2019 in numbers: Cinema and Audiovisuals

One of the main goals of the Etxepare Basque Institute is to promote the many Basque artistic disciplines among international audiences. Year after year, the Institute uses different tools to achieve this goal. The 2019 in numbers series allows us to draw attention to our work in different artistic disciplines. Today we turn the spotlight on Basque cinema and audiovisuals.

To boost the visibility of the Basque audiovisual sector, the Etxepare Basque Institute works to include the latest Basque cinema productions in international festivals and programs. In addition, Etxepare offers mobility grants so that directors and/or film agents can show their work worldwide. We also collaborate in the internationalization of the industry itself, participating in international film markets alongside other professionals in the field, under the name Basque Audiovisual. The Institute also supports the Kimuak Basque short film program every year.

In 2019, the Institute organized 13 ‘Basque windows’ at some of the most popular international events to raise the profile of Basque cinema internationally. Basque Audiovisual participated in seven marketplaces, including the Marché du Film Court in Clermont-Ferrand, the European Film Market at the Berlinale and the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival. The seven short films included in the Kimuak 2018 selection continued to travel around the world in 2019, visiting 107 events; and the seven short films from the 2019 selection also started their international journey, visiting another 76 events.

In addition, the Institute awards travel grants every year to Basque filmmakers to help them promote their latest work internationally, as ambassadors of Basque culture. Eighteen travel grants were distributed in cinema last year, for a total of 11,797 euros. The projects travelled to events in Spain (1), France (2), other European countries (6), North America (3), Latin America (4) and Asia (2).