Istitutions and regional production centre
Emilia-Romagna as a giant film set: the sun rises and sets on landscapes of unusual, haunting beauty; villas and castles redolent with history; sea-coasts and Apennines where nature is synonymous with creativity; churches and city centres of rare style and beauty; museums and theatres transuding the nobility of art. Location after location in endless succession waiting for the clapper-board so they can surrender to the cameraman their charge of secrets. Emilia-Romagna’s calling for the film industry is an integral part of a tradition for cinema which allies the region’s no-nonsense pragmatism and propensity for action in a sector where there is already a history of production and consumption ¿ show-business.
Consistent with these factors, Emilia-Romagna is placed among Italy’s (and Europe’s) leading film-producing areas, with a film industry whose contribution to the region’s economy cannot be ignored. As a natural consequence of all this the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission was set up to provide a network of services whereby film-makers, those working in video and television, as well as producers of T.V. commercials could take best possible advantage of the natural and human resources that the region (along with its innate generosity) has to offer.
A Film Commission has been active in Emilia-Romagna since 1997. It was set up by the Region to serve those making films for cinema, video, television and commercial spots. The Film Commission offers free technical assistance to producers in a variety of sectors. First, by establishing contacts between the various intermediaries and administrative bodies with key public and private roles. Then with regard to shooting: it gives advice on suitable sets and shows directors and cameramen potential locations. There are many locations in Emilia-Romagna: landscapes, towns and castles, coastal and hill settings, churches and old town centres, museums, theatres which can be used for shooting. And to this end a picture library has been set up which shows stills of the region’s potential locations. In addition there is a network of suppliers offering specific advice on all kinds of filming requirements. Finally, there is also an information service on resources available within the region (or those staying here), that go from accommodation to tourist information, from the wardrobe mistress to the script writer, from the photographer to the camera crew right up to post-production services. All the information is collected in a Production Guide, distributed free of cost and accessible on the Region’s Internet site: www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/cinema.
A new Internet website has also been launched: www.documentando.com, created in collaboration with the Videotheque of the Emilia-Romagna Legislative Assembly, the D.E-R association (Documentary Filmmakers of Emilia-Romagna) and Doc.It (Italian Documentary Filmmakers), featuring all the authors and producers of documentaries in the region. The website provides access to a videocatalogue of documentaries made from the year 2000 on. The website will provide the foundation for the creation of future thematic and genre collections earmarked for distribution during festivals and through television, cinema and didactic circuits.
Emilia-Romagna
Film Commission
Viale Aldo Moro, 64
40127 Bologna
Tel. 051.5273646 / 051.5273318
Fax 051.5273370
www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/cinema
filmcom@regione.emilia-romagna.it
