The ground of the future

Where does your systemic project aimed at young people who want to try their hand at cinema in all its diverse facets originate?
It stems from a necessity and an encounter. Every year, the Festival welcomes thousands of young people, female and male students who – involved in various capacities by different institutions, film libraries, associations, and foundations – visit the Venice Lido to take part in Biennale Cinema.
Juries of young students, awards, screenings, and dedicated events multiply during the days of the Festival and represent a wealth of initiatives that, when organized systematically through public coordination, can provide genuine and unique educational and professional opportunities. Thanks in part to the National Plan for Cinema and Images for Schools promoted by the Ministry of Culture (MIC) and the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM), recent years have seen the birth of many organizations, associations, and foundations dedicated to visual literacy projects. Established entities have launched education departments, production and distribution companies have opened direct channels with schools, and audiovisual tracks have multiplied within our school system – curricula and specialized pathways that are expanding in both quantity and quality. It is a bridge between the industry and schools that must be protected and supported.

Casa Cinema Giovani is the new hub dedicated to younger generations that you established here on the Lido. A true first for the Festival, a new crossroads where industry professionals, media, and institutions meet and exchange ideas daily on the ground of the future – both in generational terms and regarding the new expressive languages and technologies revolutionizing filmmaking. What is your initial assessment just days before the Festival concludes?
We did not expect this level of response. We were confident that we were tapping into existing demand, and we anticipated that schools, teachers, and students would immediately recognize Casa Cinema Giovani as a reference point for information, specialized training, and a dedicated space for meeting, discussion, and growth. What we did not expect was the attention, enthusiasm, and immediate familiarity with which the Biennale and the entire industry welcomed what represents an absolute novelty for the Festival. The strategic, central location, the prominence of the structure, and the functional layout of the spaces – which allows for the simultaneous hosting of diverse events, from public panels to sessions dedicated to youth juries, from interviews and photocalls to B2B meetings – have also offered media outlets, institutions, and industry professionals a useful, flexible space capable of connecting them with an audience they rarely reach with such immediacy. We are thrilled to have accommodated nearly all requests, and we have already begun taking reservations for next year.

What are your future plans to support the growing drive among young people to engage with this kaleidoscopic art form? What tools do you intend to provide so that these individuals can realistically make their mark in an industry that is certainly not the easiest to break into today?
Casa Cinema Giovani is a long-term project with deep roots. We succeeded in establishing a robust partnership between trade associations and public institutions – by no means a foregone conclusion – capable of uniting and directing resources and investments (previously fragmented into low-impact micro-initiatives) toward a single project and a shared strategic goal, maximizing spending efficiency and generating clear, collective value. Our objective is to make Casa Cinema Giovani a genuine forum for meeting and dialogue. We want to offer young people not just training, but opportunities that can inspire them, ignite their passion, and engage them, because this challenging craft is born out of passion and human connection.
This year marks the 38th edition of the Leoncino d’Oro, a collateral award of the Festival judged by a jury of 18-year-old students, each representing one of Italy’s regions on behalf of the thousands of young participants in the regional David Giovani juries. Promoted by ANEC, AGIS, and the Academy of Italian Cinema – David di Donatello Awards, the project sees the jury attend all competition screenings together, vote on the films following impassioned debates, and meet professionals from across every branch of the production chain. Every year the “Leoncini” return; many have chosen to work in the film industry, becoming cinematographers, production designers, actors, and directors – all conscious viewers carrying the memory of an unrepeatable shared experience of cinema and debate. This is a prime example of the many opportunities that find their natural home at Casa Cinema Giovani.

Finally, what new pathways and projects does ANEC plan to develop to give renewed momentum to cinemas in what remains a challenging climate, even as we see flashes of renewal, such as the summer box-office growth driven by major international titles?
I would say consolidating a 12-month theatrical season, investing heavily in the younger generations, and technologically upgrading cinemas.
The positive signs recorded over recent summer seasons demonstrate that the audience responds enthusiastically when the offering is of high quality. To turn these “flashes of light” into an established trend, the association is focusing on extending the season through initiatives like Cinema Revolution, launched with the Ministry of Culture, which transformed the summer months into a high-attendance period thanks to a single €3.50 ticket price for Italian and European films. Or Cinema in Festa, the biannual initiative involving over 900 venues and nearly 3,000 screens nationwide, offering all scheduled films at a discounted price for five days. Projects like Casa Cinema Giovani and our collaboration within the Giornate del Cinema per la Scuola in Palermo reflect ANEC’s clear commitment to engaging youth and making them active participants in our cinemas. Naturally, revitalizing the sector inevitably depends on the quality of the in-theater experience. AnecLAB, our professional development program for exhibitors, has been structured around future-oriented vertical sessions, such as AnecLAB TECH workshops focusing on digital projection standards, energy efficiency, and modern architectural theater design. Strategic regional agreements, such as our recent pact with the Italian Film Commissions, aim to position cinemas not merely as commercial screening spaces, but as authentic cultural hubs woven into the local economic and tourism fabric.
The challenge remains intricate, but the course charted proves that by pairing the quality of the theatrical experience with smart pricing policies and consistent dialogue with institutions and schools, expanding our audience is entirely achievable.