General production aid granted to twenty feature film projects

This is the first call made in accordance with the new financing system, established after the modification of Law 55/2007, on Cinema, based on the application of objective criteria

The Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) has published on its website web the Resolution granting the first selection procedure for general aid for the production of project-based feature films.

A total of 20 projects have been beneficiaries of this general aid, which have received, depending on the score obtained by them, amounts ranging from 1.4 million euros (maximum amount to be received per project, according to the call) to 298,741.37 euros.

This is the first call made in accordance with the new financing system, established after the modification of Law 55/2007, on Cinema, based on the application of objective criteria, which address, among other aspects, the economic and financial viability of the project, its innovative nature, its dissemination, the Spanish and European cultural relevance, the technical solvency of the beneficiary companies and the socioeconomic impact of the investment made in Spain.

Of the total amount of the budget provision foreseen in the call, 30 million euros, the amount of 20 million euros has been allocated to this first procedure, with 10 million euros being reserved for the second selection procedure.

The deadline for submitting applications in the second selection procedure is 15 business days from the day following the publication of this Resolution.

Selective aid

The granting of the call for selective aid for the production of feature films on projects for the 2016 financial year has also been published on the ICAA website.

This aid is directed at feature film projects produced by independent companies that have a special cinematographic, cultural or social value, that are documentary in nature or that incorporate new filmmakers.

41 projects have been beneficiaries, of which 18 are documentaries. The amounts awarded, depending on the scores obtained by them, range from 392,370 euros (maximum amount to be received per project, according to the call) to 24,479 euros.

The total amount of the budget allocation allocated to this aid has been 7 million euros, of which 1,050,206.31 euros have been allocated to documentary projects, in compliance with the provisions of the call that requires a minimum of 15% and a maximum of 25% of said allocation to be reserved for them.

The projects have been evaluated by the ICAA and the Commission for Aid to the Production of Feature Films and Short Films. In a first phase, the ICAA has evaluated them based on objective criteria referring, among others, to their cultural nature, the experience of the producer, the participation and awards obtained in festivals by the producer, the economic-financial solvency of the project and the socioeconomic impact of the investment made in Spain.

In a second phase, the aforementioned Commission has assessed the adequacy of the budgets to the projects and the financing plans provided by the requesting companies. And in the third phase, the quality and artistic value of the scripts has been assessed.