For a long time in Italy, summer was considered an unfavorable season for cinema. Between June and August, many movie theaters remained closed and distribution tended to be reduced to a minimum. The films shown were often second-run, with low box office expectations, and rarely coincided with the most important new releases. This situation was the result of established habits and cultural as well as practical factors. On one hand – industry insiders thought – there was the reluctance of the public to spend summer evenings at the cinema, preferring to move around and stay outdoors during the cooler hours of the day; on the other, the programming of summer arenas, which for decades offered almost exclusively titles from the previous season, ended up reinforcing the idea that the hottest months were suitable only for films to catch up on and not for new releases. The Italian film industry thus supported this model, systematically postponing major U.S. releases to autumn or winter – in some cases, this delay was justified by the technical time needed for dubbing, but often the choice was dictated by distributors’ fear that the most anticipated films would not perform well enough during the summer months. This phenomenon contributed over the years to a sort of halt of Italian cinema during summer. But now, the trend seems to have undergone a sharp change, with the sudden success of open-air cinemas.
In much of the Western world, summer film programming does not stop – quite the opposite. Hollywood realized the potential of the hottest season exactly thirty years ago, with the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Thanks also to a plot in line with the seaside atmosphere, the film managed to attract a huge audience and demonstrate that summer could be a profitable time for movie theaters. That success pushed other distributors to take risks with highly appealing titles and, over time, the summer calendar not only stopped being considered an empty period, but progressively turned into the preferred time for the launch of films with high commercial potential. In recent years, this model has also been adopted in Italy, international distribution has become faster and more coordinated, and major Hollywood productions now arrive in Italy simultaneously with the United States (the so-called day and date releases), so even in June, July, and August, important films have been released. This has had a double effect: on one hand it allowed summer arenas to attract a wider and more curious audience, on the other it slowly changed the collective perception of summer for cinema, transforming it into an occasion for cultural consumption that is no longer marginal.
The very open-air cinemas have evolved. What was once a homemade form of entertainment, often free and promoted mainly in holiday resorts, has become a more elaborate and organized offering, with curated programming and screenings that have turned into true events. In short, watching a film outdoors has in recent years acquired an almost fashionable connotation, particularly among younger audiences. It is no longer just about catching up on already known films, but also attending special screenings, premieres or restorations, often accompanied by meetings with directors, actors, and critics. Especially in certain regions, such as Lombardy, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Sicily, in recent years (with greater momentum after the pandemic) summer arenas have seen a boom in attendance, thanks to the vibrancy of their programs. One of the most significant cases is that of Bologna, where every summer a large screen is set up in Piazza Maggiore as part of the festival Il Cinema Ritrovato. After the event, the structure remains active throughout the season, with a schedule of restored classics, among the various titles, capable of attracting up to three thousand spectators on peak evenings.
In Rome, the Fondazione Piccolo America has now made Il Cinema in Piazza a tradition, bringing outdoor screens to three different parts of the city – from the historic center to the suburbs – with free screenings of Italian and international films, often accompanied by guests and debates. The same goes for initiatives organized by Anteo cinema in Milan, among the various players active in the city. Alongside these are more particular and scenic initiatives, such as the floating cinema in Venice, where spectators sit on floating platforms and boats, or the Floating Theatre – organized by the Rome Film Festival, which sets up a stage suspended over the water of the lake in the E.U.R. district. These examples, among the many present in Italy, show how summer cinemas have managed to renew themselves both in big cities and in smaller towns, transforming from simple seasonal entertainment into eagerly awaited events recognized also for their cultural value. Summer, once a dead season for the Italian film industry, has thus become a very lively period for those who love auteur cinema.