BERLIN – The key financial instruments that Italy offers to support the audio-visual sector and the advantageous opportunities unlocked by co-producing with an Italian partner were illustrated at the Country Sessions of the Co-production Market, part of the European Film Market in Berlin. The incentives begin with the National Fund for Italian Cinema and Audiovisual (Fondo nazionale per il cinema e l’audiovisivo), one of the most generous incentive schemes in Europe: last year, its budget was slightly over €740 million. The fund is intended to support the entire sector, but almost 60% is dedicated to audio-visual works. “We support practically every type of work, at every stage of the process,” stressed Rossella Gaudio, General Directorate of Cinema and Audiovisual - MiC, “from screenplay, to development, shooting, post-production and distribution. Obviously, films receive the lion’s share, but we also support high-level television series, web series, animation, documentaries, short films and video games.”
The Italian financing system pays special attention to co-productions with over thirty bilateral agreements in place with other countries. With an Italian partner, all available lines of financing become accessible. In addition to specific funds, there are special benefits dedicated to co-productions in all the areas of intervention of the National Film Fund: the three most important being tax credit, automatic contributions and selective contributions.
"Our Tax Credit is pretty competitive. We have a 40% rate on expenses incurred in Italy for film production with the rate for television and web production between 25% and 35%, based on the activities of the television broadcaster or web platform that supports your production. If you are a co-production and your Italian partner incurs expenses on your behalf in Italy, those expenses are considered eligible, so you get a direct benefit. Automatic support is a contribution based on the track record of companies. If your Italian partner receives this grant, they can invest it in new projects, whether in development, production or distribution. If your partner has worked with co-productions in the past, they automatically receive extra points, and therefore are able to offer you more funding for new projects.” The selective grant programme is intended to finance high-quality projects that may have more difficulty obtaining financial resources from the market. The whole process is completely discretionary, a commission of experts evaluate the projects based on quality criteria. When the project is a co-production, it automatically receives extra points and therefore has a better chance of obtaining funding. All three types of grant can be combined and there is no need for repayment. “So even if your film is successful – and we all hope it will be – you do not have to return the credit or the grant received.”
Other tools to promote co-productions with Italy were also explored at the meeting, including the Minority Co-Production Fund, which regulates contributions for the production of feature-length films made in co-production or co-participation with other countries where the Italian production company is a minority partner. There are three co-development funds - with Portugal, the Baltic countries and Tunisia - and a co-development and co-production fund with France. "You can access all of them, even if you do not belong to those countries, as long as your share in the project is minimal", specified Rossella Gaudio. By obtaining official recognition of a co-production, it is also possible to access the regional funds provided by local film commissions.
More details and information can be found in the guide to filming in Italy: 'ITALY OFFERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED', created by DGCA-MiC in collaboration with Italy for Movies, Cinecittà and Italian Pavilion for the 2025 European Film Market.