Happy Monday, Creative Army!

Stage 32 Managing Director Amanda Toney and I had the honor of representing Stage 32 at the 43rd Torino Film Festival and Torino Film Industry in Torino, Italy. And let me tell you: Italy is not just open for business, they are hungry to create more opportunities for filmmakers around the world — and Stage 32 is right in the center of it.

How This All Started

This relationship began months ago at our Stage 32 Film Commission VIP event in Cannes. What started as a conversation has now grown into real, tangible partnerships with film commissions and organizations across Italy and beyond — partnerships designed to create jobs, attract productions, strengthen training pipelines, and open doors for our global community.

Opening Night at Torino

The opening night gala was pure class. Tributes to Paul Newman, Spike Lee, Antonio Banderas, Jacqueline Bisset, and the iconic Dolph Lundgren set the tone for a week that honored film history while looking boldly toward the future.

My thanks to Paolo Manera, Director of the Torino Piemonte Film Commission, for inviting me as his guest and putting Stage 32 front and center at the festival. Paolo is one of the true gentlemen of this business and one of the most forward-thinking leaders I’ve met.

Film Commissions Are Stepping Up

Throughout the week, I met with film commissioners from all across Italy — and let me be straight with you:

The commitment to attracting productions is real, aggressive, and more progressive than anything I’ve seen lately.

This is the kind of environment where opportunities aren’t something you wait for; they’re something you create. And I’m thrilled that Stage 32 — especially our education and certification programs — is becoming part of the infrastructure supporting these efforts.

Stage 32 in the Italian Press

Two fantastic articles came out during the festival that captured exactly what we spoke about and the energy in the room.

Cinema & Video International – “Stage 32: The Entertainment LinkedIn Looks to Film Commissions”

“The community is the heart of what we do,” says Toney. “What differentiates us most from LinkedIn is that we focus exclusively on creative entertainment activities: user profiles contain project-related materials, including photos, videos, audio, and links to IMDB pages. We also have the Stage 32 lounges, where members exchange ideas, advice, and opportunities on matters related to content creation.”

They nailed the heart of what we spoke about:

• The power of our global community
• The importance of ongoing skill-building
• The rising demand for trained professionals
• The explosion of international production
• And why film commissions are stepping up worldwide

They highlighted our partnerships, our certification programs, our global database, and how Stage 32 is helping creatives understand both the craft and the business.

Click here to read it now!

Italy for Movies – “Stage 32, the platform that connects audiovisual professionals”

This article breaks down how Stage 32 is becoming a bridge between creatives, markets, institutions, and global opportunities. It also dives into the future of co-productions, incentives, streaming, and how international content is reshaping the industry.

One of the central tenets of Stage 32's vision is the need to understand how the global market works . "Writing a screenplay is something that may not change for decades," Botto said, "while what continually changes is the way to enter the market, how to position oneself, and how to make international agreements. This is why we offer a huge number of courses dedicated to artistic skills, but we believe it's essential for creatives to know how to navigate the market. That's why we offer so much business-oriented training that has a real impact on careers." The scenario outlined is that of an increasingly international, expanding industry, with growing opportunities that go beyond the traditional system, in which creatives have access to tools that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

Many creatives, he emphasized, make the mistake of thinking that artistic quality is enough: "If I make a good film, they'll come looking for me ." But today, talent isn't the only thing that makes the difference: it's the ability to navigate the market , build relationships, tap into international flows, and understand industry dynamics.

Click here to read it now!

Panels, Parties, and Real Conversations

Amanda and I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel moderated by Gaia Tridente, Director of MIA Market Rome. It was a packed room full of filmmakers, commissioners, producers, and industry leaders who wanted to understand one thing:

How do creatives stay competitive in a rapidly changing global market?

We covered:

• The value of community and collaboration
• Why training is the new currency
• How incentives and international co-productions are reshaping opportunity
• Why understanding the business is as important as mastering your craft
• The “rule of three” for networking that can transform your relationships

Every conversation — from the panels to the late-night parties — came back to the same theme:

The world wants more content, and the world needs more trained professionals to make it.

Check out this great video of our time in Torino by clicking on the play button below!

A Global Industry With Endless Possibilities

Studios are investing heavily in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Incentives are booming. Infrastructure is growing. And platforms are now programming almost 50% international content.

Independent film is roaring back.

Local-language content is thriving.

Co-productions are more creative than ever.

If you understand how to navigate this landscape, your opportunities multiply.

And This Is Just the Beginning

Torino marked another major step forward for Stage 32’s global presence, our partnerships, our mission, and the opportunities available to our community.

I’ll have more updates soon — including new collaborations, new programs, and new ways for you to connect with film commissions and productions around the world.

Question for You-

What global opportunities are you most excited to explore — incentives, co-productions, international partnerships, or something else entirely?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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