The Oscars, Venice Film Festival, Cinecittà: joining forces makes cinema stronger. Today the CEO of The Academy Bill Kramer, La Biennale President Roberto Cicutto, Venice Film Festival Artistic Director Alberto Barbera, the President of Cinecittà Chiara Sbarigia and CEO Nicola Maccanico, and Mastercard Italy Country Manager Italy Michele Centemero were all sat together to talk about the values of the cinema industry in a global society.
«Cinema and audiovisual industry need new balance – Cicutto said – In the past, great technological innovations were considered dangerous, such as the switch from black and white to colour, from silent to talking movies, from tv to VHS. Today theatres and streaming platforms must not be considered each other enemies but potential partners because the audiovisual offer is big enough to allow more ways to enjoy it. But it’s important to find shared solutions».
Academy is for the first time at Lido and is more open to international cinema. Kramer agrees with the word of Cicutto. «Producers like made great investments for their movies. Theatres will not vanish because watching a movie is still a real collective experience. But these two ways of entertainment will co-exist to expand the possibilities to reach people».
The film industry needs Academy as much as Venice Film Festival, which has been capable of recognizing the movies awarded with the most prestigious statue. «During the last nine years – Barbera said – the relationship between the festival and the Oscar night has become a sequence of movies that exploited Venice to gain the most prestigious award in the film business. Four won the Oscar for best movie and seven for best director. This continuity can’t be casual or lucky or the intuition of the selection team, but the consequences of a restored relationship between the festival and the studios. Our job is understanding which of the 2000 movies submitted every year are the most valuable and with more chances to attract the interest of the press and the audience, gaining awards in more festivals and run for the Oscar».
It’s not only with Venice that the combination is tighter but even between the Academy and Cinecittà. «It’s a fundamental relationship – Maccanico says – and our museum is the tangible chance to sign it.
Cinecittà promotes not only Italian cinema but also the necessary values of diversity, inclusion and eco-sustainability to compete at the industrial level. Our studios are sold out, Angelina Jolie and Saverio Costanzo chose us, the main key is having a role in the global industry through single projects».
«The history of Cinecittà and the Academy – Sbarigia remembered – intertwine for years. They both started during the ‘20s with different goals, and collaboration will be developed in collecting these values. Our museum is about classic cinema, we have an almost centennial archive, and we’ll work a lot about training».
«Mastercard is alongside Biennale Cinema for six years – Centemero added – We are developing different activities with Cinecittà and welcoming together the Academy is priceless. I wish this is of good omen for our cinema». It’s impossible to dismiss Kramer without a question about the future of the Oscar night after the latest edition cursed by Will smith’s slap to Chris Rock.
«We are working with the producer of the show – Academy CEO assured – and we decided to implement the security at high stake. We are preparing a show that will celebrate cinema and all the arts involved in the production of a movie. It’s more important than the audience share». And about the decision of Chris Rock not to present the show again, Kramer glosses: «We are moving forward. We analyzed last year’s show to be sure it won’t happen again». But he’s sure about one thing: «My being in Venice – he smiles – will not guarantee that an Italian movie will win the Oscar for best film». About the process of globalization of the Oscar, the road is marked. «Someone says – Kramer concluded – that could become the Olympics of cinema. We already are because the international percentage of our members will still grow as much as the importance of international filmmakers. After the pandemic, we thought festivals would vanish; instead, we are still in Venice. We overcome the pandemic proving that are fundamental».
