The head of the Italian Culture Ministry’s film department, Nicola Borrelli, resigned following revelations that American film director Francis Kaufman (alias Rexal Ford), who is sought in a double murder in Rome, secured nearly US$1 million in tax credits for a film he never made. Kaufman is currently awaiting extradition from Greece. This scandal, involving the unmade film 'Stelle della Notte,' has exposed a long-standing problem of financing and tax credits for unmade projects in the Italian film industry, prompting Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli to vow 'No more fantasy films.'
Italian film industry rocked by ‘fantasy film’ linked to American director sought in double murder
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The head of the Italian Culture Ministry’s film department, Nicola Borrelli, resigned following revelations that American film director Francis Kaufman (alias Rexal Ford), who is sought in a double murder in Rome, secured nearly US$1 million in tax credits for a film he never made. Kaufman is currently awaiting extradition from Greece. This scandal, involving the unmade film 'Stelle della Notte,' has exposed a long-standing problem of financing and tax credits for unmade projects in the Italian film industry, prompting Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli to vow 'No more fantasy films.'
Trending- 1 June 7: Bodies of an infant girl and her mother found naked in Rome’s Villa Pamphili park
- 2 Last month: Francis Kaufman arrested on the Greek island of Skiathos on a European arrest warrant issued by Italy
- 3 June 27: Police arrived at the Culture Ministry to seize material related to the film
- 4 Over the weekend: Chiara Sbarigia resigned as head of Cinecitta film studio
- 5 Wednesday (July 2, 2025): Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli told lawmakers the ministry was co-operating fully with prosecutors
- 6 Thursday (July 3, 2025): Nicola Borrelli resigned as head of the Italian Culture Ministry’s film department
- Resignation of Nicola Borrelli from the Italian Culture Ministry’s film department
- Scandal over unmade films receiving tax credits exposed
- Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli vows 'No more fantasy films'
- Resignation of Chiara Sbarigia from Cinecitta film studio
- Francis Kaufman awaiting extradition to Italy for double murder charges
What: The head of the Italian Culture Ministry’s film department resigned amid a scandal involving tax credits for an unmade film linked to an American director sought in a double murder.
When: Thursday (July 3, 2025) (Borrelli resigned); last month (Kaufman arrested); June 7 (bodies found); June 27 (police seized material); 2023 (tax credits obtained); Wednesday (Giuli spoke to lawmakers); over the weekend (Sbarigia resigned).
Where: Rome, Italy (murders, Culture Ministry, Cinecitta film studio); Skiathos, Greece (Kaufman arrested); California (Kaufman's origin).
Why: Nicola Borrelli resigned due to the scandal involving Francis Kaufman (Rexal Ford) who obtained significant tax credits for a film ('Stelle della Notte') that was never made, while also being sought for a double murder. This exposed a systemic issue of 'fantasy films' receiving funding.
How: Kaufman, using an alias and his company, obtained tax credits. The scandal erupted after his arrest for murder, leading to an investigation and resignations within the ministry.