Íñigo Méndez de Vigo meets with representatives of cinema and audiovisuals

The new Minister of Education, Culture and Sports commits to the sector to maintain an open line of dialogue and consensus in order to complete the change in the film financing model.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, met this Tuesday at the headquarters of the Secretary of State for Culture with representatives of the film and audiovisual sector. A first meeting in which the Minister has called on them to maintain an open line of dialogue and consensus on the next steps that must be taken to complete the change in the film financing model, approved by Royal Decree-Law last May.

In that sense, Méndez de Vigo has informed them of the general lines of the Royal Decree that develops the reform of the Cinema Law and that will be published on the Ministry's website this week, in compliance with the public information process so that those interested can present the allegations they consider appropriate.

The head of the Culture portfolio has also explained to them that work is being done in parallel on the drafting of two ministerial orders - on Recognition of Costs and on setting Objective Criteria to grant aid to feature film projects -, to close the change in the film financing model in the last quarter of the year, before the end of the legislature.

Finally, he has assured them that in the Budget project on which his department is working there is sufficient financial availability to cover next year's budgetary needs, in which the new financing model (project aid) and the old one (amortization aid) will coexist.

The following were present at the meeting: Ramón Colóm, president of the Confederation of Associations of Audiovisual Producers of Spain (FAPAE); José Antonio Félez, president of the State Film Association (AEC); Puy Oria, president of the Madrid Audiovisual Association (AMA); Estela Artacho, president of the Federation of Film Distributors (FEDICINE); Antonio Resines, president of the Film Academy; Juan Ramón Gómez Fabra, president of the Federation of Film Business Entities of Spain (FECE); Mikel Lejarza, president of Atresmedia Media Cine; Miguel Morales, president of the Association of Independent Film Distributors (ADICINE); Carlos Biern, president of the Spanish Federation of Animation Producers Associations (DIBOOS); Ghislain Barrois, CEO of Telecinco Cinema; Fernando López Puig, director of Film and Fiction at RTVE; in addition to José María Lassalle, Secretary of State for Culture; Fernando Benzo, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports; Lorena González, general director of the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) and José Canal, Technical General Secretary.