U.K. screen agency Film London has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italy’s Apulia and Sardinia film commissions, forging closer ties with the regions that have hosted, respectively, the latest “Bond” movie and George Clooney’s “Catch 22” TV show.
While not legally binding, the agreements signed at the Venice Film Festival will pave the way for the British and Italian entities to collaborate more closely in a wide range of areas.
Film London and Sardinia will jointly seek better ways to support emerging talent together, building on existing common initiatives.
They will share experience about artists’ best practices through Film London’s Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) and talent development through Film London’s Production Finance Market (PFM) and its new talent strand. They will also exchange known-how regarding sustainable filming practices, promotion of diversity and inclusion, and shared learning in screen tourism, according to a statement.
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Earlier this year artists from the FLAMIN Fellowship scheme participated in a three-week art residency in the town of Nuoro, Sardinia. The next part of this exchange will see talents from Sardinia take up a residency in London.
The agreement also aims to foster screen tourism. This will include Apulia Film Commission participating at, and partnering with, Film London’s International Screen Tourism Conference on Nov. 29 as a key sponsor. The conference will see experts from across Europe meeting to explore the intersecting worlds of film, television and tourism, examining the huge economic and promotional benefits provided by screen tourism to destinations and visitor attractions.
“The aim of the Venice International Film Festival is to raise awareness and promote cinema in all of its forms, as art, entertainment and as an industry,” Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commissions, said in the statement.
“So what better time to recognize the relationships that London holds with Apulia and Sardinia?,” he added.
The film commissions of both these regions are among those at the forefront of Italy’s increased success in attracting foreign productions thanks to incentives and international networking.