O panorama dos festivais de cinema, em Portugal, acaba de ganhar uma nova força coletiva: a TELA – Associação Nacional de Festivais de Cinema, que foi apresentada publicamente, este domingo, durante o Festival Caminhos do Cinema Português, em Coimbra.
CINANIMA is one of more than 20 festivals that are already part of this structure, created at a particularly sensitive time for the sector, marked by declining audiences and a growing need for coordination between cultural events which, despite their differences, share many challenges.
TELA was created after a year of discussions and joint work between various Portuguese festivals, covering animation, documentaries, short and feature films, genre cinema and auteur cinema. The main objective is simple: to create a common voice capable of communicating more effectively with public entities and partners in the sector, including the Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual (ICA), while promoting a more constant exchange of experiences and strategies between festivals.
The association was created in a context in which many programmers and organizations have noticed a decline in audiences, accompanied by a reduction in independent screening venues and greater dispersion in the way audiences consume cinema. By joining forces, these festivals seek to respond to this scenario in a more structured way, discussing issues that cut across the entire chain, from production to distribution, from communication to audience development.
For CINANIMA, this participation represents the continuation of its nearly half-century commitment to animated cinema and the defense of cinematic diversity. Joining TELA means contributing to a broader dialogue on the role of festivals today, but also strengthening links between events across the country and working collectively to ensure that independent cinema continues to find space, relevance, and audiences.
The formalization of the association will be completed shortly, with the election of its governing bodies and the definition of the first joint lines of action. Until then, CINANIMA will remain actively involved in this process, helping to build a platform that aims to strengthen the entire Portuguese film ecosystem.
