UK and Italian excellence in creativity and sport come together
Italian film premiere at British Ambassador’s residence celebrates UK-Italian creativity.
HM Ambassador Christopher Prentice and Aurelio DeLaurentiis
The Italian film “Il terzo tempo” premiered on 19 November 2013 at Villa Wolkonsky, Rome, the residence of HM Ambassador Christopher Prentice. The event was organised by the British Embassy in Rome and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the government department that promotes UK exports and helps attract foreign investment. It aimed to make the most of collaboration opportunities offered by the cinema, creativity and sport sectors in the UK and Italy.
Collaboration opportunities
The British Ambassador Christopher Prentice said:
This special award given to the Italian film underlines the importance of the creative industries, of which the film industry is an important element, for the British government. They account for 6% of GDP and employ 2.3 million people. Collaborations with the UK skill base, particularly on visual effects and access to funding schemes and private funding, are the main elements that make Italian and foreign production companies look at the UK. Therefore there are significant opportunities for the UK and Italy.
Italian and British businesses working in the film production area were able to establish new and closer relationships for future collaborations. The event created the opportunity to target one of the fastest growing technology-intensive fields, and to put key people in the Italian industry in direct contact with the UK players. Interest and enthusiasm was high across multiple areas.
Celebrating UKTI award to Il terzo tempo
Il terzo tempo [The third half] won this year’s UKTI Best Innovative Budget Award, the special prize given by the Italy-based Investment Group of UKTI during the Venice Film Festival last September. The award was assigned together with Borsa Italiana, part of the London Stock Exchange and an important partner for UKTI Italy.
Aurelio De Laurentiis, President Filmauro, one of the most important cinema production and distribution companies in Italy, said at the event: >I am very grateful to the Ambassador for his hospitality and delighted for the award I received from UK Trade & Investment at the 70th Venice Film Festival. An award for which we will be officially acknowledged at the UK-Italy Business Awards at the Milan Stock Exchange on 23 January 2014.
Guests included:
*young film director Enrico Maria Artale
*the film cast
*five rugby players of the Italian National Team
*Elisabetta Bruscolini, director of CSC Production which co-produced the film with Filmauro.
Strong links between sport and business
Sport, the main theme of the film, can create a sense of community and contribute to strengthening relationships between people of different countries.
Daniel Burgess, Welsh government representative, was amongst guests. Wales, champions of the Six Nations Rugby 2013, recognises the strong links between sport and business and how they complement each other so well. Sport is part of the ambitious GREAT international marketing campaign launched in February 2012 by the UK government. It showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer in order to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK.
UKTI Italy Contacts
Raffaella Previtera, Head of Communications Team communicationsmilan@fco.gov.uk