Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici (ANAC)

Overview

The Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici (ANAC) is the Italian association representing film directors and screenwriters as authors of cinema. Founded in 1952, ANAC is a non-profit cultural association (Associazione di Promozione sociale) registered under Italy's Third Sector reform. Its legal seat is at Via Alberico II, 33, 00193 Rome. The organization advocates for the recognition of directors and writers as the primary creative authors of films under Italian and European copyright law, for the protection of their moral and economic rights, and for cultural policies that support Italian cinema.

ANAC was founded by a group of writers and directors including Age (Agenore Incrocci), Sergio Amidei, Alessandro Blasetti, Mario Camerini, Carlo Lizzani, Ettore G. Margadonna, Mario Mattoli, Mario Monicelli, Tullio Pinelli, Furio Scarpelli, Franco Solinas, Rodolfo Sonego, and Cesare Zavattini. The organization was born during the era when Italian neorealism was defining global cinema vocabulary, and its founding members were active participants in that movement.

In 1975, ANAC underwent a reunification with the AACI (Associazione Autori Cinematografici Italiani), forming "ANAC Unitaria." The current organization traces its legal lineage through this merger.

Membership: Requirements and Governance

Eligibility

To join ANAC, an applicant must:

1. Have credit as an author (director or screenwriter) on at least one cinematic or audiovisual work
2. Submit a completed membership form (available as a PDF download from the ANAC website)
3. Provide a curriculum vitae
4. Accept the ANAC statute and bylaws

All applications are reviewed by the Consiglio Esecutivo (Executive Council), which has the authority to accept or reject membership applications. In doubtful cases, the Council may refer the application to the full Assembly of members for a vote.

Fees

The annual membership fee is set by the Executive Council and is non-refundable in cases of resignation or loss of membership status. All organizational positions within ANAC are unpaid (a titolo gratuito), as specified in the organization's transparency disclosures.

Governance

ANAC is governed by:

• Assembly of Members: The sovereign body, convened at least once annually for budget approval and program planning. Deliberations require a majority vote.
• Executive Council (Consiglio Esecutivo): 11 members elected by the Assembly for two-year terms. Meets at least monthly. Requires 6 members present for valid decisions, including the President.
• Probiviri: An ethics/honorary board of senior members
• President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer: Elected by the Executive Council from within its ranks

The most recent elections concluded in December 2024. Francesco Ranieri Martinotti received the most votes and is the current president. Notable members of the current Executive Council include Mimmo Calopresti, Giuseppe Gaudino, Giovanna Gagliardo, Emanuela Piovano, Giuliana Gamba, Umberto Marino, Giacomo Scarpelli, Caterina Taricano, Alessandro Rossetti, and Antonio Falduto. Dacia Maraini, Pupi Avati, Ricky Tognazzi, and Ezio Alovisi serve as Probiviri.

Authorship Rights in Italian Law

Italy's copyright law (Legge sul Diritto d'Autore, Law 633/1941) grants directors and screenwriters co-author status on films. This is fundamentally different from the US work-for-hire system, where the producer or studio typically holds the copyright. Under Italian law, directors hold inalienable moral rights including:

• Right of attribution: The right to be named as the author of the film
• Right of integrity: The right to object to modifications that distort or mutilate the work

These moral rights cannot be transferred or waived, even by contract. ANAC has advocated for these rights over decades, engaging with the Italian Parliament, the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisual (DGCinema), and European institutions.

SIAE (Societa Italiana degli Autori ed Editori) is Italy's copyright collection society, which administers the economic rights of authors including film directors and screenwriters. ANAC has been a vocal defender of SIAE's central role in the Italian copyright system, particularly in the context of the EU Digital Single Market Directive implementation.

Italian Film Funding Context

Italian cinema is supported through a network of public funding mechanisms:

• Fondo per il Cinema e l'Audiovisivo: Administered by DGCinema. For 2026, the fund totals EUR 606,034,750, with EUR 41,700,000 allocated to selective grants and EUR 441,000,000 to tax credits.
• Tax Credit: Previously 25-40% of qualifying Italian production expenditure. Under the June 2026 decree, rates have been reduced to 30% for independent producers and 20% for non-independent companies for films, with a per-project cap of EUR 4 million (up to EUR 6 million with significant international participation).
• Regional film funds: Multiple Italian regions operate their own film funds.
• RAI Cinema: The film production and distribution arm of the public broadcaster.
• Sky Italia and Netflix: Major investors in Italian content production.

ANAC participates in policy discussions about how these funds are administered and advocates for criteria that prioritize artistic quality and directorial authorship alongside commercial considerations. In 2024, ANAC received MIC funding for projects including the Premio Carlo Lizzani (EUR 15,000) and the "ANAC a 360 degrees" initiative.

ANAC's Advocacy Priorities

ANAC's current advocacy priorities include:

1. Reopening of cinemas: Addressing the decline of theatrical exhibition infrastructure in Italy
2. Balanced distribution of public resources: Advocating for equitable allocation of DGCinema funding across production types
3. SIAE protection: Defending SIAE's role as the foundation of Italian authorship rights
4. EU Digital Single Market Directive: Ensuring Italian implementation protects authors' interests
5. Production and programming quotas: Applying the Franceschini Law's quota requirements to broadcasters and streaming platforms
6. European cultural infrastructure: Advocating for EU-level investment in cultural heritage through Next Generation EU programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

For International Co-Productions with Italy

Understanding ANAC's role and the Italian authorship rights framework helps international producers anticipate the contractual expectations of Italian directors. Italian directors working on international co-productions do not relinquish their Italian authorship rights simply by working on an international project. Under Italian law, the director's moral rights are inalienable. This means that even on a co-production governed by another country's law, an Italian director retains the right to attribution and integrity of the work under Italian law.

International producers should engage Italian legal counsel early in co-production negotiations to understand how Italian authorship rights interact with the production's financing structure and distribution agreements.

For Italian Directors and Screenwriters

ANAC membership provides professional community, legal support on authorship rights, advocacy in cultural policy discussions, and connection to European directors' organizations through FERA. The organization's non-profit status and unpaid governance structure mean that its advocacy is driven by member commitment rather than institutional financial incentives.

See Also

For the European directors federation ANAC participates in, see FERA in this directory. For the David di Donatello Awards that recognize Italian directors' work, see David di Donatello Awards in this directory. For the Italian government's cinema funding agency, see Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo in this directory. For the official ANAC website, visit anac-autori.it. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate how Italian tax credits and selective grants affect your co-production budget.