Founded by Riccardo Tozzi in 1997, Cattleya has quickly become Italy's leading independent theatrical producer. In 1999 Giovanni Stabilini and Marco Chimenz joined the company, which expanded its domestic and international film production slate and began television production activities. In 2000 the publishing and media group De Agostini and the financial group of SanPaolo IMI Private Equity joined Cattleya as minority partners. Cattleya has established strong ties with the most prestigious Italian writers and directors and selected those with the strongest commercial potential. The company’s Production plan for 2006-2008 relies on projects involving many of Italy’s most important directors.

Aurelio De Laurentiis founded FILMAURO in 1975 with more than 300 films to its credit in terms of production and distribution. He is the mind behind some series of movies that have been real blockbusters. Most recent hits include Natale sul Nilo, Christmas in Love, Manuale d’Amore, and Il mio miglior nemico (My best enemy). He has also co-produced French films such as Tais Toi and Les Rivières Pourpres 2, and is now developing various international projects, such as Io Uccido (based on Giorgio Faletti’s best-seller), I Beati Paoli (based on Luigi Natoli’s novel) and The Empire of Dragons (based on Valerio Manfredi’s best-seller).

FILMAURO not only finances films, but also has its own distribution house and home video distribution system.

From 1993 to 2003 Aurelio De Laurentiis was President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF, 26 member countries) and was then made Honorary President for life.

RAI Cinema was set up in December 1999 and has become fully operational since June 1st, 2000 through the creation from the holding RAI of the corporate branch in charge of purchasing films and fiction programmes on the national and international markets and also in charge of the production and distribution activities.