Courtesy of a last-minute amendment, Argentina’s film industry survived the controversial and wide-reaching “Omnibus bill.” The bill was threatening to dismantle state funding for the country’s National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA).
Javier Milei, Argentina’s new far-right leader, tried to push through a legislative program, aiming to deregulate industries, extend presidential powers, silence dissenters and reimagine or do away with decades-old institutions, Deadline reported. However, he walked back on his plans to cut the state funding.
The “Omnibus bill” had already been accepted by the country’s federal commissions. While the bill will be the subject of a final debate in the Argentinian congress on Thursday, state funding of cinema is off the table, for now.
The news came as a breath of fresh air to the local filmmakers who have been opposing Milei and his bill.
What’s been happening?
Javier Milei’s bill had proposed the elimination of part of INCAA’s funding.
In Argentina, state funding for cinema works in what locals describe as two “self-funded” cash pots: the first comprises of tax levied on cinema tickets, and the second, cash receipts from a government levy on broadcasting companies. Milei’s proposal would have eliminated the latter, which provides for the bulk of state packages.
Since state awards rarely extend beyond 20% of a local feature’s overall budget, Argentinian projects are completed with the help of private money and international co-productions.
This dates back to 1994 and the inception of Argentina’s Cinema Law. After a prolonged industry downturn from 1993 to 1994, during which only seven local films were produced, regional filmmakers and industry experts fervently advocated for the enactment of the Cinema Law. This legislation is now widely acknowledged as the pivotal catalyst behind the resurgence of national film production. It played a crucial role in fostering the careers of acclaimed new-wave filmmakers like Lucrecia Martel (known for “La Ciénaga”), Bruno Stagnaro (“Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes”), and Pablo Trapero (“The Quietude”).
The protest
In protest, many from across the international film community spoke out about their concern over the new President’s proposed changes to the funding of INCAA and cinema in the country. Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Justine Triet and Isabelle Huppert were among those in the industry who signed a letter (organized by local film union Cine Argentino Unido).
“It would be the end of Argentinian cinema as we know it. It’s as simple as that,” veteran Los Angeles-based Argentinian producer Axel Kuschevatzky (Argentina, 1985) told Deadline of the bill.
“Argentina will go from producing about 200 movies a year to producing a handful, and those films will be supported mostly by streamers.”
Talking about the Cinema Law, Vanessa Ragone, producer of the 2009 Oscar-winning Argentinian hit The Secret in Their Eyes said, “The 1994 film law created the film development fund, making state support for film production possible and activating an industrial ecosystem that strengthened over the years.”
“It’s hard to understand why the government wants to disorganize a cultural and economic activity that is functioning very well. I can imagine that it might be due to a certain lack of knowledge about the sector. Regrettably, the government has not approached the sector to understand its needs.”
The El Loco
Milei has often been called “El Loco” (The Madman) by his critics. He is a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist”. only entered politics in 2021 after a colorful career as an economist and TV pundit. Having entered politics only in 2021, Milei’s aggressive anti-establishment agenda has led to many comparing him with Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil; a comparison in which Milei boasts.
“My alignment with Trump and Bolsonaro is almost natural,” Milei told local media during his presidential campaign.
Since 2018, Argentina’s economy has been in a semi-permanent state of crisis. With the inflation, the country’s economic troubles doubled. The cultural industry is just one part of the country’s ailing system which was set to undergo reforms, which Milei believes would rejuvenate the country.
The Omnibus Bill
The president’s flagship “Omnibus Bill,” a sweeping legislative proposal comprising 664 articles, highlights several contentious reforms. These include the elimination of primary elections, extensive privatization of public companies, imposing six-year prison sentences for individuals organizing protests, and the declaration of a public emergency until the conclusion of 2025. This emergency measure would grant the executive branch the authority to legislate without congressional scrutiny.
Concerning the film industry, the contentious bill seeks to significantly reduce state backing for local films. This involves stripping the National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) of a substantial portion of its funding and cutting financial support to the state-operated film school ENERC. Additionally, the bill proposes the removal of a widely supported screen quota that mandates the presence of Argentinian films in local cinemas.
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