terms of structural consolidation and stabilisation of work,' said Chiara Sbarigia, president of the APA audiovisual producers. 'Now,' she added, 'it is extremely urgent to speed up the signing of the 2024 allocation decrees, which are fundamental for the stability of companies. At the round table we pointed out that it is essential to rethink the distribution of public resources, also including the entertainment industry, and that one of the priorities to be addressed will be to recognise a greater share of intellectual property rights to the producer in the negotiations".