By Jacques Lipkau Goyard

Microsalonitalia took place in March at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia CSC, (the Italian National film school). The center is the famous Italian institute for training, research and experimentation in the field of Cinema, intended in its widest sense, of films, documentaries, fiction and animation.

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) understood the power of film as propaganda. In 1935, he appointed Luigi Freddi (1895-1977), then head of the General Directorate of Cinematography, the Fascist organization controlling Cinema, as the CSC’s first director. Freddi wanted Italian films to be not only regime propaganda but also an entertainment industry imitating the commercial Hollywood model. Two years later Luigi Freddi founded the near-by famed Cinecittà Studios.

Many years have passed and the CSC school is not only an excellent film school but also  the location for the fifth edition of Micro Salon Italia. The 2017 edition comprised over 2,000 sq mt. of exhibition space, with more than 40 exhibitors (there were 33 in 2016).

The attendance was higher this year, with 3,800 registered visitors (3,600 in 2016) plus a good number of unregistered visitors bringing the total to approximately 4,200.

Daniela Kesselem, Schneider Kreuznach Marketing & Product Manager, told FDTimes: “It was my first time at the Micro Salon here in Rome. The show was well visited. I had good and interesting talks and meetings. I especially liked that it takes place at a Cinematography school like the Fémis in Paris. Many told me that since it moved here at the Centro Sperimentale, they feel it has improved a lot and that more and more well-known exhibitors join the show.”

Patrice Blanchard, Commercial Director at Cartoni France said: “This is my first time at Micro Salon Italia; the concept is similar to the Paris Micro Salon. Apart from being larger, one of the real attractions is that in Rome the weather is almost always great and these two days were superb. As for the exhibits, I was nicely surprised by the exhibitor’s quantity and quality and the size of the booths. It was great to stroll around, with nice open spaces full of light…other surprise were the number of visitors, no jostling, everything cool and easy… our booth was constantly full with client/friends enthused about the new Total Dutch and the other heads. The Micro Salon Italia is a very good opportunity to meet other passionate professionals in our industry… and, last but not least, the Roman espresso at the cafeteria: nothing can beat a real espresso.”

2017 exhibitors were: ARRI, Cooke, Angénieux, Schneider Kreuznach, Red, Canon, Sony, Leica, Panasonic, Panalight, Movie People and D-Vision, Amg, Cartoni, Tav, Dts, Piuma, Rec, De Sisti, K5600, Fujifilm, TAV, Dop Choice, just to mention a few.

This year, Micro Salon Italia hosted a good number of film school students–many graduating this year. Students from the Centro Sperimentale, Renzo Rossellini Film School, along with Professor Maurizio Gennaro (AIC) and his students from the Roma Film Academy spent a whole day filming various meetings, browsing every booth, trying out  equipment and asking a lot of questions to the visiting DPs.

As for the conferences held both days at the CSC auditorium “AIC Incontra,” one of the highlights was the presentation by Laura Delli Colli with Beppe Lanci (AIC) about his book “La luce come emozione” (Light as an emotion) followed by presentations by Panalight, Canon, Fuji Film, Panasonic, Panatronics and by Maestro Vittorio Storaro (AIC, ASC) “Digital Cinematography in all aspects”.

Luca Bigazzi (AIC), Luciano Tovoli (AIC), Nino Celeste (AIC), Pino Pinori (AIC), Roberto Girometti (AIC), Gianni Mammolotti (AIC) and many more attended the two days, and as the previous edition, it was organized by Daniele Nannuzzi (AIC), president of Associazione Italiana Autori della Fotografia Cinematografica (AIC – Association of Italian Cinematographers) with the help of general secretary Simone Marra, professor Maurizio Gennaro (AIC) and all AIC members.

This 2017 edition was the best ever… so Nannuzzi, Marra, Gennaro and all the AIC members are working to make the 2018 Micro Salon Italia even better.