'Alternative' film exhibition and cultural policies in Portugal: challenges and
opportunities of digitization
Luísa Barbosa: Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, Lisbon ([email protected]) Helena Santos: Faculty of Economics, University of Porto ([email protected])
ACEI 2018, RMIT, Melbourne
'Alternative' film exhibition (non and semi-commercial exhibition) Most developed countries have policies for film exhibition and distribution 'beyond commercial cinema'
promoting national/regional filmographies (EU), and/or
stimulating cultural diversity through cinema, and/or
reducing territorial inequalities, and/or
countering the US hegemony (Hollywood)
Film societies have been the key-players of 'alternative' exhibition
ALB & HS, ACEI, Melbourne 2
Digitization: A new agenda?
* Despite some crisis in film attendance, young people remain an important segment, and in some countries young theatrical attendance has been growing
* Digitization of screens is close to 100% in developed countries. Nevertheless, equipment is expensive, and non-commercial exhibition requires public intervention
* The case for 'European cinema' and the European Single Digital Market
* New possibilities for 'alternative' exhibition (non-theatrical venues, 'community' exhibition, rural exhibition…) – need for changes in exhibition and distributing policies
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Bri
tish
Film
Inst
itu
te
Co
nfe
ren
ce, 2
01
4
ALB & HS, ACEI, Melbourne 4
10.3 M (2% of EU28)
Residents
21.3% (EU28: 19%)
Pop. aged 65 and over
16% (EU28: 17.2)
Young people (individuals aged 15 to 29)
48% (EU 28: 77.5%)
Pop. with upper secondary education or over (individuals aged 25 to 64) (2015)
27.3% (EU 28: 33.4%)
High level of educational attainment (%; individuals aged 25 to 54, ISCED 5-8) 2
01
7 (
exc.
wh
en
men
tio
ned
) So
urc
e: P
ord
ata/
Euro
stat
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Man
oe
l de
Oliv
eira
[Po
rto
, 19
08
-20
15
] (1
99
3),
3h
23
', P
T
Public policies for cinema: 1971 (Minister of Culture: 1995) Main support programs address production A special support for European and other minority
filmographies; and for the internationalisation of the Portuguese films.
Support for festivals (3-years program) Support for the "Network" ("Alternative exhibition circuits";
mainly film societies), since 2004
Cinema in Portugal (1)
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The Alternative Network is not really a network A per year amount of c.100.000€ for c.20 entities Minimum n. of sessions: 30/year Fragile entities, in terms of conditions (space, human resources,
financial resources, programming) Recent strategies: exhibition of (relative) contemporary
(feature) films, and preview releases Parallel initiatives: - Portuguese Cinema in Motion program (since 2012, ICA) - National Plan for Cinema, since 2013 (partnership between the Minister of Culture - ICA and the Portuguese Cinematheque - and the Ministry of Education).
Chaski Group - Communitarian Cinema, Peru
High reputation of the Portuguese (art) cinema…
Theatrical venues all over the country – no programming policies
High territorial inequalities – also regarding commercial exhibition
Cinema is not accessible to all people
Cinema in Portugal (2)
Abi Feijó (1995) Lusitanian Fado, 5’30'', PT/UK
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165
547
173
571
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Venues Screens
Venues and screens, 2015 and 2017 (ICA)
2015 2017
2017 5 screens per 100000 inhabitants Average audience per session: 23 A small market: max. audience/film, 2017: 787 724 (Fast & Furious 8)
33%
16% 13%
13%
21% 4%
N. of screens, 2017 (%, N=571)
Lisbon Metropolitan Area
Porto Metropolitan Area
North Region (exc. PMA)
Central Region
South Region (Alentejo + Algarve)
Islands (Açores + Madeira)
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Note: Digital screens
67%
34%
51%
15%
65%
32%
49%
15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Municipalitieswithout screens
(N=308)
Population withno exhibition
Screens: Lisbonand Porto
MetropolitanAreas
Screens: Lisbonand Porto (cities)
Film exhibition in Portugal, 2015 and 2017 (ICA)
2015 2017
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Coastal vs Inland municipalities: N. of screens, 2017*
* The area of the municipalities is proportional to the value of the variable
Our study (2013-)
Non-commercial exhibition remains poorly studied within the EU, including in Portugal
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Port
o F
ilm S
oci
ety
Mapping and characterising the entities: Who are they? How do they work?
