Final event of the EULAC Cinema campaign in 2025: “Values and visions”
On November 5, at the Cinemateca of Bogota, the “De Valores y Visiones” forum concluded the EULAC Cinema 2025 series of debates among EU and Latin American and Caribbean cinema stakeholders. The event brought together institutional representatives, cultural managers, filmmakers, producers and students from both regions to discuss how cinema can drive social transformation, reinforce cultural identity and promotes equality, and how EU and LAC together can make the most of it.
In the opening remarks, Alexandre Mateus, Head of the Trade Section at the Delegation of the European Union in Colombia, highlighted cinema’s ability to bridge continents, while Diana Díaz, Director of Audiovisuals of the Colombian Ministry of Culture, introduced the concept of “bioculturality”, which links cultural and ecological diversity as a new paradigm for collaboration.
Cinema as a Space for Youth and Diversity
The first roundtable emphasized cross border collaboration among young filmmakers, the importance of championing underrepresented voices and the role of initiatives such as the online webportal for professional opportunities in the audiovisual sector Women Cinema EULAC (https://womencinemaeulac.org/en/ ) in strengthening gender equality. The panel featured Laura González, Representative of the National Meeting of Film Students ESTUCINE, Colombia; Pavel Cortés, founder of the LGBTQ Maguey Award, Mexico; Johanne Gómez Terrero, Director, Dominican Republic; Helen Miranda, Director, Panama; Donatella Montaldo, Director of OEI Colombia, and Gala del Sol, Director, Colombia.
Reaching Audiences: Circulation of EULAC Films
The second session explored new models of circulation, audience engagement strategies and the challenges posed by commercial oligopolies in showcasing cultural products in theaters. It brought together Juan Castro, distributor at Latin Quarter, Netherlands; Natalia Polo López, Executive and Creative Producer at DACMI, Colombia; Andrés Moreno Sotomonte, Cineplex Colombia; Gilma Rubio, Coordinator of the “Otros Ojos” education program of the Embassy of France in Colombia, and Alexandra Galvis, Market Director at BF Distribution. All agreed that building engaged audiences is as crucial as film production.
From Co production to Co creation: The Future of EULAC Cinema
The final panel featured Jaime Manrique, Director of Bogoshorts, Colombia; Lena Vurma and Thor Klein, Co Directors of Leonora; Pablo Wong, Director, Costa Rica; and Diana Díaz, Director of Audiovisuals, Cinema and Interactive Media of the Colombian Ministry of Culture. Speakers called for shifting from traditional co production frameworks to genuine co-creation based on early collaborative encounters, empathy and shared artistic vision.
Across the discussions, cinema was reaffirmed as a bridge for cultural relations that strengthens ties between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants highlighted the need to empower new talent through training and exchange programs, to promote gender equity and inclusion in leadership roles, and to innovate in distribution through hybrid and alternative models that allow independent works to reach diverse audiences.
This engagement was echoed in the final declaration of the EU-CELAC Summit on 9 November in Santa Marta, Colombia, where Leaders of the two regions “agreed to work together to maximize the potential of our regions’ diverse cultural expressions, vibrant creative industries for sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue”.
There is no crisis in cinema, there is a crisis in the models we continue to use. Our task is not just about showing films, it's about creating community around cinema.
Alexandra Galvis, Market Director at BF Distribution, Chile
Background
EULAC Cinema is one of the bi-regional initiatives of the EU-CELAC Roadmap 2023-2025, presented at the 2023 Summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Brussels and preparing the forthcoming EU-CELAC 2025 Summit in Colombia.
