Piera Detassis condemned the problem with the way actors promote films in the cinema, as confirmed by many producers and distributors, and announced a new initiative by David di Donatello to train the stars of tomorrow.
During the panel Italian cinema: a bright future? Held at the Mercato Internazionale dell’Audiovisivo (MIA) and moderated by Box Office’s Vito Sinopoli, some of Italy’s most important producers and distributors discussed the critical elements of this moment in the industry. Although it was not expected, it arose spontaneously. a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent and towards which producers and distributors are increasingly showing intolerance: actors and actresses are reluctant to participate in the promotion of their films.
This is nothing new, a fact that has been complained about for at least two decades, but at a time when film screenings in cinemas are poor and when Italian cinema is trying to rethink the way it promotes and distributes cinematic releases, some actors and actresses seem to have abandoned behind. We have already told how at the Arthouse Cinema Meetings in Mantua, representatives of producers reported on the need to radically rethink the promotion of films. In this place Marina Marzotto
from Propaganda Italia explained that too often actors and actresses (but also directors, according to him) do not participate in the promotion as they would like, they devote themselves only partly to interviews or television appearances and are reluctant or reluctant to accompany films in cinemas , which, in their opinion, is the main incentive to buy a ticket. Benedict Habib from Indiana seemed more than happy with that.Now she was on the board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Pierre DetassisPresident of the Academy of Italian Cinema (the body that administers the David di Donatello Prize), speaking from his many years of experience as a journalist and director of film newspapers, to explain the terms of the problem when discussing the need for Italian cinema to create stars.
“We have to produce great actors with great personalities, that’s what will win. The last star we had in the traditional sense was Monica Bellucci, she went the old-fashioned way. This model no longer exists, our problem now is that we need stars to want to be stars. For many years I have noticed a resistance, if not a pauperism, or, I don’t know, a feeling of guilt in performing the role of an actor. I’m talking about self-presentation in all places and spaces because that’s what promotion is. You can’t be snobbish about promotions and jobs. And I notice this in many more than many. Our actors often don’t feel or feel like stars. This is a profession, not a whim or a privilege.”
Immediately Pierre Detassis he repeated Giampaolo Letta Vice President of Medusa.
“It must be said that many actors and actresses are involved in promotion and do it well. But also something that many do not promote. They don’t do that at all.”
And next to him Federica Lucisanothe producer of Italian International Film wanted to confirm out loud:
“NEVER!”
Before them in a speech that also touched on something else Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of Rai Cinema, in one of the passages pointed out that the reluctance of some actors and actresses to actively participate in promotions is a problem. By all accounts, the remaining panelists, some of the most senior Vision Distribution, Warner Bros Europe AND Propaganda Italyagreed.
Then to close the conversation Pierre Detassis announced the new David di Donatello Prize for Italian discoveries, Rising Stars of Italy:
“This is a spin-off of the David project, the first edition of which will take place on December 18 in Florence, right under the statue of David by Donatello. We will do this with the support of the Tuscan system and the union of Italian actors and agents. The final vote, as always, will be the Academy vote (the same voters who vote for David, ed.). The awards will be presented to 6 actors and actresses under the age of 28, but our commitment does not end with the award, it is a three-year program during which we will monitor them, teaching them all the necessary skills and abilities. star.”