Introduction: Rethinking Circulation in Italian Film and Media

This introduction to the special issue ‘Rethinking Circulation in Italian Film and Media’ reconsiders how Italian audiovisual culture moves across borders–industrially, geographically, linguistically, and digitally. By focusing on the complex dynamics of circulation, the essays gathered here trace the evolving connections between production and distribution, exploring how contemporary modes of localization, translation, and platform curation shape the visibility and cultural capital of Italian cinema in global contexts. From streaming giants such as Netflix to curated services like MUBI, and from film festival circuits to independent film-making networks, the issue interrogates how transnational infrastructures of distribution redefine what counts as ‘Italian’ in today’s media ecosystem. Through this lens, circulation emerges not merely as a logistical process but as a critical framework for understanding transnationalism, authorship, and cultural exchange in the twenty-first century.