Spanish exhibitors are calling for the government to urgently award €14.5m that had been promised to the sector in the face of a 6% decline in admissions in 2024.
FECE, the federation representing 80% of Spain’s exhibitors, said they hoped it will be paid in 2025 and that future public support is guaranteed to help the country’s cinemas emerge from the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic.
“This aid is key to guarantee the survival of cinemas… for a sector that is essential for promoting culture and film diversity,” said FECE in a statement.
The organisation is also calling for the swift approval of Spain’s new Film Law and to bear in mind the needs of the exhibition sector in its regulations.
The latest iteration of Spain’s Film Law, which regulates all sectors of the industry, is expected to be approved in 2025 according to culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, who pinpointed the delay on the fragmented composition of the Spanish parliament, which necessitated “a lot of negotiating”.
The existing Film Law dates back to 2007.
Admissions take a hit
FECE figures have revealed how the 6% decrease in admissions resulted in a 3% decline compared to 2023 in 2024’s total box office of €489m
The highest-grossing film was Disney’s Inside Out 2 (€45.5m) and the highest grossing Spanish film was Sony’s comedy Father There Is Only One 4 (€13.4m) directed by local star Santiago Segura
Spanish productions garnered a 19% share of the annual box office, 2% more than they did in 2023, according to FECE, while in terms of Spain’s autonomous communities, Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia registered the highest admissions.
When it comes to the number of cinemas operating in the country, numbers are stable with a total of 752 theatres and 3,560 screens.
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