21/12/2010

The Annual Independent Producers’ Meeting organised by the sector’s leading association, FAPAE (see news), was the event chosen by ICAA director general Carlos Cuadros to outline the plan of action for 2011, which is characterised by continuity and resistance to the harsh economic climate.

In his speech, he spoke firstly of the cuts that will hit the institution, whose 2011budget will be €77m (€6.5m less than in 2010 – see news). Moreover, he emphasised the “need to boost the position of producers, distributors and exhibitors in the new digital environment” and he confirmed that collaboration plans are being considered with the autonomous regions for the digitisation of theatres.

On the other hand, the ICAA continues to work on various different fronts, such as calculating the number of viewers for the Ministerial Order that regulates film funding; the extension of tax incentives; and the application of new measures to avoid gender discrimination.

Worthy of special mention is the attention paid to piracy, which he described as “Theft with a capital t”. "We must curb this drain on the industry in Spain due to the theft of cultural content on the Internet", he added.

These comments, which struck a chord with producers, who are among those most affected by this phenomenon, are particularly topical, for today December 21 there will be a vote on the anti-piracy legislation known as the Sinde Law (named after Culture Minister Ángeles González Sinde), which has been the subject of heated controversy (see news on its passage through Parliament).

Cuadros has deliberately kept a low profile in his first months at the helm of the ICAA, after the turbulent time of his predecessor, Ignasi Guardans, who had to leave the post two months ago (after only 18 months in the role – see news) after losing the Culture Minister’s trust. Guardans’s direct and controversial style and his omnipresence in the media have been replaced by Cuadros’s much more institutional and discreet profile.

(Translated from Spanish)