Boost the audiovisual, key to economic recovery, according to a study

Madrid, Jun 15 (EFE) .- The Spanish audiovisual sector has a "strong potential" for growth thanks to its language, an experienced human capital or its artistic heritage, but it must bet "decisively" on the configuration of the Spanish audiovisual Hub ( nerve center) as part of the economic recovery.

These are some of the conclusions of the report "The audiovisual sector in Spain. The creative recovery of our economy" presented today by the Alternativas Foundation and carried out by the economist Raúl Sánchez, who also recommends in this document that the mechanisms must be "reformulated" to support financing and include public-private collaborations in the field of production and post-production.

Among the recommendations of this report is also the strengthening of the "clustering" of the audiovisual sector through the improvement of cooperation between large and small companies; as well as indicates that it is necessary to "expedite" the processing of permits and administrative requirements for audiovisual production.

During the event held virtually, Roberto Sánchez, Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, highlighted that the Spanish audiovisual sector "occupies an increasingly important position for the economy of this country", and stated that it is about which, in addition to being culture, is "a very important part of the new growth possibilities".

He also recalled some of the lines of the Spain Audiovisual Hub Plan (Plan for the Promotion of the Audiovisual Sector), and that it will dedicate 1,603 million euros to the development of the Spanish audiovisual sector and its promotion as an effective territory to attract foreign investment.

In this sense, Mariano Barroso, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain, has criticized that "without independent production there is no cultural perspective."

"With the audiovisual Hub I think we must focus and focus the shooting very well, the essence of our cinema is in helping independent production", he added.

In his words, it is "essential" to support production: "because the exclusive look of who we are and the vision that can be had outside is in independent production, and only by supporting independent production can the cultural perspective be supported and promoted".

For her part, Cristina Andreu, president of the Association of Women Filmmakers (CIMA), has pointed out that in the proposals of the Spain Audiovisual Hub Plan "women do not appear". "There can be no recovery of any kind if society does not improve, and society does not improve if there is no equality," he added.

The report commissioned by the Alternativas Foundation also concludes that regulation "will continue to play an important role" in the audiovisual field, with a special interest in consumer protection, the consideration of European production as a public good or the defense of intellectual rights .