This measure is intended to give continuity to the support started in 2020 to the film exhibition sector, one of the most affected by the extraordinary situation caused by the COVID-19, as it was forced to the complete closure of cinemas. Subsequently, in 2021, it faced the resumption of its business activity with significant limitations on seating capacity and a clear drop in public attendance. Therefore, given that its revenues depend on ticket sales, it was one of the most affected sectors and since box office revenues are essential for the amortization of the investment made in production, distribution companies and film production companies were also affected.
Although cinema audience increased in 2022, it is not progressing as fast as would be desirable. Moreover, it is not only the slow recovery that is of concern, but also the changes in the habit of going to cinemas and the fact that viewers are mostly concentrated in the U.S.
For these reasons, the need arises to continue supporting, through the granting of these aids, the activity of cinemas so that citizens do not lose the habit of having access to a varied cultural offer.
According to the call, those individuals or legal entities, including non-profit organizations, owners of cinemas in which between January 1 and August 31, 2023 have maintained a percentage of programming sessions of EU films of at least 25% before September 30, 2023, may benefit from this aid, taking into account that to calculate this percentage, the programming of a film whose original version is in Spanish or any of the other official Spanish languages will be counted as two films.
The total amount of this call is 14,500,000 euros.
The deadline for submitting applications began last Thursday, November 2 and ends on Thursday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m., peninsular time.
The full text of the call can be consulted in the Spanish National Grants Database: https://www.infosubvenciones.es/bdnstrans/GE/es/convocatoria/724000
