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For the next four days, it costs €3 to go to the cinema in Italy

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
For the next four days, it costs €3 to go to the cinema in Italy
An outdoor screening of Roman Holiday as part of the 2016 Rome Film Festival. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

From April 9th to 12th, you can see most films in selected Italian cinemas for less than the price of popcorn.

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For four days only, dozens of movie theatres participating in the Ministry of Culture's CinemaDays initiative are offering tickets for just €3.

As cinema audiences in Italy dwindle, the government, together with the film industry, is attempting to boost box offices with a total of 15 days of cut-price movie tickets between April and October this year. 

The offer will be repeated for an entire week in the summer (July 9th to 15th), as well as another four days in the autumn (October 1st to 4th).

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"The world of cinema is united and is presenting a new promotion today to increase the number of spectators, even in the summer months," said Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. "I'm sure it will be a great success, especially with families and young people."

Cinemas in Italy are struggling to attract filmgoers, as streaming services and online piracy make watching at home easier – and cheaper – than ever.

According to the Italian film industry association Anica, cinema audiences fell by around 12 percent last year, from more than 105 million people in 2016 to just over 92 million in 2017.

The figures are particularly bad for Italian-made films, which last year made up just 17.6 percent of total box office sales compared to 29.1 percent the year before. Around two thirds of all Italian ticket sales now come from US films alone.

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Last October, Franceschini announced the creation of a €400 million annual fund for Italy's film industry as part of a raft of measures aimed to "help, protect, and enhance Italian cinema, fiction and creativity".

The decree calls for extra state funding for cinemas, as well as requiring broadcasters to invest in Italian and European productions, and to air a certain quota of Italian-made films and shows in prime time slots.

This week's €3 tickets – less than half the regular price at most cinemas in Italy – do not apply for films shown in 3D, or for special events such as premiers. 

Find your nearest participating cinema here

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