email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

Daniel Campos Pavoncelli • Head of Film and TV, Indiana Production

by 

- We interviewed Daniel Campos Pavoncelli about Indiana, a multimedia outfit that works in commercial, transmedia, cinematographic, and television production

Daniel Campos Pavoncelli • Head of Film and TV, Indiana Production

(This article has been published in Le Film Français - Supplement Italy 2016)

Founded in 2005, Indiana is a multimedia outfit with bases in Milan, Rome, Los Angeles and Berlin. Its task? Commercial, transmedia, cinematographic, and televisual production. The biggest French co-production to its name is Paolo Virzi’s Human Capital [+see also:
trailer
interview: Paolo Virzì
film profile
]
, co-produced with Manny Films and sold by Bac Films.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

You spent ten years living in France before working in London and then, finally, joining Indiana as the head of the film and television division.
On a cultural level, Italian cinematography ties in quite well with that of France; when it comes to tastes and working styles, we’re are a lot more alike than you’d think. These leaves the door open for financial collaboration, even for films shot exclusively in Italian, the likes of which are a lot harder to mount with partners from other countries. Artistic collaboration is always more attractive, though, as there are always artistic elements that can cross into the French context relatively easily, which are always of the highest quality. With regards to strictly financial co-productions, there are a few little changes going on because, over the last few years, the CNC hasn’t had held them in the highest esteem, preferring instead to invest funding into its home territories and French casts and crews. So Italian producers are finding it increasingly attractive to add French elements to their team in order to mount a financial co-production or simply to attract some kind of French distribution, international or pre-sales. In summary, the links between the two countries came about rather organically, and the first partners we think of are French because of how active and effective they are in the market.

Indiana also tasks itself with finding some of the best raw material in Frecnh cinema.
We worked with Francesca Archibugi on her remake of Alexandre de la Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte’s What’s in a Name [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
?
. For this film, which we co-produced with Lucky Red and is called An Italian Name [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, we bought the rights from Pathé and adapted it for the Italian market. It’s something that we do on a semi-regular basis. We have our eyes fixed on France, looking at what is seeing theatrical release, identifying what is successful and learning market tendencies. At every development meeting we examine how the French box office is going, which ideas and talents are emerging that we can eventually acquire. Although English culture is something completely different, what often makes French people laugh will often make Italians laugh, and we can adapt that for our audiences.

Can you see a co-production for Leisure Seeker, the next film that Paolo Virzi will produce, an adaptation of Michael Zadoorian’s eponymous novel, Stephen Amidon?
Of course! We’re currently working on it, but nothing is signed yet. Paolo Virzi received a very warm welcome in France. For Human Capital [+see also:
trailer
interview: Paolo Virzì
film profile
]
, Indiana teamed up with Manny Films and Bac Films for sales, and it all went smoothly: the film worked really well as a productive experience.  Recently we also co-produced Claudio Cupellini’s Alaska [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
with the French outfit 2.4.7. Films. It’s a real artistic co-production: it stars French actress Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, partially shot in France, with the very solid French producers and Film Distribution on board for the international sales. There really is a strong French touch to this film.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy