#ilCinemaNonSiFerma (“FilmDoesn’tStop”) is the encouraging hashtag chosen by Rai Cinema for an initiative developed in collaboration with RaiPlay, which will lend visibility to several films co-produced with independent production companies whose distribution has been made impossible by the pandemic. For the first time, four films which were destined for cinema release, via traditional distribution channels, will have RaiPlay as their first OTT release platform, while another group will go directly to RaiPlay following their release in cinemas.

Presented by the CEO of Rai Cinema Paolo Del Brocco during a virtual press meeting, these films are being offered directly to RaiPlay following the exemption from the Bonisoli Decree on distribution chronology, which has been granted by Mibact and which allows them to use the window normally reserved for pay-TV, making these works available immediately. "We asked ourselves what more we could do in this situation, so we thought about working with RaiPlay", explained Del Brocco. "The primacy of movie theatres is key for us, but at the same time, there are films which should have been released and, given the ongoing uncertainty, it’s also been difficult finding a suitable distribution window for them in the future. We decided to showcase these 8 works, together with their individual co-producers".

The first film to stream on RaiPlay, from today, 21 May, is If Only [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Ginevra Elkann, starring Riccardo Scamarcio and Alba Rohrwacher. The director’s debut film had already captured the attention of audiences at the Locarno and Turin film festivals, and was scheduled for release in March. After If Only, a new title will be released on RaiPlay every Thursday: Bar Joseph [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Giulio Base (from 28 May), La rivincita [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Leo Muscato (from 4 June) and Have Faith [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Giorgio Pasotti (from 11 June). The four titles going straight to RaiPlay are Citizens of the World [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Gianni Di Gregorio (from 18 June), Ötzi and the Mystery of Time [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Gabriele Pignotta (from 25 June), Dafne [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Federico Biondi (from 2 July) and If Life Gives You Lemons [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Ciro D'Emilio (from 9 July).

Regarding the re-opening cinemas on 15 June, Del Brocco was more reserved: “Discussions with MiBACT are ongoing and safety protocols are still in the elaboration phase. Rai Cinema and 01 will doubtless make available films which were released between January and February. I’m namely thinking of The Best Years [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Gabriele Muccino, Hammamet [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Gianni Amelio and 1917 [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Sam Mendes, the extraordinary film which won numerous Oscars and Golden Globes. We’ll work out how to develop a new schedule based upon the agreement we have with exhibitors. We’ll also make these 8 films - which are premiering on RaiPlay - available to exhibitors who would like to include them in their line-ups, as well as organisers of summertime, open-air events.