Scendi c'è il cinema: free outdoor cinema in Milan's housing projects

Since 2012, the free outdoor cinema festival 'Scendi c'è il cinema' has been held in the courtyards of public housing estates in Milan's Municipio 6 and Giambellino district. Running until July 20, 2019, the event screens quality films every Friday and Saturday, attracting around 9,000 attendees over seven years. The initiative faced a threat from Anec (National Association of Cinema Exhibitors), which initially refused to grant waivers for screening films released in the last two years for free. However, distributors Lucky Red, I Wonder Pictures, Fandango, Officine UBU, and Archimede (Matteo Garrone's production company) stepped in to support the program. The festival's manifesto outlines four pillars: cinema as a public, free, social, and quality experience; valorization of public housing and its residents; community-building through shared screenings; and active participation by volunteers and inhabitants. Films in the 2019 lineup include 'La profezia dell'armadillo', 'Reality', 'Pranzo di ferragosto', and 'Quasi nemici'. The event emphasizes the right to accessible culture in peripheral neighborhoods without requiring residents to travel to the city center.