RAI Cinema Strengthens Its New Global Sales Unit at Cannes with 4 Titles, Including Toni Servillo-Starrer “The Blunder” (EXCLUSIVE)

The new global sales arm of Italian public broadcaster RAI is gaining traction in Cannes — after its soft launch in Berlin — with four new titles to its catalog, including veteran auteur Roberto Andò’s historical drama “The Blunder » with Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”).

In “The Blunder,” currently filming in Sicily, Servillo plays a Sicilian colonel at the head of a motley unit attempting to outwit the enemy during the 1860 battle led by Giuseppe Garibaldi that resulted in the unification of Italy (see first preview). image above).

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“The Blunder,” which also stars popular Sicilian comic duo Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone, is produced by Tramp Limited and Bibi Film with RAI Cinema and Medusa, in collaboration with Netflix.

Other titles added at Cannes to the RAI Cinema International Distribution catalog include – as previously announced – “Of Dogs and Men,” the upcoming drama from Israeli director Dani Rosenberg (“The Death of Cinema and My Father Too” ) which takes place and is filmed following the Hamas attack of October 7. The film follows 16-year-old Dar who returns to his kibbutz to search for his dog lost during the wave of terror. “Of Dogs and Men” is an international co-production between Donatella Palermo’s Stemal Entertainment with RAI Cinema, AR Content and Laila Films.

Additionally, RAI Cinema won global sales for “Adriatica” (working title), the feature debut of Italian actress Greta Scarano starring Matilda De Angelis, who made her international breakthrough in Susanne’s “The Undoing” Bier and most recently appeared in Prime Video’s “Citadel” and alongside Liev Schrieber in Paula Ortiz’s “Across the River and Into the Trees.” “Adriatica,” which tells the story of a young woman named Irene who returns to her hometown to care for her autistic brother, is produced by Groenlandia and Halong with RAI Cinema.

The fourth addition to RAI Cinema International’s slate is the Italian comedy western “Heads or Tails” from sophomore duo Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis (“The Story of the King Crab”), which draws inspiration from a real event that took place during Buffalo Bill’s stay in Italy. “Heads or Tails” is produced by Ring Film with RAI Cinema.

In a statement, Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of RAI Cinema, said that “RAI Cinema International Distribution was born a few months ago and we are proud of all the titles we have integrated so far.”

“This completely new (sales) branch reflects RAI Cinema’s desire to represent all types of cinema capable of reaching different audiences, as well as its intention to support the Italian film industry abroad,” he said. added.

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