Colombia y el dilema clásico del apoyo cinematográfico

Abstract

Colombian film has experienced considerable growth over the last 15 years. This has been stimulated in part by the Law of Cinema (Law 814, 2003), which promoted the development of Colombian films, at the point of both creation and distribution. However, the increase in production, and the success of some blockbusters, does not mean that national cinema has become a solid, profitable, and culturally resonant industry. More recently, a new cultural policy, based on short-term economic interest, seeks to attract foreign investment in the audiovisual sector through economic and tax advantages framed in the Location Colombia Law (Law 1556, 2012). This Law is considered a success by the Ministry of Culture, although its revenues have not been proven as sustainable beyond the temporary benefit gained from stimuli to employment and hotel occupancy. The overall development of Colombian national cinema, and the experience of these two laws, shows a change in discourse from cultural policy to creative-industries policy, with a marked emphasis on economic interest over social and cultural benefit.