The entertainment company announced the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity in Mexico. This initiative will develop three nationwide programs in collaboration with institutions such as the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) and the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE).
As part of a global strategy to promote inclusion in film and series productions, Netflix will invest a portion of the $100 million dollars proposed in its 5-year action plan in 2021. In an official statement, the company’s co-CEO and chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, declared that “it is necessary to create more opportunities for people from underrepresented communities to have their voices heard and to deliberately close the skills gap with training programs where needed.”
For the Mexican fund, 22 million pesos will be distributed over two years. With the aim of stimulate “future talents” in Mexican cinema, the first phase of the project will fund “New Frontiers of Audiovisual Production in Mexico,” the “Program with the Cinematography Training Center (CCC),” and the “II Development Laboratory for Film Projects for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Filmmakers in Latin America.”
How will they promote diversity in Mexican cinema?
The initial “New Frontiers” program was designed by the AMACC, the institution in charge of the Ariel Awards, Netflix, and Pimienta Films. The independent Mexican film production company will implement the country’s first executive production training course with a focus on diversity. “Current trends, artistic vision, production and financing models, legal and innovation issues, among others” will be part of the curriculum. According to the statement, experts from around the world and Mexico will be special guests of the course and will share their experiences with the 30 participants.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture, IMCINE, Netflix, and the CCC will be responsible for developing a comprehensive teaching program and “masterclasses” at the center’s new headquarters in Chapultepec. “In the fall of this year, a national call will be launched – with a focus on diversity and inclusion – for 30 people from diverse communities in the country to train as production assistants,” the US company stated in its official communication. The purpose is to open up new job opportunities in the audiovisual industry.
In the case of the film project laboratory, Netflix will join as a sponsor of the Morelia International Film Festival and some of its activities. Between October 16 and 20, 2024, within the framework of the festival, support will be provided for film works authored by Indigenous and Afro-descendant filmmakers. The necessary tools for production will be provided, as well as consultations for “budget preparation and financial schemes,” advice on copyrights and patrimonial rights, “as well as recommendations for promotion, distribution, and exhibition.”
Expectations
According to a publication by the AMACC on the social network X, the institution wants to “promote future talents in our industry so that new perspectives reach the screens of Mexico.”
In 2023, 234 Mexican feature films were produced, based on the Statistical Yearbook of Mexican Cinema produced by IMCINE. However, only 7 of them were directed by Indigenous and Afro-descendant filmmakers, which translates to only 3%. Netflix’s collaboration with national institutions could increase the inclusion of underrepresented perspectives in Mexico’s audiovisual industry.