‘Not just film shoots, Indian celeb weddings have also led to a spike in tourism in Italy’

Recently, the Embassy of Italy organised Italian Screens, a three-day film festival in several Indian metros, to present the best of Italian cinema to the country. The initiative was part “of a wider project of deepening cultural relations between Italy and India, to ensure a rapprochement with Bollywood and to stimulate meeting opportunities between producers, distributors and creatives of both countries”.

On the sidelines of the event, Roberto Stabile, Head of Special Projects of the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture (DGCA-MiC) at Cinecittà, Italy, spoke about the filmy ties between the two countries, and how desi movies and ads shot in Italy, as well as Indian celebrity weddings there, have not just deepened this relationship but also led to a spike in tourists in the region. Excerpts:

‘CINEMA, ADVERTISEMENTS AND EVEN CELEBRITY WEDDINGS HAVE LED TO RISE IN TOURISTS IN ITALIAN DESTINATIONS’

Talking about how ‘cinema is a powerful tool to promote culture, lifestyle, and above all, tourism’, Roberto Stabile says, “Thanks to certain local TV series or international blockbusters, off-track spots have become exquisite and precious touristic destinations. For example, in Europe, the Swiss Alps became very popular among Indian tourists. Sometimes, the place might not even have been that mesmerising, but it gained popularity just because it was the house of the main character of a series.”

He adds, “Our target is to attract international productions to locations lesser known to the general public, instead of the usual cultural destinations, that are already overcrowded with tourists, such as Rome, Venice and Florence. A very interesting case study for this is the most recent James Bond

movie No Time To Die, which features 14-minute long breathtaking shots of Matera (south of Italy).”

“We have seen a hike in the number of visits of Indian tourists to places such as Tuscany or Milano, where movies or even commercials were shot. Not just films and ads, Stabile says that “even Indian celeb weddings celebrated in Italy are a fantastic eye-catcher for tourism,” he further says.

STRENGTHENING TIES BETWEEN ITALIAN AND INDIAN FILM INDUSTRIES

He says that they plan to attract more Bollywood filmmakers to Italy, adding, “Very efficient services are being offered by the film commission. The regional funds and the tax credit policy supports up to 40% of foreign productions working in Italy. We plan to expand the trend and become one of the favourite destinations for Bollywood and Indian productions in general.”

Stabile adds that initiatives like Italian Screens are designed to promote the new Italian cinema in the huge Indian market, adding, “We will share with Indian distributors all the policies that the Italian government, through Cinecittà, offers to the distributors who buy Italian movies and screen them in Indian theatres. Not everybody is aware of the fact that, thanks to the Film Distribution Fund, we cover up to 30% of the costs of launch and distribution of the movie up to a maximum of 30,000 Euros (24 lakh, approx).”

Read More at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/not-just-film-shoots-indian-celeb-weddings-have-also-led-to-a-spike-in-tourism-in-italy/articleshow/95241437.cms