On 30 July, Spain’s ICAA – Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute published, in the Official State Gazette, the ruling of 24 July, pursuant to which it has opened the 2019 call for applications for non-genre-specific support for the production of film projects (read more here), which the cabinet had previously approved on 19 July. Thus, as also occurred in 2018, a total of €35 million will be distributed among the titles submitted, and the maximum amount that any one film can receive stands at €1 million. However, this amount must not exceed 40% of the production cost of said feature.

From now until 12 September (at 2 pm) this year, the documentation necessary to apply for said support can be submitted to the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports, in accordance with the conditions published and outlined in detail here. This is the ICAA’s only call this year for general, non-genre-specific support; one call was also announced in 2018, the result of which was made public in December last year (see the news). Eligible projects (which must be Spanish productions or movies made with Spain as a co-producer) will be able to take part in this unrestricted and open call, and the submissions will be assessed based on the careers of their directors so far, the solvency of their production companies and the feasibility of the project, among other aspects – one of the most prominent being gender equality.

Beatriz Navas, managing director of the ICAA, has always appreciated the presence of women in films’ casts and crews, as well as the inclusion of people with physical disabilities. Furthermore, according to sources close to the Ministry of Culture, the ICAA wishes to support and encourage the painstaking and courageous work necessary for the production of animated movies, which ultimately need more time to be brought to fruition.

In addition to this non-genre-specific support for film projects, another tranche of selective aid will be given out in October (intended for works of an experimental nature, documentaries, and projects of special cultural or social value), endowed with a total of €7 million (with a maximum grant of €500,000 per title), the call for which opened on 8 May and ended on 6 June this year.