Italian film industry rocked by ‘fantasy film’ linked to American director sought in double murder

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME The head of the Italian Beliefs Ministry s film department resigned Thursday following revelations that an American film director accused in a double homicide had secured nearly million in tax credits from the ministry for a film he never made The Society Ministry disclosed the resignation of Nicola Borrelli in a brief comment overnight thanking him for his utility Related Articles California couple convicted in death of her -year-old daughter Driver suspected of intentionally running down killing California motorcyclist She fought Oakland murder incident as her fitness worsened in jail By the end she d been paralyzed but won freedom Judge denies bid by the suspect in Tupac Shakur s killing for a new trial in a jailhouse fight No remorse Union City police arrest woman suspected of drowning her newborn It didn t provide a reason But the controversy over the fantasy film tax credits erupted soon after Greek officials on the island of Skiathos arrested the California-born Francis Kaufman last month on a European arrest warrant issued by Italy Italian prosecutors have accused Kaufman in the deaths of an infant girl and her mother whose bodies were revealed naked in Rome s Villa Pamphili park on June Kaufman who was using the alias Rexal Ford is currently awaiting extradition to Italy State-run RAI television has declared that he advised Italian prosecutors via video call that he was innocent but declined to answer further questions without a lawyer The Lifestyle Ministry has proven that Kaufman using the alias Ford and his Tintangel Films LLC company had obtained the tax credit for a film Stelle della Notte Stars of the Night that was never made The confirmation came in a message last week in which the ministry certified it had handed over to prosecutors all the documentation it had in connection with the film a co-production with an Italian firm Coevolutions Srl Italian media have published ministry documentation showing that Stelle della Notte had obtained euros in tax credits in Such tax credits are a regular part of the financial incentives Italy gives to filmmakers to produce and distribute films in the country On Wednesday Beliefs Minister Alessandro Giuli advised lawmakers that the ministry was cooperating fully with prosecutors noting that he had personally accompanied the police when they arrived at the ministry June to seize the material In an appearance in the Senate chamber Giuli acknowledged a long-standing obstacle in the ministry of financing and tax credits for projects that never get made No more fantasy films he vowed The resignation of Borrelli was the second earthquake this week in the Italian film industry following the resignation over the weekend of the head of the storied Cinecitta film studio Chiara Sbarigia Sbarigia mentioned in a comment that she was stepping down to concentrate on her other job as president of Italy s audio-visual producers association Italian media and lawmakers had blasted her dual jobs as a conflict of interest a claim that she and Giuli have denied