General States 2024: Italian animation continues to grow but still needs a big support
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On 8 July, the Stati Generali dell'Animazione (General States of Animation), organised by Cartoon Italia in collaboration with Anica and Asifa Italia, and promoted by the Toscana Film Commission ( Fondazione Sistema Toscana ), took place in Florence at the headquarters of DogHead Animation .
Last Monday’s event was a much-awaited one for all animation professionals in Italy: the previous edition of the Stati Generali dell’animazione italiana (General States of Italian Animation) was held in 2016, and today the number of employees in the country has almost tripled. Cartoon Italia ‘s contribution has since been decisive for introducing the tax credit, which has been instrumental in boosting Italian productions.
ANICA - ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE INDUSTRIE CINEMATOGRAFICHE AUDIOVISIVE E DIGITALI president Francesco Rutelli opened the event by inviting to consider animation not as a residual sector but as a strategic one that can continue to grow and create jobs. Maria Carolina Terzi , President of Cartoon Italia, and valentina mazzola , President of ASIFA Italia , made it clear that the next important objective concerns the animation sub-quota, which would oblige private platforms such as Amazon and Netflix to invest in the field with a 5% share. With a total investment of 10 million by private platforms, the production volume in Italy would increase from 125 to 178.4 million in three years, with a return for the state of 24.6 million and the creation of 1,120 jobs.
Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana , as the only Italian broadcaster for animation sector, hosts many animated series for children, while other products such as feature films struggle to find a space.
The first speech was focused on legislation. Lucky Red ’s Andrea Occhipinti confirmed how complicated it is to finance a feature film in Italy, and hoped for future support from RaiCinema. Benedetto Habib, President of the Producers Union, cited examples of excellence, such as the film Chicken for Linda! by Chiara Malta, winner of the Cristal award at Annecy 2023, arguing that the industry needs precise regulations to achieve extraordinary results. Francesco Fiorillo, Head of Fiscal Incentives, illustrated the features of the new Tax Credit Decree, which also covers animation works for TV/cinema, with the possibility of up to 80% for commercially difficult works.
Federica Maggio and Cristian Jezdic , producers and board members of Cartoon Italia, provided further details on the current state of the sector in Italy.
Compared to the last States General in 2016, there has been a significant increase in the number of production companies, from 81 to as many as 150, with over 6000 artists and technicians working full-time on productions (+25%). The number of schools also grew, but training still does not cover the needs of Italian studios. Jezdic also dwelt on internationalisation, which is also possible thanks to the support of the ITA – Italian Trade Agency, with the presence of Cartoon Italia at the most important world markets such as Cannes, Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy , Kidscreen , MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo , Tiff… The next Cartoon Forum in September will focus on Italian productions, while Cartoon Italia will also actively participate in Animar_BCN in November.
A panel moderated by journalist Monica Tasciotti focused on the opportunities and challenges of film commissions, with the participation of Stefania Ippoliti, director of the Toscana Film Commission, and representatives from Piedmont, Marche, Puglia, Emilia Romagna and Sardinia.
In a moment of reflection on public services in Italy and Europe, Rai Kids director Luca MILANO focused on the sustainability of audiovisual productions and the importance of creating new production spaces in Asia, Africa, and the USA.
Producer Giorgio Scorza hoped for a shared production commitment, essential for a healthy system, as well as the possibility of more attention being given to projects for young adults; Evelina Poggi as an independent producer shared her experience with the feature film Bartali’s bicycle, which, although supported by RaiKids, found funding in foreign markets.
In conclusion, Nicola Borrelli, Director General of the Cinema and Audiovisual Directorate General of the Ministry of Culture, and Federico Mollicone , President of the Culture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, recalled that the Parliament had already spoken out in favour of sub-quotas for animation, an art that can transmit fundamental values to the new generations and that fits perfectly into the digital innovation programme in schools. The organisers closed the event by announcing that another update conference would probably be arranged in the winter, in the hope of sharing positive news.
Curated by Rossella Arena