The Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster warns of the “uncertainty” of the sector in the archipelago

The last general assembly of Audiovisual Cluster of the Canary Islands highlighted the growth of the audiovisual sector and the real opportunities that exist, although the production companies in attendance showed their great concern about the “uncertainties and risks that can irreparably shake the ecosystem.”

He sector audiovisual was declared strategic by the Parliament of the Canary Islands 15 years ago. A situation that the president of the Cluster, Rubén Zarauza, valoró, señalando que “es evidente el impulso y el crecimiento que ha tenido, sin embargo, la pregunta que nos hacemos es: ¿dónde estaremos en unos años si no somos capaces de pensar estratégicamente y mejorar la burocracia que desestabiliza continuamente la proyección del trabajo audiovisual?”.

La Asamblea mostró de forma unánime su inquietud ante la lentitud de los permisos de Costas, Medio Ambiente o Menores, the Mobility problems and the fines to the sector or the lack of human resources in the Administrations, as well as the inequality that exists between the management of permits on the different islands. The producers highlighted that the sector still has the capacity for growth, but "it comes face to face with a Public Administration that has not provided more resources to the different departments and that is incapable of issuing the necessary permits for filming in a timely manner." The lack of knowledge of the different audiovisual activities and the characteristics and needs of each of them was also revealed, as well as the absolute need to generate a iniciativa para la sensibilización de la práctica audiovisual con las diferentes administraciones públicas.

Otro de los temas que más preocupa al sector es el límite del incentivo fiscal to audiovisual productions, which has generated and is generating insecurity, both for the regional, national and international industry. Currently, it is established that the incentive for all projects developed in the Canary Islands may not exceed 55 million euros per year as a whole. According to Genoveva Ayala, manager of the Cluster, at the end of last year, “some of our partner production companies received notifications from the Treasury with notices about the impossibility of reserving the credit, since the limit of 55 million had been exceeded, although leaving open the possibility that when the 2023 financial year closes, in the month of July, other projects may enter.”

Además, la nueva redacción del proyecto de Real Decreto, por el que se modifica el Reglamento de desarrollo de la Ley 19/1994, de 6 de julio, de modificación del Régimen Económico y Fiscal de Canarias, en las materias referentes a los incentivos fiscales en la imposición indirecta, la reserva para inversiones en Canarias y la Zona Especial Canaria, aprobado por el Real Decreto 1758/2007, de 28 de diciembre, que aún no se ha aprobado, y que pretende variar las ayudas, de Ayudas de Estado a Ayudas de Funcionamiento regionales, “vuelve a abrir un debate sobre la producción audiovisual en las Islas, con connotaciones que podrían ser catastróficas para el sector, si no se modifica el texto inicial y se elimina la condición de efectuar el gasto en Canarias”.