“We have the possibility to have a new market here in Rome,” was Riccardo Tozzi’s (Cattleya production company) first comment to Cinecittà News. “There was a lot of interest from operators, even if it is difficult to close deals in just three days. We at Cattleya have had a good experience”, continued Tozzi.

The initial feedback on the first edition of The Business Street is thus positive from producers, distributors and industry professionals in general. The opinion of Alessandro Usai (of Mikado) was also a favourable one and, according to him, “Business Street worked even though it could be longer. It is a fundamental tool for film promotion. One on the hand, there is the festival with its media visibility, on the other, deals are made”.

Fulvio Lucisano of Italian International Film also agrees on the joint nature of the festival and market: “Organising a Business Street that coincides with the festival was very useful”. Luciano Slovena of Istituto Luce was even more flattering: “I think that the Business Street was a more than successful experiment”.

There were compliments, above all, on the organisation and locations from Valerio De Paolis of BIM Distribuzione: “From what my foreign friends tell me, everything at Business Street was perfect, but I’d change the dates next year”. There are, in fact, differing opinions on the dates: some want them to be changed for the next edition while others want them to remain the same, to create a continuous network together with the other markets. Everyone, however, agrees that the market should last longer.

Also interviewed by Cinecittà News, Gaetano Blandini, Director General of Cinema for the Ministry of Culture concluded by saying: “The festival has already won, given the attention it has managed in drawing to itself.” He warns, however, that “a market must be built over time. Let’s hope that in the following year it works to everyone’s interest “.