In a country ravaged byeconomic and political disarray just over four years ago, Argentina iscurrently enjoying a film production boom.
More than 70 feature anddocumentaries films were produced in 2005, up from 2004 (54) and 2003 (67).
There are 109 movies currentlybeing filmed, recently completed or in post-production and at least another 47in development and pre-production, according to provisional figures compiledby NationalInstitut of Cinematography (INCAA).
State support in the form of exemptions from duties for celluloid printimports, screen quotas for local movies, state subsidies, soft loans,state-backed local and international promotion as well as co-productions withEurope and other Latin American countries have become the key sources offinancing for Argentinian production companies. As a result of these measures,69 local films were released nationwide in 2005.
The turnaround in production volumes in Argentina has coincided with theintroduction of a new law in 1999 that set up a $ 20m (pesos 60m) annual filmfund sourced from cinema tickets, video sales and rental, as well as TVadvertisements.
The system of state subsidies has fuelled this production boom, butArgentina's financing isn't enough for big productions. The devaluation of thelocal peso in 2002 created conditions that are favorable for co-productions,and this has been very tempting for foreign producers. The growth in filmproduction has also been matched by a wide-range of television andadvertisement activity.
Foreign films like Emir Kusturica's Maradona,Santiago Segura's Torrente 3, PaulLeduc's Cobrador: in God We Trust,Emanuele Crialese's The Golden Door,Marco Risi's Maradona: The Hand of God,Anton Reixas's Hotel Tivoli, andMilos Twilight's Emmanuelle Tango,were shoot in Argentina during 2005.
Continuing this trend, 2006 looks set to be another record year forlocal industry production.
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