18/06/2009

It was expected to be ready within ten days, or a maximum of two weeks (see news). But just seven days later, ICAA director Ignasi Guardans has already sent his proposals for film funding (in the form of a ministerial order) to film sector representatives. This signals the start of the consultation procedure, which should end in October or November, if all goes well.

DVD rentals and sales and legal downloads via the Internet will represent points when it comes to receiving film amortisation funding, which until now was based solely on box office figures. These new introductions reflect the intention to track viewers’ interests, so that, as Guardans commented in an interview with El País newspaper, they can be taken into greater account when granting subsidies, as “behind every legal download there is more than one viewer”.

These new additions will be put on hold until the ICAA has authorised the means of calculating the sales, rentals and downloads.

The above-mentioned amortisation funding, which is the largest subsidy granted by the ICAA (in 2008 it represented almost 75% of the total), also includes a category of additional support, which among other things, evaluates a film’s “objective quality”, as defined by Guardans. This involves taking into account factors such as national and international awards and selection in film competitions.

Moreover, the number of projects to receive screenwriting grants has been limited to 12, while the amount allocated will be substantially increased. It will also be encouraged for the grants to be combined with subsequent development and production funding.

Finally, hitherto unconsidered formats, such as TV dramas and animated series, will be eligible for funding.

To read the full press release sent by the ICAA, click here.

(Translated from Spanish)