2013 AFC Results
Further growth in 2013 for the Apulia Film Commission: 56 film projects completed with a 51% increase compared with 2012.
Against funding of €2m, the local impact has been over €10m, an increase of 166%. Working production days saw an increase of 99%.
Film screenings and cultural activity at the cineport hubs and apulian regional film library has accounted for attendances of approximately 30,000.
The Apulia Film Commission waves goodbye to 2013, a year which has seen extraordinary growth in every sector of its activities. Confirmation of this trend can be seen in the statistics, which are far greater than in any previous year both for national and international film productions in Apulia as well as for the activities of the Cineport Hubs, the Apulian Regional Film Library and the Quality Film Network.
Setting the seal on this year was most notably the figure of nearly €10.5m (€10,477,840.25) of audiovisual production impact on the local economy compared with funding of under €2.5m (€2,454,238), an increase of 161% over 2012. With the implementation of new public tenders, the Apulia Film Commission became the only Italian commission with immediate funds (one national, the other international) which allows for an exact calculation of their respective impacts.
The Funds use a refund mechanism, technically known as “rebate”, whereby funding allocated is only provided after a complete financial report has been presented to the offices of the Apulia Film Commission (invoices, payslips and itemised payment slips together with the signed declaration of a registered accountant). In contrast to other film commissions, the Apulia commission insists that production companies report all expenditure incurred in the region, not only that of the amount received.
This system, together with rolling grant applications available throughout the year, has allowed the AFC to increase and settle relationships of trust with production companies, thus leading to a growth in the number of grant applications. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of films produced (+51% compared with 2012), local economic impact (+161%), and working production days (747, +99%). Furthermore, any “project mortality rate” has been eliminated thanks to the thorough nature of required financial cover checks. The number of Apulian production companies is rising, while those that are already operating show an increase in turnover.
In 2013 the Apulia Film Commission lent its support to 56 film projects including 19 full length feature films, 8 documentaries, 10 shorts, 2 TV series, 8 TV shows, 1 web TV series, 5 video clips, 1 web movie and 2 commercials throughout the six Apulian provinces. It was a year which saw an opening towards “innovative productions”, with funding for different formats such as the first web TV series, “Un Grande Amore” (the prequel to “Una Grande Famiglia”) and the first web film, “La Santa”, a non-competing film at this year’s Rome Film Festival.
Moreover, the Foundation aimed to vary the type of production receiving funding, with support for both Italian and international art films. One example is the full-length film “Spring” by two young American directors who are considered new talents in the horror genre. Another important example of international mainstream funding was that given to the musical “Holiday”, a £10m British mega-production. No less important was the grant allocated to the film “Three Way Week” directed by Bruno Coppola, a low budget production.
Significant support was also given to “Braccialetti Rossi”, a TV series to be shown on RaiUno in January, which has “booked” Apulia for its next two series. Shooting for the production lasted a total of 19 weeks, an extremely lengthy production time for a TV series in which the final two weeks’ shooting used a double crew. Over 90 people a day were used for setbuilding during the preparation phase.
The opening of the Bari and Lecce Cineport Hubs and the Film Library for cultural and film activities proved to be a successful choice for the entire region: total audiences of nearly 30,000, over 90 working days of film pre-production and more than 150 cultural events hosted.
The Cineport Hubs have become lively, accessible places open to the whole region, where projects and events are hosted by a wide range of operators, associations and professionals. The 6 film seasons over 60 evenings with important guests at the Bari Cineport Hub were complemented by the Lecce site, where numerous initiatives included the Yalla Shebab Festival, an exhibition on Tina Modotti and a season of avant-garde Italian films.
Re-opened in March 2013, the Apulian Regional Film Library has quickly become a welcoming location for users thanks to its facilities and cultural events that are not limited to the audiovisual field. The Film Library is more a space for sharing and debate for the whole region, a facility where it is possible to leave mementoes or log Apulian experiences but also a working area with specific resources. In particular, these include access, via a network of on-line media libraries, to an infinite selection of multimedia files, from films to music, reviews and e-books.
Last but not least is the work carried out by the Apulia Film Commission for art and auteur films through its Quality Film Network. Screenings and seasons are offered in 21 cinemas throughout the Apulia region with 150 art or auteur films shown, 40 films exclusive to the region, 400 free events and 50 art film evenings including exhibitions and special events with international guests.
There are also a number of projects carried out with the support of EU grants, as a result of which the AFC funds a network of festivals (Bif&ST, Reale, the Festival of Documentary Film and the IMake Festival), the Mediterranean Co-production Forum and the Puglia Experience screenwriters’ workshop.
At the root of all completed projects for regional co-operation, extensive research and planning through study and participation in public selection tenders is required. In 2013, the AFC became a partner in Enter Europe, a continuous MEDIA training programme for the European audiovisual industry and Euro Screen, a three-year European project financed by the INTERREG IVC programme, which proposes agreement among the best practices currently used in the field of cine-tourism.
