Guatemala is close to enacting its first film law. On March 10, its Congress will be entering into final discussions on Initiative 5906. If it passes, Guatemala will no longer be one of the few nations in Latin America without a legal framework for its audiovisual industry.
Leading the call for international support of this bill is FIPCA, the Ibero-American Federation of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Production, which has already gathered more than 3,500 signatures, including those of Guatemala’s leading voices: Óscar Isaac (“Frankenstein”) and Jayro Bustamante (“La Llorona,” “Ixcanul”) among others in the Ibero-American audiovisual industry.
“If we want to stop losing our talent and our stories, this law is essential. Until now, those of us who have stood out in the arts have been the exception rather than the rule. What truly matters is normalizing the idea that the country should actively support its cultural industries. Those of us who have found a voice in cinema today have done so largely thanks to the backing of film industries abroad,” Bustamante told Variety.
Said FIPCA president Ignacio Rey: “The Ibero-American audiovisual community is closely following this debate. In Latin America, film laws have proven to be effective tools for economic development and job creation. Guatemala is one of the few countries in the region that still lacks a specific legal framework and its approval would allow the country to fully integrate into international co-production networks.”
“For nearly 20 years, we have been fighting for a national film law. At the same time, we have continued making films — pushing against the tide, attending festivals, winning awards and placing our country on the global stage. It’s clear that with proper incentives and safeguards, we could build a strong, sustainable industry that truly contributes to the nation. We know there is still much work ahead, but we are motivated and inspired by these challenges,” said Joaquín Ruano, president of the Guatemalan Association of Audiovisual and Cinematography and FIPCA representative.
The initiative contemplates the creation of a Guatemalan Film Institute, a Film Promotion Fund, a Film Commission operating as a one-stop shop for international productions, a National Cinematheque and a National Higher School of Cinema, among others.
For Bustamante, whose films have represented his country three times in the Oscars’ Best International Feature category (“Ixcanul,”“La Llorona” and “Rita”), the lack of a film law has been a source of frustration for him and his peers. “The prevailing local mindset remains narrow. There are still claims that adding a one-dollar levy to each plane ticket—paid by foreign visitors—would somehow devastate international tourism. Some even argue that public support shouldn’t go to cinema at all, but to AI instead, so young people can make films that way. It is deeply disheartening to face such rigid, hyper-capitalist, free-market thinking.”
Data provided by FIPCA argues that “regional experience offers clear and measurable evidence. In Mexico City, the film industry contributes around 12% of local GDP; in the Dominican Republic, following the implementation of its film law, the sector increased national GDP by 0.32%; in Panama, the audiovisual sector forms part of the creative industries that represent close to 6% of GDP and in Costa Rica, these industries account for approximately 3% of GDP.”
Said Gabriela Sandoval, FIPCA vice president: “The regional figures are clear: where structured audiovisual policies exist — funds, film commissions, incentives — the economic impact is measurable, as a value chain is activated that goes beyond the cultural sphere. Guatemala already has talent and an international track record; what is now under discussion is whether the country chooses to turn that talent into a sustainable development policy.”
FIPCA led the drive to freeze the proposed changes to Argentina’s legislation which would have scrapped the traditional funding mechanism for its film-TV body INCAA. The petition it sent out, signed by nearly 1,000 Ibero-American film industry leaders, helped persuade Argentine’s congress to shelve the proposal and allow for two more years of public debate and advocacy.
