The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issues annual incentives for translation and dubbing/subtitling of Italian publications and films abroad, thus promoting the Italian language and culture around the world.
There are two types of financial incentive:
- Contribution to the translation of an Italian work abroad not yet published and for the production, dubbing and subtitling of short and feature films and television series;
- Award to an Italian work already translated abroad.
Applications must be submitted to the Italian Cultural Institute and the Italian Embassy or Consular Office abroad, according to the procedures established by the Call for Applications, which is published annually.
Applications are evaluated by a specific body, the Advisory Working Group for the Promotion of Italian Culture and Language – Publishing and Audiovisual Media Section, which meets at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and assigns awards and contributions for the dissemination of Italian books abroad and for the translation of literary and scientific works, as well as for the production, dubbing and subtitling of short films, feature films and television series intended for the mass media. The report of the meeting and the results of the selection are always available on the Ministry website, at the same link indicated above.
More information can be found at the Italian Cultural Institute or the Italian Embassy or Consular Office abroad.
Exceptionally, for the year 2020 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a further programme of extraordinary contributions with the aim of encouraging the dissemination of Italian books abroad while supporting Italian publishing. The call in question, open until 5 October 2020, offered contributions to foreign publishing houses that between 1 June and 25 September 2020 have purchased (or optioned) the rights for the translation of a work by an Italian author, already published in Italian in paper format, from publishers with registered offices in Italy. Applications for participation may be submitted by the Italian publishers assigning the rights, as well as by literary agencies or agents representing Italian authors.