Brussels puts an end to film funding drama
The news so eagerly awaited (by some) was leaked yesterday afternoon: the European Commission will today greenlight the ministerial order that sets in motion the Film Law, and by extension the new funding system, after blocking it in November (see news). Brussels has therefore rejected the arguments put forward by the Filmmakers Against the Order collective and has confirmed that it complies with EC legislation.
Many will breathe a sigh of relief at the news, as it puts an end to one of the most intense crises in Spanish cinema in recent years. The order, which made substantial changes to the funding system, was published in the BOE (Official Spanish Gazette), and therefore came into force without the approval of the Commission. Due to the complaints made by the Filmmakers Against the Order, the Commission had to apply the ordinary approval process, instead of the simplified one, as was expected. The film funding issue had to wait.
December’s funding application call thus had to be postponed indefinitely, since it had no legal basis. Fortunately for the Government and the ICAA, the full order has passed all the checks carried out by the EU Competition Court and can now follow its course without further delay.
In the meantime, Filmmakers Against the Order, a collective that brings together over 200 film professionals, including directors, producers, actors and technicians, are refusing to give in. On the one hand, they are working with the Producers’ Association FAPAE on a series of changes to the order, to be presented to the Culture Ministry. On the other, they are closely following the appeal put before the Spanish High Court in December, when they denounced the legal contradictions between the order and the film law it sets in motion.
(Translated from Spanish)
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