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Anica Academy ETS, born with the primary goal of organizing specialized training programs in cinema and audiovisual arts, has organized the first Intimacy Coordinator course in Italy, thanks to Sky Italia, with Sky Studios support and Netflix as creator of the initiative.
During a panel titled Discovering a new professional role in Italy: the Intimacy Coordinator, on the first day of Mia (Rome, 9-13 October), the president of Anica, Francesco Rutelli presented the initiative with Piera Detassis, President and Artistic Director of the Italian Academy of Cinema - David di Donatello Awards. The speakers of the panel talked about the importance of this new figure on the set. Chiara d'Alfonso, Head of Production Italy at Netflix, Luisa Lazzaro, Certified Intimacy Coordinator and Erica Negri, Head of Commissioning at Sky Studios Italia have sponsored the course in order to have more professionals in Italy.
Kate Lush, Intimacy Coordinator and co-founder of Safe Set explained the role of the intimacy coordinator: “Internationally, the role of the intimacy coordinator on set has become commonplace, with many streaming service providers and channels mandating their inclusion on any set with intimate content. However, to meet this demand locally has presented problems as most training providers for intimacy coordination are based in the US which has meant access to high quality training has been financially prohibitive. Safe Sets, a global intimacy coordination company and IC training provider has teamed with Anica Academy to bring IC training to Italy which is both culturally appropriate whilst still being of an international standard, thus appropriately training additional Intimacy Coordinators in the Italian film and TV industry to meet the needs of both local and international productions”.
The debate explored the nature and operations of this role on sets, its responsibilities, and the factors that led to the need for this professional position. Examples of film or television productions involving Intimacy Coordinators were shared. Additionally, drawing from the guests' personal experiences, the panel discussed the benefits of having an Intimacy Coordinator on set and how this role ensures safety, comfort, and respect during intimate scenes while preventing instances of abuse or harassment. Challenges and controversies that this role might face in Italy were also analyzed, along with discussions on how it could be integrated into the Italian audiovisual industry. The crucial role of institutions and industry bodies in promoting this profession was highlighted as well.