A super commission consisting of cinema experts is coming: It will cost 500 thousand euros annually

There has finally been a cut in public contributions to cinema. If Culture Minister Sangiuliano announced this in recent weeks, fueling the debate between operators and politicians, now these funding cuts have found their definition in the 2024 budget in the definitive version seen by Today.it and stamped by the state accounting. However, there is a strange element that emerges when reading the text sent to the Parliament.

“You eat with culture,” Minister Sangiuliano said, and in fact one of the measures that found a place in the modification of the Tax Credit is the allocation of 500 thousand euros per year to be allocated to a super commission of experts who will have to determine who is who. They will go to ministry funds. If this commission was established as a board consisting of 15 experts by Law No. 220 of 2016, the 2024 Budget no longer imposes any restrictions by amending the legislation. Furthermore, the law provides for cooperation without “compensation, tokens, compensations of whatever amount, other than the reimbursement of documented expenses actually incurred”; Instead, the new budget law introduces compensation, which provides for “damages”, according to the new paragraph 2bis. Authorizing up to “an expense within the limit of 500,000 euros per year”.

But let’s see all the changes Sangiuliano brought.

The latest budget maneuver introduced a number of significant changes to the law regulating cinema and audiovisual (No. 220 of 14 November 2016). As explained by the Ministry of Culture led by Gennaro Sangiuliano, the aim of the changes is to “encourage the production and promotion of quality works”. But how? Sangiuliano announced this in a recent speech and criticized the very low box office revenues of some films shot thanks to public financing. With the 2024 budget, changes were made to the distribution of Cinema and Audiovisual Fund resources to allow the Minister of Culture to distribute resources differently. In particular, a variable “tax credit” has been established: if the standard rate for cinematographic works is 40%, different rates can be prescribed based on various criteria, such as the size of the company or certain eligible costs.

The Minister of Culture, together with the Minister of Economy and Finance, after consulting the Minister of Commerce and Made in Italy, will decree determining the amount of contributions to be made to companies wishing to shoot films in Italy. as obligations to be respected and as an upper limit of compensation.

To avoid the wild west of the industry, fines of up to 50 thousand euros are being introduced “for each disloyal certificate issued”.

Difficult films, especially those made with modest financial resources, are eliminated from works that primarily aim for public contribution. An expert commission was also established to evaluate the artistic and cultural quality of the works. As mentioned, this commission, which “will consist of experts appointed by the Minister from among people with proven professional competence in the sector”, will allocate an annual budget of 500 thousand euros to evaluate projects and studies that will benefit from public contribution.

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Source: Today IT

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