Theaters warn that major cinemas will “die after Christmas” and fear losing direct aid again

This program was promoted by Iceta during the last legislature, but already in the first edition it appeared problems. Culture financed the project with 10 million euros, but about thirty cinemas ran out of money before the end of the planned period – six months – due to poor design of the actors. This shortage mainly affected neighborhood theaters, and some were even forced to withdraw their shows. With Urtasun at the helm of culture, the ministry renewed the programme; This time with a budget of $12 million, it extended its duration by two months and modified the distribution system to avoid initial breakdowns.

In the third edition, the problems return. The endowment is the lowest to date – $8.5 million – and the program is valid for twelve months, until June 2026. With less money allocated over a longer period of time, FECE is already setting an expiration date: Christmas. “Even if you wanted to cover the entire year, it wouldn’t happen,” Postigo said. This program allows people aged 65 or over to go to the cinema every Tuesday at a reduced price of €2, in any of the 397 screening spaces across Spain that have accepted this measure.

Added to the great interest in cinema is another open front: direct aid to theaters that have accumulated problems over the course of two years. Last year, the $14 million allocated in last year’s budget was not distributed due to administrative problems. This year, this money – reduced to 8.5 million – was transferred to the autonomous regions, but many of them have already informed that they will not have enough time to call them up before December 31. If it is not posted on time, the funds will be lost. “I don’t understand that an entire country is unable to distribute this aid when the fair is in chaos,” Postigo lamented.

The President of FECE participated in a working group organized by the Popular Party of Congress, attended by representatives of the entire audiovisual network. The common diagnosis was that the sector was in decline: Spain had 766 million seats, but only 70 million were occupied, less than 10 percent. Theaters have lost 25% of their business since 2023 and are struggling with rising fixed expenses – electricity, rent, insurance and IBI – while revenues are falling.

Cinema law is prohibited

The meeting also aimed to address the status of the cinema law, which has passed two years after its issuance Ernest Urtasun To the Ministry of Culture, and is still blocked in Congress. The project was born in the previous legislative council with Mikel Isita, but it was rejected after the early elections and Urtasun promised to approve it before the end of this year. It won’t be like that. At this point, the initiative has fifty extensions in the adjustment period, although the minister hopes to break the deadlock “in the coming weeks.” Gantz announced that this base falls outside the general siege it imposes on the government. Meanwhile, the 2007 law is still in effect, which is insufficient for an era-changing ecosystem.

The Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) public assistance system, based on a points scale, was one of the issues raised. Jose Angel Delgadodirector of the Saracosta Film Festival and independent producer, condemned regional inequalities and impossible deadlines: In Aragon, regional aid is resolved so late that the expenditures have to be justified even before the final resolution. He also requested a review of some positive discrimination measures, such as the additional score for including a trans person on technical teams. “Sometimes we overload the brakes,” he said.

Estela ArtachoThe president of the Federation of Film Distributors (Fedicine) added that the distinction between independent and non-independent distributors sometimes hampers projects that companies have been working on for months. He also warned about age classifications: “At some times of the year, traffic jams occur; “We always stick out our tongues thinking we can’t debut.” Fedicine proposes to adopt a chain and video game system, where the distributor qualifies under a self-regulation model.

Fernando Victoria de LeciaThe President of Profilm proposed the establishment of a State Audiovisual Council that would coordinate production, distribution, exhibition, incentives and relations with autonomous regions and other ministries. He also warned that part of the European Audiovisual Centre’s funds may have to be returned to Brussels. “The money will be returned because there will be no time to spend or invest it,” he warned. He explained that many thought the initiative was meant to help production, when in fact it was an investment in companies that had a business plan: “And you can’t set that up overnight.”

With regard to tax incentives, Adriana OliverosThe head of the Spanish Network of Audiovisual Groups warned that Spain was losing its competitiveness compared to neighboring countries. France raises the discount to 40 percent if there are visual effects. Italy encourages post-production at age 40; Portugal moves between 30 and 40 degrees; Belgium reaches 42. Spain maintains 30. “While we are discussing, there are places that are doing post-production of our own series. “This brings added value and good job opportunities,” he noted. Oliveros called for a global strategic plan: “We do not need a small sectoral law. “We need a road map.”

Synteca Director, Louis Parisdenounced the high cost of public audiovisual archiving, especially in RTVE and Filmoteca Española. “You can’t produce a documentary about Franco’s funeral because it costs you 3,000 euros per minute,” he explained. He said there was a paradox that the ICAA granted subsidies to documentaries whose producers then had to pay Filmoteca, which relied on the ICAA itself.