Dear friends,

Here we go again. Cinecittà is about to experience another busy summer. We were last talking about the Tarantino preview and its enormous public success, and we would never have even imagined that we’d soon be organizing the Cinecittà Summer Film Show... And already the summer edition of this greatly successful event. We plan to do it in true New York style.
 

The large 5600 meter squared lawn will be transformed into a wonderful area where, in the style of Bryant Park, you will be able to watch films sat on the grass. Everything will be accompanied by live radio while guests sip their aperitifs (which can’t be done in New York parks) before the screening of the movie.
 

So if you are thinking of coming on vacation to Rome between June 16 and August 14, come to visit us and stay for an evening movie.
 

Cannes has just ended, and even our studios had their brilliant showcase. On the May 16, in the beautiful terrace of the Majestic Hotel in the Italian Pavilion, we participated in the press presentation of Fatima, an Origin Entertainment production that will be filmed at Cinecittà this year. Rose Ganguzza, a well-known producer from New York, along with James T. Volk, founder and president of Origin, have chosen Marco Pontecorvo as director. This initiative intends to celebrate the centenary of the events narrated in the film and is another chance to host an original production in our studios.

The engines of another important production are also heating up; Diabolik that will be produced by Sky. We announced this project a couple of years ago, now finally – before the end of 2016 – we will have the chance to start the immense construction work that the master Dante Ferretti is envisaging in his workshop at Cinecittà, to be built in the studios at Via Tuscolana. It will be
a chance to get to know this character, so loved in Italy and France in the 70s, as well as in the rest of the world.

I believe that New Yorkers will be able to particularly appreciate this villainous anti-hero. Indeed, Diabolik is certainly not Arsenio Lupin, he is not a true gentleman. But we will enjoy building his city, Clerville. Imaginary, inexistent, with neither place nor time. Let’s all listen to every word of the great Dante Ferretti.

We also have some excellent news regarding regional funding. The Rome and Lazio Film Commission announced in Cannes a significant increase in funding for projects filmed in Rome and Lazio, and I continue to believe – having experienced it myself – that filming in Rome elevates the quality of life of whoever for working on a film, and saves a lot of money for those producing it.
 

I almost forgot. Coincidentally last Saturday I had to accompany Ryan Gosling, who
was in Rome to present The Nice Guys, on a visit to Cinecittà. Ryan is amazing; he is so knowledgeable on the works of Federico Fellini that he even recognized from afar the Venusia from Casanova. And it was such a great thing that it seemed only right to take a photo of him underneath the words “Theatre 5”, Federico Fellini’s favorite. Taken by me in person.
In short, we are waiting for chance encounters like this one with Ryan; to see a movie or to film one. You decide.

See you soon. 
 

* Giuseppe Basso is the Chief Executive Officer, Cinecittà Studios S.p.a.