For the first time at the Venice Film Festival, regional culture ministers from several Italian Regions came together around the same table to discuss how territorial policies can contribute to a more coordinated national strategy for cinema and audiovisual production.
Hosted on September 9 at the Veneto Region’s space at the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido, the panel ”Fare sistema per il cinema. Il contributo delle Regioni” brought together representatives from Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, Campania and Friuli Venezia Giulia, alongside Veneto. The meeting was moderated by Rai News 24 Deputy Director Luigi Monfredi. Two members of the Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Commission took part: its president, Federico Mollicone, who outlined perspectives linked to the new national cinema reform awaiting approval, and Gimmi Cangiano.
Strengthening the Region’s Film Industry
Valeria Mantovan, Veneto’s Regional Minister for Education, Training and Culture, used the occasion to present the results of the Veneto model. Since 2023, the Region has launched four ERDF calls allocating a combined €18.7 million to cinema and audiovisual projects, supporting 75 projects.
Of the 37 projects already completed, €4.4 million in disbursed regional contributions corresponded to €12.5 million in spending within the region. Supported works include Marco Tullio Giordana’s La vita accanto, Francesco Sossai’s Le città di pianura, Damiano Michieletto’s Primavera, Pietro Marcello’s Duse, and the series Stucky and Costanza.
From Production Support to Skills
Through Veneto Film Commission, the region has also hosted international productions including Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, Star Wars – Kitbash and The Beauty. Its activities range from international promotion and production assistance to a €50,000 Location Scouting Fund, a €100,000 Audiovisual Works Development Fund, and a database of more than 2,300 professionals. Training represents another part of the strategy, with approximately €1.5 million allocated to sector-focused projects in 2025.
For Valeria Mantovan, the next step is greater coordination: building a system in which regional institutions become active partners in shaping national film policy rather than operating through parallel initiatives.
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