Italy made a powerful showing at this year’s American Film Market, anchoring its presence with a high-level industry conversation and a rare honor for one of Hollywood’s most respected producers.
At the Fairmont Century Plaza, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture, and Cinecittà hosted Focus on Italy: A Strategic Hub for International Productions, a panel highlighting Italy’s growing role as a global partner for co-productions, post-production services, and international investment.
Moderated by Roberto Stabile of Cinecittà, the discussion featured Francesca Rotondo of Cinecittà, Italian Film Commissions president Jacopo Chessa, producer and former PGA president Gary Lucchesi, and Riccardo Neri of APE – the Association of Italian Production Service Companies. Opening remarks were delivered by Giosafat Riganò, director of ITA’s Los Angeles office.
The session ended on a historic note. Italy’s Consul General in Los Angeles, Raffaella Valentini, presented Lucchesi with the Order of the Star of Italy, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. The knighthood recognizes Lucchesi’s decades-long work building partnerships between Hollywood and the Italian audiovisual sector.
Lucchesi, born in San Francisco to Tuscan parents, has spent his career at the highest levels of the industry. After starting as a William Morris agent representing Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer, and John Malkovich, he served in senior executive posts at Tri-Star and Paramount on major titles including The Untouchables, Ghost, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The Godfather Part III.
As president of Lakeshore Entertainment, he produced more than sixty films, including the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby, forging a longstanding relationship with RAI Cinema.
He continues to drive international collaboration as chair of the PGA’s International Committee, helping lead the Guild’s participation in recent audiovisual summits in Matera, Trieste, Reggio Calabria, and Merano.
Italy’s presence at AFM 2025 reflects a boom in its production landscape. According to the ANICA 2025 Report, the country completed 400 feature films last year — a 59% increase from 2020. Production spending surpassed €800 million, while the majority of Italian co-productions rose nearly 16 percent. The country continues to attract global shoots through its competitive national tax incentives and strong regional funds.
Recent international productions filmed in Italy include Netflix’s Ripley, Lux Vide’s Hotel Costiera for Prime Video, HBO’s The White Lotus 2, and Roland Emmerich’s Those About to Die, shot at Cinecittà Studios. Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers added to the momentum.
This year’s Italian Pavilion at AFM brings together 14 companies across production, distribution, post-production, location management, and executive production. Attendees include Filmexport Group, Minerva Pictures, LSPG Popcorn, PiperPlay, Animoka Studios, Fargo Film, Augustus Color, Mestiere Cinema, Viola Film, Zena Film, APE, IFC – Italian Film Commissions, and Cinecittà.
AFM 2025 marks the market’s debut at its new Century City home. The event remains one of the industry’s key touchpoints for project development, financing, and global sales, generating more than a billion dollars in deals each year.
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