INDUSTRY / MARKET UK / Italy

by

09/12/2025 - The deal reinforces bilateral efforts to attract inward investment and stimulate co-production activity between the two countries

Jacopo Chessa (right), president of the Italian Film Commissions Association, and Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, signing the deal

The British Film Commission and Italian Film Commissions have renewed and expanded their collaborative framework with the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU), unveiled on 9 December during FOCUS London. The agreement reinforces bilateral efforts to attract inward investment and stimulate co-production activity between the UK and Italy, two of Europe’s most competitive screen ecosystems.

The new MoU builds on the foundations laid in 2022, strengthening the shared ambition to promote both territories internationally, and encourage high-end film and TV productions to shoot across their respective regions. This time, the partnership adds a significant operational layer through the involvement of Cinecittà’s International Department, which will support the organisation of outbound missions designed to deepen producers’ knowledge of each market and foster long-term business exchanges.

Under the renewed deal, the two organisations will continue coordinating joint marketing initiatives that highlight complementary strengths, while also facilitating dialogue between producers, regional bodies and industry stakeholders. A particular emphasis will be placed on reciprocal trade missions and curated networking activities at key festivals and markets – strategies that have already proven fruitful since the initial 2022 MoU, which saw the launch of shared industry events including a dedicated producers’ breakfast in Cannes.

The document was signed in the presence of Jacopo Chessa, president of the Italian Film Commissions Association, and Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission. Chessa highlighted the renewed framework as an important step forward: “We’re happy to renew our partnership with the British Film Commission, now strengthened by the addition of the International Department – Cinecittà. In addition to opening up co-production opportunities, this agreement is a first step towards systematically promoting Italian regions as international filming locations.”

Wootton reiterated the strategic value of the alliance, especially at a time of heightened competitiveness in global production: “We are thrilled to build upon our excellent relationship with the Italian Film Commissions through this collaboration agreement. Since signing an MoU in 2022, we’ve held networking events for producers from both territories at markets and festivals, including a producers’ breakfast in Cannes. Strong collaborative industry relationships with European partners, such as the one between the UK and Italy, are key to our shared success, particularly in light of the UK’s enhanced tax reliefs, and Italy’s Sistema Italia, funds and incentives. There are already some brilliant examples of collaboration, with high-profile productions being filmed between Italy and the UK, including Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Fast X and the Oscar-winning Conclave [+see also: film review trailer interview: Red Carpet @ European Film … film profile]. This new, enhanced agreement will see further collaboration in the years ahead, exploring new ways of working together, creatively and commercially.”

For Roberto Stabile, head of the International Department – Cinecittà, the MoU also reflects Italy’s broader strategy to strengthen its profile and competitiveness on the global stage: “The signing of this memorandum is an important step in increasing contacts between Italy and the UK in the audiovisual field. It is the result of a shared effort with our Italian partners to promote Sistema Italia, our funds and incentives, and to increase co-productions. We hope to see more collaborations between UK and Italian companies.”

The announcement comes as inward investment into both countries continues to rise. In the UK alone, inward investment in film and high-end TV (HETV) production generated £4.7 billion in 2024, confirming the territory’s status as a major hub for international productions.

Several recent projects have taken advantage of the UK-Italy axis, including The Odyssey (Universal), Jay Kelly [+see also: trailer film profile] (Netflix/NBGG), F1 (Apple TV+), Heads of State (Amazon MGM), Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, Fountain of Youth (Apple TV+), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney/Lucasfilm).

The enhanced MoU is expected to generate further momentum in the coming years, expanding the pipeline of cross-border projects while reinforcing the strategic alignment between two of Europe’s most active production territories.

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.