James Warren
A PROPOSAL has been submitted to the Ministry of Culture and Sports by Spain’s Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute to help repair the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The industry has been heavily hit with the lockdown, with not only local filming prohibited but also cinema’s closing across the country and production halted on ongoing projects.
Since July however, many establishments have been allowed to open under strict protocols, and the making of feature films has slowly begun to return to a new normal.
In an effort to bolster the industry further, a request has been made for an €11.9 million investment on selected feature film due to be produced this year.
A total of 39 projects will be eligible for the grant based on a points system to determine viability.
Of the 39 movies, 25% will be allocated for documentary style films, and 8% for animated movies.
To reiterate Spain’s push for gender equality, 35% of the pot will be set for female directed projects.
10% has been set aside for experimental productions and a further 5% for foreign projects in which Spain has a minority stake.
The maximum investment per movie will be €800,000, with €300,000 for foreign co-productions.
Among some of the highest investments will be made to movies such as Mantícora, written and directed by Carlos López del Rey, which is being produced by Aqui y Alli Films.
It is estimated that the Spanish film industry has experienced losses of approximately €450 million in box office sales during the pandemic.
