Ep. 11 - Panel 2B - Part 1 - The unseen cinema - Davide Abbatescianni (UCC)

NPPSH Conference

Film students know how challenging it is to distribute their independent works in the absence of financial or other supports. At the moment too little attention is paid to the problem of distribution in film schools and universities, and it is very rare to find curricula offering distribution courses or even providing useful distribution tips. Moreover, many young artists fear screening their student works and consider them mere shooting exercises. This is not always the case, and notable films may have been kept unreleased or had extremely limited distribution. Therefore, this topic opens these questions: · Why are young Italian and Irish film students afraid to get their hands dirty and refrain from distributing their works? What kind of obstacles do they encounter? · What plans can film schools put into action to teach students distribution? · Is it possible to spread/share a proper film distribution culture? My study will try to answer these questions by analysing a few case studies from Italy and Ireland. Based on my past experiences as a documentary film student and on interviews with a number of students and graduates from these two countries, my presentation will identify problems and suggest possible solutions that could support the distribution of independent films and the development of young filmmakers’ work. Davide Abbatescianni is a PhD Excellence Scholar in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. His research project, entitled Young Filmmakers in the Time of the Great Recession: A Focus on the Irish and Italian Film Industries, comprises an academic dissertation and the making of a feature documentary. He holds a Professional Diploma in Stage Directing (International Theatre Academy of the Adriatic), a BA in Communication Studies (University of Bari) and an MA in Documentary Directing (Baltic Film School). He currently works as a foreign correspondent for the EU-funded film magazine Cineuropa. He is also active as a director and assistant director.