The coronavirus forces the cancellation or postponement of more than 300 filmings

The Spain Film Commission considers it essential to address a broad plan of measures that it will immediately propose to the Government to alleviate the great damage caused by the total stoppage of filming in Spain.

Spain Film Commission, a non-governmental entity that brings together the public network of Film Commissions and Film Offices that operate in Spain with more than 30 members, considers it essential that a comprehensive plan of measures be addressed that he will immediately propose to the Government to alleviate the great damage caused by the total stoppage of filming in Spain and to stimulate activity after the crisis caused by the coronavirus.

According to the data available to the Spain Film Commission, since Wednesday, March 11, filming has been gradually suspended until it was completely suspended since the State of Alarm decree. The entity is preparing a report with data provided by its partners, although it is already possible to anticipate that they are more than 300 filmings canceled or postponed.

The technical processes prior to a shoot are long and complex and require programming that requires a lot of preparation time. That is why the stoppage of filming means only a postponement of the processes and not their definitive cancellation.

It is, therefore, about offering the industry the necessary security and support so that it does not mean a definitive cessation of filming plans already underway and that new projects are not lost.

In addition to the general measures adopted on self-employed professionals and small and medium-sized companies, which constitute the basis of the professional fabric of the Spanish film industry, the Spain Film Commission asks to search agreements with insurance companies and the Insurance Compensation Consortium, so that the cost of cancellation does not fall exclusively on the business owners and professionals affected.

Also requests from the Minister of Culture and the Government an institutional declaration that gives peace of mind to the sector by guaranteeing that aid will not be affected or reduced seeking alternative solutions to aid where appropriate.

The Ministry of Finance must urgently publish the scope of the improvements to the tax incentives and the legal certainty of the processes, with the aim of expanding the percentage and limits of tax refunds, as well as the simplification and speed of refunds.

On the other hand, it requests from the Secretary of State for Tourism and ICEX a extraordinary plan to promote Spain as a filming destination and film tourism.

The institution asks the Economic Vice Presidency of the Government to study the temporary implementation of a general exemption from filming fees that all administrations must apply to encourage new filming through an agreement with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.

Likewise, it is necessary to enable a contingency plan to compensate for canceled filming and have a support fund so that the industry's lost profits do not impede recovery.
The Spain Film Commission believes that the Spanish Audiovisual Hub that it is promoting would be the best tool to develop an integrated and ambitious national strategy.

Spain Film Commission considers that the filming industry is an important and tangible vector of the Spanish economy, which generates quality employment and contributes to improving the image of Spain, its culture and its society. For this reason, we appeal to the sensitivity of the Government of Spain in this extraordinary situation.

Finally, it is essential to also act in coordination with the Autonomous Communities and the Local and Island Administrations. "By acting quickly, Spain can continue its position as one of the most important filming destinations globally. That is the objective of the Spain Film Commission," they say.