The 'Alternative Network and beyond'
Phase 1: Production of empirical data (2013-2014) Internet search on multiple sources: 558 entities that had organized a film screening at a certain point Phase 2: Qualitative analysis of the entities previously identified
more than half the entities (52%) were left out final sample: 266 entities Entities with regular exhibition: 140 Phase 3: A survey (Nov 2015-May 2016) In-depth characterisation N=75 (validated responses)
43.2; 43%
47.4; 47%
9.4; 10%
Type of exhibition (%, N= 266 entities)
Regular exibition
Events (eg festivals, …)
Both
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Non-
commercial
exhibition +
no
commercial
exhibition
(9%)
No
exhibition
(57%)
Non-
commercial
exhibition
(29%)
Film exhibition in Portugal, 2016: % municipalities (N=308)
See: https://exibicaonaocomercialdecinema.weebly.com/ (English version soon…)
Phase 1
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Non-commercial exhibition (59%)
Non-commercial exhibition + no commercial exhibition (9%)
No exhibition (26%)
Film exhibition in Portugal, 2016: % population
Phase 1
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Metropolitan
Areas of Lisboa
+ Porto (54%)
Lisboa +
Porto
(cities)
(40%)
Other cities
(district
capitals)
(21%)
High density
(municipalities)*
(51%)
Low density
(municipalities)**
(18%)
Alternative exhibition in Portugal, 2012-2014: % agents (entities) with regular exhibition, N=140
* 1500 inhabitants per km2 or more + total population of at least 50000 inhabitants ** < 100 inhabitants per km2 (rural areas)
Phase 1
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Cultural
associations
(not only film
societies) (75%;
N=138)*
Main activity:
cinema (53%;
N=136)
At least 1 session
per month (79%;
N=121)
Alternative exhibition in Portugal, 2012-2014: % agents (entities) with regular exhibition (respondents)
* Broader category: 87% (not for profit) (of which 15% [18] are university students' associations)
Phase 1
Persistence of high territorial concentration:
North Region (except Porto Met Area) as an
exception: 38% of the entities
Only 15% (28 entities) have been subsidised by the Portuguese Film Institute (ICA)
12 entities have been granted since the beginning of the ICA program (2004)
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Some results of the in-depth characterisation (1) (N. of entities: 75)
41
19 15
48
24 15 12
36
61
15
48
27
11 7
010203040506070
Me
tro
po
litan
Are
as (
Lisb
on
+P
ort
o)
Dis
tric
t ca
pit
als
Oth
er
Reg
ula
r e
xhib
itio
n
Fim
so
cie
tie
s
Co
mp
eti
tive
fe
stiv
als
Oth
er
even
ts
Mai
n a
ctiv
ity:
cin
em
a
Cin
em
a as
on
e o
f th
e 3
mai
nac
tivi
ties
Cin
em
a is
th
e o
nly
act
ivit
y
No
fin
anci
al s
up
po
rt
Wit
h f
inan
cial
su
pp
ort
Mai
n f
inan
cial
su
pp
ort
:M
un
icip
alit
ies
ICA
Localisation Activity Main activity(cinema)
Financial support
Film societies in Northern Region: 19, of which 13 outside Porto Met
Phase 3
Urban concentration (and Met Areas) Regular exhibition (minimum 1 session/month) Cinema as the core activity (exclusively or not) No financial support The role of the local government (municipalities)
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Some results of the in-depth characterisation (2) (N. of entities: 75; with formal workplace: 55)
Phase 3
33
11
30
15 17 14
11 10 13 12
8 5 3
05
101520253035
Som
e fi
lms
wit
ho
ut
exh
ibit
ion
rig
hts
No
exh
ibit
ion
rig
hts
…in
Met
Are
as
Wit
h s
cree
n
Use
r st
atu
s: F
ree
Ren
ted
Ow
ned
by
the
enti
ty
Spec
ial s
tatu
s
Ow
ned
by:
Mu
nic
ipal
itie
s
Pri
vate
: In
div
idu
als
Pri
vate
: Cu
ltu
ral
asso
ciat
ion
s
Pri
vate
: Co
mp
anie
s,fo
un
dat
ion
Reg
ion
al/C
entr
algo
vern
men
t
Exhibitionrights
Formal office/workplace (73%, N=55)
Exhibition 'on the fringes' (problems with distribution) Informal conditions (equipment, workplace) Role of (some) municipalities (local government)
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Some results of the in-depth characterisation (3): Human resources 1 (see N - entities)
Phase 3
Small organizations People are related to cinema (skills/ expertise)
16 13
17
24
16
12
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Up to 3people
4 to 5 6 to 10 Up to 3people
4 to 5 6 to 10
People (N=58 entities) People dedicated to filmactivities (N=58 entities)
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63
37 28
35
18 16
86
14 20
67
10
0102030405060708090
100M
en
Wo
men
15
-29
30
-39
40
-49
50
+
Hig
he
r ed
uca
tio
n
Seco
nd
ary
Emp
loye
es
Vo
lun
tee
rs
Fre
e la
nce
Gender Age Education Work
Some results of the in-depth characterisation (3): Human resources 2 (%, N= 203; 61 entities)
Phase 3
Male Young (average age = 38) Highly educated The role of volunteers
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Regina Pessoa (2005), PT/Can, 7'53''
Analysis still in-progress There is alternative exhibition beyond the 'Alternative network' -
Need for a real network (even within the 'Alternative network') Programming policies and partnerships at local levels (public venues all over the territory) Distribution and exhibition policies (Digitization policies)
Precarious and informal practices - Dependency on distributors Audience and community embeddedness International comparison (EU and outside) + good practices
Integrated and differentiated policies
A new agenda?…
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