Milanese entrepreneur donates film equipment collection to Cineteca di Milano

Gianfilippo Salvetti, a Milanese entrepreneur and president of the Alfa Blue Team, has donated his extensive collection of photo-cinematographic equipment to the Cineteca di Milano. The collection, titled "Il fascino del formato ridotto" (The Charm of Small Format), focuses on sub-35mm formats including 16mm, 8mm, and Super8, which were widely used for amateur and semi-professional filmmaking from the 1950s until the advent of portable video cameras. The donation will be displayed in a permanent exhibition opening August 25, 2023, accompanied by a film series highlighting analog film through archival footage in various formats. Salvetti, who began collecting cameras at flea markets after noticing discarded film reels, also directed a short film titled "L'appuntamento" on actual film stock. He chose to donate to the Cineteca di Milano after contacting director Matteo Pavesi, keeping only a few pieces for sentimental reasons. The collection includes cameras and projectors weighing between 700 grams and over a kilogram, reflecting his passion for cinema and photography inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Italian neorealism.