13/06/2007

Over half of the Spanish population (58.7%) describes local cinema as "mediocre or not very interesting", according to a sociological analysis conducted by the Institute of Strategic Thinking of the University of Madrid, through an opinion poll prepared by Sygma Dos that sampled 1,500 people from April 9-16.

The results – which, in the words of professors Timoteo Álvarez and Emilio García Fernández, depicts "the interests of those not taken into account by the draft of the new film law (the moviegoers)" – indicate US cinema as the favourite of 66% of the population, while 56% is open to watching local films. European and Latin American titles follow immediately behind among Spaniards’ preferences, with 26% and 13.4% respectively.

This preference seems to correspond to recent ICAA data (January 1-May 20, 2007), in which US films garnered an audience share of 75.1%, against 23.56% for EU films, including Spanish productions (8.66%).

The survey also shows that 30.7% go to the cinema occasionally, 25.5% an average of once a week and 23.0% once a month. People between the ages of 18 and 29 with university degrees are most likely to go to the cinema, and are also those who seem to prefer North American films. Inversely, people with lower academic levels have a more open attitude towards local films.

Moreover, 47.6% state that Spanish cinema is made for "minorities" and 69.3% assert that audiences should have a say in the public subventions given to local producers. While the controversy surrounding the draft of new film law is far from over, 35.6% attest they are wholly against public financing.