In recent years, physical\u200d media<\/strong> has \u200bexperienced a surprising resurgence, driven by the meticulous curation and marketing \u2062of 4K heritage titles.\u2062 This\u200d trend caters to a\u200c niche but passionate market of collectors who value the tangible aspects \u200cof cinema. This sentiment \u2064was echoed during the\u2063 Heritage Roundtable discussion at the Locarno Film Festival’s Locarno Pro section.<\/p>\n Despite the \u200bdecline\u200b in the mass market for physical media, there is\u200b a growing interest in\u200d heritage titles<\/strong>. These films, often\u2064 restored to \u20644K or 2K\u2062 quality and \u2063accompanied by a plethora of extras, have \u200dfound a dedicated audience. Vincent Paul-Boncour from Carlotta Films\u200b highlighted this trend with examples of recent and \u2062upcoming releases, such as a \u200dbox\u200d set of Dario Argento films \u200cand a new edition of Luchino Visconti\u2019s Bellissima<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n “Our primary mission is to release movies on \u2064the big screen as a \u200ddistributor,” Paul-Boncour\u2062 explained. “In France, we have a strong market for classic editions. We strive to create the best possible product, with 4K quality and numerous originally produced extras. The quality of the film is paramount. We \u2062are fortunate to have a robust catalog. Now, in France, England,\u200c and the United States, there is a market. People enjoy having a \u2062physical \u200ccollection, like a library.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n One significant obstacle to the release of these heritage titles\u200d is the \u200dissue of rights, particularly when held by American studios.\u200c Ronald Chammah\u200d of Les Films du\u2063 Cam\u00e9lia noted that American studios seem less interested in releasing \u200dmovies on physical\u200d media, focusing instead on \u2062VOD platforms.<\/p>\n Manlio Gomarasca of\u200c Plaion and Severin pointed \u200cout that the situation in Italy is bleak, with the mass market for\u2062 DVDs\u2064 virtually\u200b dead.\u2062 Many Italian films, even those by major\u2064 filmmakers like Michelangelo Antonioni and Luchino Visconti, are more\u200d readily available from foreign distributors.\u200b Gomarasca suggested \u200dthat a more collaborative approach between companies could be beneficial.<\/p>\n “We are competing for\u2063 a very small market,\u2064 so I\u2019d\u2062 like to see\u2063 more collaboration and less competition \u200dbetween\u2063 companies,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe allure of heritage titles<\/h2>\n
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The \u2064challenge of rights and collaboration<\/h2>\n
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A global perspective on physical media<\/h2>\n