Written by Kianna Best on May 25, 2024. Posted in Awards and Festivals / Interviews

Piemonte make their presence known at Festival de Cannes

Piemonte has certainly made its mark at the 2024 edition of Festival de Cannes, as a significant contribution to the Italian Pavilion presence at Le Majestic Hotel, the European collective of the International Village, with a successful producers networking and cocktail event at the Plage du Festival. I had the pleasure of speaking with Dario Peirone, chairman of the Piemonte Agency for International Investment and Export and Paola Casagrande, Director for Coordination of Policies and EU Funds, Tourism and Sports of Regione Piemonte.

 

 

From the Mediterranean to the Alps, whilst Piemonte boasts a range of staggering locations for filming, the local industry is making it known that they are much more than that. With a focus on technology and innovation, the region upholds its reputation as a pioneer in the Italian film industry well into its prosperous future. It is this focus on technology and innovation that has led Piemonte’s post-production Lead, Mr. Roberto Minervini, to win the award for best director with “The Damned” in the “Un Certain Regard” section.

 

“We have a very interesting ecosystem in digital creativity” commented Peirone. “This is the value-added aspect to the long tradition that Piemonte has in the movie industry.”

 

“Our industry is not only about supporting the shoot but also about all the services, such as post-production” Casagrande added.

 

Being situated in the centre of Europe offers its own logistical advantages, with easy travel links to major cities such as London or Berlin. The region is attractive also thanks to the system of national and regional incentives dedicated to the film industry. But for Piemonte, what the local industry highly celebrates is its own internal relationships that allow for the smooth running of projects. To show the importance of the creative industry in Piemonte, the regional capital hosts the Torino Film Festival in November, which welcomes prominent figures every year.

 

“Film commissions can be your partner to find the right location, but if you want someone to set up everything to shoot a movie and to find companies that can assist you, then you can come to the Piemonte Agency,” commented Peirone.  “We can put you you in touch that you are looking for in the Piemonte digital technologies and solutions industry”.

 

While in Cannes for the 77th edition of the festival and networking around the Marché du Film, Piemonte is continuing to show its investment into promoting the region as a filming go-to destination across the full spectrum of production.

 

While strengthening the industry at the local level remains a priority, efforts are also being made to support the broader vision. The presence of Netflix on a national scale has brought attention to Piemonte, highlighting its potential as a hub for international production companies.

 

“The focus is to assist our companies, and to help them prepare to do business at the international level,” stated Peirone. “That is one of our main goals. We also aim to attract other international companies to work on our territory from all over the world.”

 

“Having a big number of international productions that are shooting in English will allow our industry to become a presence in the international market, and this is what we want to improve more and more” added Casagrande.