Apple and Italy’s Istituto Luce-Cinecittà are launching an iTunes channel dedicated to Italian films. The Italian Ministry of Culture’s director general of cinema, Nicola Borrelli, told ‘Variety’ that the collaboration with Apple “stands as testimony to... the strong appeal of our cinema outside our country.” The Istituto Luce-Cinecittà i-Tunes channel comprises some 100 classic and contemporary titles, shorts and documentaries, and that number is expected to increase. Italians can already download the app and titles, and they will be available worldwide by November. The app is free to download and browse. Additional content is updated monthly and is accessible for a small fee. Users can stream films by Italian directors such as Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, Paolo Sorrentino and Matteo Garrone. Luce-Cinecittà president, Rodrigo Ciprani Foresio, told ‘Variety’: “It will give Italian producers a common brand to launch their movies around the world, as long as they have international digital rights and add sub-titles.” The Istituto Luce-Cinecittà promotes Italian cinema at home and abroad, focusing on great directors of the past and present. It has an archive of approximately 3,000 titles.
