Rai Cinema S.p.A. is an Italian film
production company
A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...
owned by
RAI
(), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...
, the national
public broadcaster
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
of Italy. Since its inception, the company has invested nearly €1 billion in the production of over 900 films.
History
Rai Cinema was formed as a spin-off of
RAI
(), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...
's former ''Acquisto, Produzione e Vendita'' (APV) branch. The company was incorporated on 1 December 1999, and operations commenced on 1 June 2000.
Giuliano Montaldo
Giuliano Montaldo (22 February 1930 – 6 September 2023) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He was known internationally for his biographical docudrama Sacco & Vanzetti (1971 film), ''Sacco & Vanzetti'' (1971), which was n ...
was appointed its first president, a role he held until 2004.
Franco Scaglia took over following Montaldo's departure, and remained in the position until 2013. Paolo Del Brocco was elected CEO in 2010.
By 2010, Rai Cinema had contributed to the production of over 300 films, investing a total of €425 million.
In 2004, the company invested around €30 million in production costs for its films. That figure increased to €45 million in 2010 and €65 million in 2015.
In May 2018, Rai Cinema joined the Globalgate Entertainment
consortium
A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...
. In 2022, the company invested €85 million in the production of 80 films.
Divisions and subsidiaries
01 Distribution

01 Distribution, a
film distribution
Film distribution, also called film exhibition or film distribution and exhibition, is the process of making a film available for viewing to an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marketin ...
company, was founded in 2001 from a joint venture between Rai Cinema and French production and distribution company
StudioCanal
StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., and Canal+ Production and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film & television production and distribution company which is a ...
. StudioCanal divested itself from the venture in June 2003, and Rai Cinema acquired its 50% stake to become the sole owner. In 2010, Rai Cinema merged with 01 Distribution, with the latter becoming a division of the former. By that year, 01 Distribution had distributed a total of 240 films since its inception, 130 of which were Italian productions; they totaled 75 million admissions and €440 million grossed at the box office.
Rai Cinema International Distribution
Rai Cinema International Distribution, a standalone international film sales company, was launched by Rai Cinema in February 2024.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
1999 establishments in Italy
2010 mergers and acquisitions
Companies based in Rome
Entertainment companies established in 1999
Film distributors of Italy
Film production companies of Italy
Italian companies established in 1999
Rai (broadcaster)