The biggest authorial association in the audiovisual field, it represents cinema and TV directors and screenwriters, documentary and animation filmakers, and new media authors. It was born on November 2008, after a long experience as a movement. It has 500 members and its offices can be found in Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Lazio and Sicily. It works to protect the artistic, professional and moral freedom of creativity and to promote the education of new talents and the teaching of the audiovisual language. In order to protect the authors' rights, the copyright and foster the audiovisual culture, it develops several cultural and union activities every year. It has a Research Office that examines the media market, the legal aspects related to the audiovisual industry regulations and copyright; it offers free legal advice to all its associates during arbitration procedures with Rai, Confindustria and Sky. Among its most significant associates, there are Bellocchio, Sorrentino, Virzì, Luchetti, Cotroneo, Rulli, Petraglia, Bises, Contarello, Purgatori, T. H. Torrini, Andò. Its president is the screenwriter and director Francesco Bruni. It's a member of FERA (Fédération Européenne des Réalisateurs de l'Audiovisuel), and it's in very close contact with the most important European authors associations (SAA, SACD, etc...) It coordinates and promotes “Giornate degli Autori/Venice Days”, the Venice Film Festival section dedicated to the authorial world and independent cinema. During the festival, it organises meetings and days of in-depth studies; it actively collaborates with La Festa del Cinema di Roma, Alice nella Città, Cinema Maxxi, Rete degli Spettatori, Casa dl Cinema and supports the fight for the re-opening of Roman cinemas. It supports and collaborates with MEDICINEMA, the ONLUS that promotes relief therapy and the realisation of cinemas inside hospitals.