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Italy Plans Overhaul of Film Funding Panels After Regeni Doc Rejection

The culture ministry is moving to reset how expert judges are chosen to rebuild trust in selective grants for cinema.

Overview

  • The Culture Ministry’s team met sector groups in Rome on Friday in what participants described as a collaborative session to draft a bill that would set transparent selection rules, create an eligibility register, and rotate commissioners on fixed terms.
  • Three members of the expert bodies have resigned this week, and commissioner Ginella Vocca said in her letter she had firmly opposed rejecting the Giulio Regeni documentary.
  • Minister Alessandro Giuli said the project’s exclusion reflected a repeated technical assessment by different sessions that he does not share, and he added that the government cannot override independent panel votes.
  • Filmmakers reported other sensitive works were turned down, including Manuel Benati’s Aldro Vive and Carmine Amoroso’s Attenti al lupo, fueling claims that topics may have influenced scores.
  • Italy’s system pairs automatic tax credits with about €80 million in selective grants decided by 27 minister-appointed experts, and critics say the panels publish neither member résumés nor meeting minutes.