Interview: Carlo Cresto-Dina • Producer, Tempesta - “A Shrinking Number of Players Now Decide Which Stories Are Told, How and by Whom” - Indie Producer Focus/Italy

Key Takeaways

• Producers must act as co‑creators, not just financiers
• “Original producer” concept seeks legal protection of creative IP
• Investment predators bypass producers, threatening storytelling diversity
• Public funding should nurture innovative, small‑scale ideas
• Festival labs risk homogenizing European auteur cinema

Pulse Analysis

The European audiovisual sector is increasingly concentrated, with a few capital‑rich entities dictating which narratives reach screens. Cresto‑Dina’s interview reframes the producer’s role from a logistical overseer to the "person who manages the collective creative process" that births a film or series. By coining the term "original producer," he highlights the need for legal frameworks that protect the intellectual property generated at the project's inception, preventing aggressive financiers from commandeering creative value.

This consolidation has birthed what Cresto‑Dina calls "investment predators"—funds that sidestep producers, dealing directly with talent and imposing cost‑driven, formulaic production models. The result is a loss of narrative biodiversity, as only projects that fit mass‑market templates receive backing. Simultaneously, audience behavior has shifted: viewers now select titles before deciding to attend cinemas, turning film consumption into a targeted, opportunistic act. While European co‑production offers cross‑border financing, Cresto‑Dina argues that constraints can be turned into creative opportunities when producers embrace collaboration rather than view them as barriers.

To counteract these trends, Cresto‑Dina advocates for patient public capital that funds not just projects but the innovative companies behind them, preserving the "original producer" role. Strengthening the producer‑author relationship can generate authentic storytelling that resonates beyond festival circuits. Initiatives like the European Producers Club, which pushes for producer visibility at festivals, signal a growing recognition of producers as essential creative partners. If industry stakeholders adopt these reforms, European cinema can regain its forest‑like diversity rather than becoming a plantation of homogenized content.