Montevideo, January 19 (EFE).- The British Film Institute in the United Kingdom and the Cinema and Audiovisual Agency of Uruguay (ACAU) signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday for cooperation in the audiovisual sector.
This was stated by the British Embassy in Uruguay through a statement in which it announced that the agreement came within the framework of the first participation of authorities from the British Film Institute (BFI, its acronym in English) in the José Ignacio International Film Festival (JIFF).
As the Embassy noted, within the framework of “Working JIFF”, a working space within the festival celebrated in the seaside resort of José Ignacio from January 13 to 21, BFI authorities have sensitized their counterparts to “opportunities to access the funds needed to produce co-productions such as the UK Global Screen Fund.
In turn, the statement stated that at JIFF, ACAU and BFI signed the above-mentioned memorandum “to strengthen cooperation between the various actors in the audiovisual sector and the joint production of projects that enhance the integration between the two industries.”
In this regard, according to the document, the UK Ambassador to Uruguay, Fay O'Connor, declared that it was a “matter of pride” that the BFI had chosen the South American country to hold its first convention “in the world” with a similar agreement. institution.
O'Connor stressed that “this memorandum seeks to launch a joint path for training and participation in festivals and to encourage greater circulation of films, including from the independent sector, in addition to co-production possibilities that will strengthen both markets.”
The ambassador noted that her country has “one of the largest film industries in the world” with “more than 200 films annually and more than 16,000 companies related to cinema and television,” stressing that audiovisual production in Uruguay is “growing very quickly.” And the borders.”
For her part, Director of International Relations at the Institute, Agnieszka Modi, explained, according to the embassy, that the Institute’s ambition is to “open opportunities” for its producers “in a variety of countries and markets around the world.”
“Uruguay has a lot to offer as a partner, from internationally recognized talent and film crews, to financial incentives and great locations,” Modi noted, adding that he hoped the industries would have a “fruitful cooperation.”
According to the statement, the “United Kingdom Global Screen Fund” is a £7 million-a-year fund (€8 million and $8.9 million at the current exchange rate) that aims to enhance international development and distribution opportunities for the independent film sector in the United Kingdom. Evie
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