Focus on Italy: A Strategic Hub for International Productions
The panel will showcase the tools and opportunities that make Italy a highly competitive destination for international productions. The discussion will address:
- Opportunities for co-productions and for foreign films shot in Italy.
- Support schemes for the distribution of Italian films abroad.
- The role of Film Commissions, including on-location services and regional funds.
- The infrastructures and services offered by Cinecittà Studios.
Moderator:
Roberto Stabile, Head of the International Department, Cinecittà/DGCA
Panelists:
Jacopo Chessa, President, Italian Film Commissions and Director, Veneto Film Commission
Gary Lucchesi, Producer, Revelations Entertainment and former President of the Producers Guild of America
Francesca Rotondo, Sales and Business Development Manager, Cinecitta’ Studios
Riccardo Neri – Producer and Head of Communications of APE (Association of Italian Production Service companies)
Presented by Italian Trade Agency
Speakers
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Roberto StabileHead of the International Department, Cinecittà/DGCARoberto Stabile is the Head of the International Department, Cinecittà/Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture (DGCA-MiC)
After graduating in Political Science and International Affairs he has dedicated the past 30 years to developing and strengthening relationships with international cinema and tv institutions.
From 1996 to 2005 he was General Secretary of the National Union of Film Producers in ANICA (Italian Film Audiovisual and Digital Industries Association) and from 2005 to 2023 he headed the International Department in ANICA.
For the Italian Trade Agency, he has set up a network of information desks on the Italian film industry funding and location services in the major World Markets.
He also developed the ITALIAN SCREENS project, an initiative supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which highlights a wide variety of genres and emerging talents—including those films featured at major international film festivals. Additionally, the project promotes Italy’s tax incentives, funding programs, and co-production opportunities for filmmakers looking to shoot in the country.
From March 2022, he has become Head of the International Department at Cinecittà on behalf of the Directorate Cinema in order to enhance international cooperation, activities and further develop relationships and business among Italian and foreign film professionals. -
Marco Valerio PuginiPresident, Association of Italian Production Service CompaniesMarco Valerio Pugini is the majority shareholder and main Producer of Panorama Films S.r.l. and President of APE – Association of Production Service Companies.
As well as his company commitments, Pugini is also a very active Executive Producer. He was the Co-Executive Producer of the television series Rome and The White Lotus S2 (HBO), and acted, as Producer, Exec. Producer, Co-Producer or Line Producer on a long string of projects including Mr. & Mrs. Smith S1 (K. Evans), House of Gucci (Ridley Scott), Indiana Jones 5 (James Mangold), Tenet (Christopher Nolan), Mission Impossible 7 (Chris McQuerrie), Miracle at St. Anna (Spike Lee) and many more.
He strongly believes in the importance of Associations and training. He was a founding partners of API – Independent Authors and Producers, which then merged into ANICA and of APP – Advertising Producers. He attended specialization courses (“Screenwriter as Storyteller by” Tom Schlesinger and Keith Cunningham and the ACE 6 Workshop) and, in 2001 helped to create a production course within the master MEGA-Plus of the Media Business School of which he has been in charge from 2009 until 2015. He has acted as tutor and expert for many schools and institutions, along with his intense activity as a consultant. He is a member of the European Film Academy
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Francesca RotondoSales and Business Development Manager, Cinecittà StudiosFrancesca Rotondo is a professional with over 20 years of experience at Cinecittà Studios. As Senior International Sales Development Manager, she manages the rental of Cinecittà’s sound stages, backlot locations, and all related services, striving to meet the needs of production from prep to wrap. A trained architect, Francesca has been working at Cinecittà since 2001 in various roles, ranging from VFX post-production to sales management. Her experience and dedication have significantly contributed to the success and growth of the studios. She believes what makes Cinecittà stand out is the time and effort the Sales Department dedicates to understanding their clients’ needs and their proven ability to work professionally and efficiently exceeding expectations without exceeding budgets.
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Jacopo ChessaPresident, Italian Film CommissionsJacopo Chessa (Turin, 1973) majored in film history and worked largely on the 1950s and 1960s in French cinema. He has published two books and several articles, and collaborated with the National Film Archive of the Resistance, the University of Turin, and Paris III – Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Since early 2014, he has been the director of Aiace Nazionale, the first Italian association of art-house cinemas, and the Italian Short Film Center. In 2016, he founded the Torino Short Film Market, which he directed until 2020. He worked as contract professor at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris 3 from 2017 to 2019. Since 2020, he has been the director of the Veneto Film Commission, and since late 2024, he has served as president of Italian Film Commissions.
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Gary LucchesiProducer, Revelations EntertainmentGary Lucchesi is Producer and Executive Producer in the Film and Scripted Television. Gary has produced over 65 feature films, beginning with Academy Award nominated Primal Fear, followed by notable hits including Runaway Bride, Arlington Road, and The Mothman Prophecies. In 2004 he produced the Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Million Dollar Baby. In subsequent years he produced numerous hits including The Ugly Truth, Lincoln Lawyer, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and the Underworld franchise with Kate Beckinsale, of which he made four sequels. Other film credits include, The Gift starring Cate Blanchette, and adaptations of three Philip Roth novels – The Human Stain, Elegy, and 2016’s American Pastoral.
Gary also produced two Emmy Award-winning movies for television Gotti for HBO and Wild Iris for Showtime, as well the series Heathers for Paramount Television.
At age 34, Gary became the President of Production at Paramount Pictures, where he oversaw such films as Ghost, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Fatal Attraction, The Hunt For Red October, Coming To America, The Naked Gun, The Godfather: Part III, Star Trek, and The Untouchables. He also worked at TriStar Pictures for four years as both Vice President and Senior Vice President of Production. He began his career in Los Angeles as an agent for the William Morris Agency representing such notable actors as Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon and John Malkovich. He is a former President and President Emeritus of the Producer’s Guild of America and currently is head of the International Committee of the PGA. Gary has been an active member of the Motion Picture Academy since 1988.