Georgio Gosetti will today in Berlin (Monday) present Film Italia the new national promotional body that replaces Italia Cinema, and unveil the first concrete elements of Mifed's response to the challenge of an autumn AFM.

"In the past we have had too many announcements about Mifed which have not been followed through, and too much politics. We will be opening ourselves to a vigorous process of question and answers," said Gosetti, managing director of newly created Audivisual Industry Promotion, which currently gets Euros 5m a year of backing from the Italian state, Cinecitta and owners of the Fiera Milano.

"We have a new company and a new way of doing things. From now on there is only one body that is responsible for promotion of Italian film and co-ordination of the markets."

Among the initiatives planned by Mifed are 20% reductions in buyers' registration fees, on exhibitors' stand space and a similar cut in screening costs. Further measures will be detailed at the AFM and in the months before Cannnes.

Gosetti also said that Film Italia will be introducing initiatives to provide buyers of Italian films with promotional support at and around the time of release. "Italian films are selling better nowadays and the prices they fetch is improving, but we still need to work on promotional efforts."