Italian distributors block free summer cinema screenings

Italian film distributors are refusing to grant licenses for free outdoor summer screenings across Italy, according to an appeal by the Cinema America group in Rome and other associations. The group claims that ANICA, the national film industry association led by former Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, has been instructing distributors and foreign agencies for over two years not to allow free screenings, even for films that have completed their commercial run and are available on TV, streaming, and DVD. The distributors have rejected nearly all of the 235 film requests submitted by summer arenas. The Cinema America, along with Laboratorio di Quartiere Giambellino Lorenteggio – Scendi c'è il Cinema in Milan, Furgon Cinema in central Italy's earthquake-affected areas, and La Guarimba in Amantea, Calabria, have signed an appeal accusing the distributors of forcing them to charge for events. ANICA has denied the allegations, stating that each distribution company independently sets its commercial strategy and noting the severe difficulties facing the film industry post-lockdown. The debate highlights the tension between providing free cultural access and supporting the economic survival of cinemas and distributors. The article suggests a possible compromise: first-run films at paid indoor screenings, second-run films at reduced-price outdoor venues, and free historical films in public squares.