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Leaked Email Shows Italy’s Culture Ministry Sought Deeper Cuts to the Cinema Fund

Publication of the request triggers an emergency huddle as the ministry’s fallback funding idea stalls.

Overview

  • New reporting cites an October 17 email from collaborators of Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli to the Economy Ministry proposing to reduce the national Cinema Fund to €450 million in 2026 and €400 million from 2027.
  • Treasury technicians reportedly urged the Culture Ministry to reconsider the scale of the reductions and to dilute the cuts over time.
  • Giuli convened an urgent meeting with industry groups after newspapers published the email, with Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni and DG Cinema Giorgio Brugnoni in attendance.
  • A plan to replenish the Fund using unallocated automatic contributions from 2022–2024 has been set aside after the state accounting office also blocked a separate bid to add €100 million for 2026.
  • Opposition lawmakers demanded Giuli address Parliament as producers warn of productions relocating, severe disruption in early 2026, and heavy job losses, with director-producer Matteo Rovere saying smaller companies and crews would be hit hardest.