An initiative of the EU MEDIA Programme with the support of the Italian Government Since 1992 MEDIA Salles has been promoting the European cinema and its circulation at theatrical level
	Italian Cinema Worldwide

 

Milan, 22 December 2005 The last 2005 stage of Italian Cinema Worldwide MEDIA Salles at CineAsia (Beijing, China, 13-15 December) Dear friends, another stage of Italian Cinema Worldwide – the final one in 2005 – has just ended and with it Italian cinema and some of its most recent and interesting productions have also reached exhibitors on the continent of Asia. Thanks to the support of the Italian Government, in fact, following Cinema Expo International in Amsterdam last June, Kino Expo in Moscow in September and ShowEast in Orlando in October – events addressing exhibitors from Western and Eastern Europe, the United States, South America, the Caribbean Area and Canada – Italian Cinema Worldwide came to Beijing from 13 to 15 December 2005, during the 13th edition of CineAsia, the first in China, marking the centenary of Chinese cinema. With thirty minutes of trailers of Italian productions soon to be released on the Asian markets and in the Pacific Area, MEDIA Salles provided an ideal response to the invitation from Vice Minister Zhao Shii who, speaking on behalf of SARFT (State Administration of Radio, Films and Television), at the opening ceremony set in the framework of the prestigious Great Hall of the People, in Tiananmen Square, emphasized the importance of initiatives which, like CineAsia, create “a bridge between Chinese cinema and cinema in the rest of the world”. The trailers screened, which remained on view throughout the show on a screen at the China World Exhibition Center of Beijing, include five titles for which Palace Films has purchased the Australian rights. These involve films telling the story of dramatic moments in recent Italian history, like Good Morning, Night and Come Into The Light. Or again, Crime Novel – from the highly-appreciated novel of the same name by Giancarlo De Cataldo – in which the story of the brutal Magliana gang is bound up with twenty-five years of Italian history, from the terrorism of the Seventies to the operation Clean Hands. But there are also films based on fiction that combine personal stories with social themes, as in the case of Once You’re Born and Don’t Tell. Thanks to Bitters End, Good Morning, Night will also reach Japan where, in 2006, works such as All The Invisible Children, distributed by Gaga Communications, and Tickets, distributed by Cine Qua Non, as well as The Keys to The House, are also to be released. On Korean screens Tickets will be appearing, through the Dongsoong Art Centre, by Summer 2006. Promising negotiations are now taking place for other films whose trailers were screened by MEDIA Salles, such as The Days of Abandonment and The Tiger and The Snow, for which the sales agent Focus Features is organising an authentic “grand tour” of the East in 2006. The fact cards for these films are available in issue no. 4/2005 – “Special CineAsia” – of the MEDIA Salles’ Newsletter “European Cinema Journal”, distributed in Beijing together with a supplement entirely in Chinese. On our website, in the “Italian Cinema Worldwide” section, both the Newsletter and the trailers – for which Internet publication has been authorised – can be found. European cinema, too, gained prominence and visibility at the MEDIA Salles’ Asian appointment: in great demand were the first copies, produced thanks also to the contribution of Cinemeccanica, of the 14th edition of the “European Cinema Yearbook – 2005 advance edition” (click here for a presentation), which this year covers the cinema market in as many as 34 European countries, with over 40 statistical indicators, a section devoted to the main world cinema markets, one on multiplexes and one on digital cinema worldwide. Lastly, I have great pleasure in reminding you of the third edition of the MEDIA Salles’ training course “DigiTraining Plus: New Technologies for European Cinemas”, specifically devoted to digital screening, from technology to business models, which, following the success of the two previous editions, will once again be held at the headquarters of Barco in Kuurne, Belgium, from 5 to 9 April 2006. The closing date for enrolments is 24 February 2006 and the fee, which includes course attendance, hotel (4 nights) and meals, is 450 euro. Please do not hesitate to contact our offices for any further information you may wish for. On behalf of the executive committee and the offices of MEDIA Salles, my warmest good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sincerely Yours, Domenico Dinoia President MEDIA Salles, a project operating within the framework of the European Union's MEDIA Programme, with the support of the Italian Government, fosters theatrical distribution of European audiovisual products, both by high profile campaigns involving Europe's cinema exhibitors and by initiatives to raise the visibility of European productions with industry players and potential audiences, creating specialized information channels on a global scale. Thus the current initiatives from MEDIA Salles dovetail in a program with a triple focus - training, promotion and information - and maximum combined effect. Italian Cinema Worldwide is a MEDIA Salles’ initiative, held thanks to the support of the Italian Government. MEDIA Salles Via Soperga, 2 – I-20127 Milan Tel.: +39.02.66984405 – Fax: +39.02.6691574 E-mail: infocinema@mediasalles.it