25° ​EUROMEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE ON CINEMA

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“PLATFORMS AND AI:

THE RISE OF GLOBAL CINEMA?”

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Villa degli Autori, Lido di Venezia

8 September 2022, 2.30 p.m. CET

80th Venice International Film Festival

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AGENDA

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Institutional Greetings 

Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General Culture Sector, UNESCO

Francesco Rutelli, President ANICA

Vittorio Sgarbi, Undersecretary at the Italian Ministry of Culture

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General Introduction

Pierpaolo Saporito, President OCCAM (UN-affiliated) and President a.I.

International Council for Film and Television, CICT-ICFT

 

From past to future: from film to algorithm

Luciana Castellina, former member, European Parliament

Daniela Rondinelli, member, European Parliament

Gianantonio Da Re, member, European Parliament

Niccolò Rinaldi, member, European Parliament

 

How could the virtual dimension improve a real integration of people?

Giacomo Mazzone, Secretary-General, Eurovisioni 

Elisabetta Noli, Administrative Director, Global Campus on Human Rights

Jasmina Bojic, Founder and President, UNAFF Travelling Film Festival, Stanford University

Alessandro Mandelli, Founder, Serially 

Serge Michel, Vice President CICT UNESCO, UNICA Delegate

Ruggero Gabbai, FORMA International

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Cultural roots and digital creativity

Salmane Tariq El Allami, Professor, Mohammed V University and Founder, ISCA Film School

Ahmet Boyacioglu, Director, Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival

Rizwan Ahamd, Director, Instructional Media Centre, MANUU

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FINAL DECLARATION

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"Ceremony of Proclamation of the winner of the 35th CICT-ICFT UNESCO Prix “Enrico Fulchignoni”,

awarded with the “UNESCO Fellini Medal”

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​PRESENTATION OF THE CONFERENCE

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With the emergence of innovative platforms dedicated to audio-visual products operating in the cinematographic field and aggregating disparate contents, came relevant transformation in an already accentuated globalisation that effectively eliminates traditional barriers in the film industry itself. This, in turn, opened up new opportunities, making cinema production and distribution wildly available and often part of everyday routine over the globe. In this context, a new dimension, one that tends to include all potential viewers – amounting to 4 billion and on the increase – is no longer confined to the theatre or television and should be carefully evaluated. In order to encourage this development, it is crucial to create new expressions, markets and contents more closely linked to personal digital experiences; these being more authentic, instantaneous and interactive, especially for the younger generations.

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The rise of a new koine, encouraged by a new cinematic language common to all, requires us to address the current circumstances with open minds and to reflect on what will inevitably induce the transformation and overcoming of territorial boundaries. This conference, created by UNESCO and the European Parliament in 1995 to define a vision of the inclusion of Euro-Mediterranean peoples according to the principles of peace and tolerance, can be seen now as an opportunity to tackle the issues of the current transformation and fill in the gap that only new forms of communication can do. This is by overcoming political rigidities and encouraging the meeting of generations beyond borders.

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Acting as enablers of existing methods, AI tools and platforms have brought significant advances and efficiency to the cinematographic field, as well as new challenges and problems to solve. To reduce these risks, it is fundamental to guarantee that human creativity, expertise and decision-making remain inherent in the filmmaking process. The doubts raised by the use of generative AI and its impact on the work of screenwriters; and the use of artists’ and creatives’ work to create some automated replicas in music, painting and writing, have to be addressed and require deep reflection from all the interested parties: creatives, artists, publishers, organizers of cultural events, traditional and new media outlets... Among others, the discussion will try to respond to some controversial issues, including

Can we have movies without artists? Is creativity an exclusivity of mankind only? What are the rights of creatives with a pending generative AI? Which future for cinema in its all forms?

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It is thus important to hear directly from the protagonists of this change since this will prove decisive not only regarding the illustration of the new technological scenarios but – most importantly – to delve into the increasing options that open up with this extraordinary expansion. A harbinger of new opportunities presents itself too, for all those hitherto marginalized by asphyxiating barriers of access to traditional productions, or by the shortcomings of the distribution of their products, resulting in a serious deterioration of the variety of cultural expressions. A worry that is at the core of UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, in view of a productive confrontation and discussion in order to revitalize cinema in its basic mission as a factor of communication and cultural exchange.

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With these premises, the Conseil International du Cinéma et de la Télévision CICT partner of UNESCO intends to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Euromediterranean Conference on Cinema with a special edition that, under the title “Platforms and AI: the rise of global cinema”, is scheduled to take place on 8th September 2023 during the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, and in which we are honoured to invite you to participate, either in person or online.