FUTURA26 – Cinema, Innovation and Emerging Technologies took place in Rome on 28 and 29 October. The annual event, organised by CrewReel Services, with the support of Cinecittà and the scientific curation of Dedalus, brought together institutions and creative industry professionals to discuss technological change. Across two days of talks and meetings, held at Palazzo dello Spettacolo and the ANICA auditorium, artificial intelligence emerged as the central theme, with discussions spanning several areas of the audiovisual industry, from screenwriting and animation to cinema exhibition programming.
The first day opened with institutional greetings introduced by Silvia Paonessa of CrewReel. Speakers included Antonio Saccone, President of Cinecittà, and Fabrizio Larini, President of ANEC. Also in attendance were Gabriella Buontempo, President of the Fondazione Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and Vice President of APA; Carlo Rodomonti, President of ANICA’s Union of Digital Publishers and Creators; and Maurizio Forestieri, President of Cartoon Italia.
The programme covered a wide range of topics, from the evolving regulatory framework and the use of data as a distribution tool to the professional profiles increasingly required across the industry, which educational institutions are beginning to train for. Discussions also addressed vertical formats and new forms of storytelling, virtual production and technical companies, the influence of creators on the traditional audiovisual supply chain, Creative Europe MEDIA funding opportunities, and the international positioning of Italian audiovisual production. The underlying focus, however, was not technology itself, but its impact on work: what is changing across departments, contracts, cinemas and classrooms.
Saccone opened the discussion on artificial intelligence by addressing a widespread feeling across the industry: fear. For Saccone, the issue is not fear itself, but how the sector responds to it. “Cinema has demonstrated every day its ability to overcome its fears.” Today, the greatest challenge is AI, which is set to transform every profession, not just those within the film industry. In Saccone’s view, the only way forward is to manage its development through safeguards and clear limits on its application.
The event concluded with a panel examining the position of Italian audiovisual production on the international stage. Participants included Alessandro Usai, President of ANICA; Matteo Masini, Head of the Consumer Goods Office at ICE; Sergio Strozzi, Head of the Innovation Office at MAECI; Mariella Troccoli, President of the Fondazione Roma Lazio Film Commission; and Cristian Jezdic of Cartoon Italia. Video contributions also came from Jordan Bayne (Goldfinch), Yoko Higuchi-Zitzmann (DREAMKITE Studios), Daniel Chilla (Stockholm Film Commission) and Ana Marques (Portugal Film Commission).
The discussion took place against the backdrop of new regulatory developments: as of 2 August 2026, the transparency obligations set out in Article 50 of the European AI Act apply; Legislative Decree 160/2026 entered into force on 30 September; and the Ministry of Culture’s guidelines require the use of AI to be documented for tax credit purposes.
Between new regulations, emerging skills, and opportunities to be seized, the two days in Rome offered a picture of an Italian film industry determined not simply to undergo technological transformation but to help shape it.
Photo credit: Cash Macanaya via Unsplash
