This text is dedicated to the very rich ecosystem of small or medium-sized film festivals, – niche, generalist or thematic – competitions, exhibitions or film panoramas that have been taking place in Spain for decades. We all perform essential functions in the value production chain of the film industry. However, we are one of the most fragile links in the country's audiovisual ecosystem. Our survival is becoming increasingly difficult.

At this present moment, so complex and delicate for the industry, after the global post-pandemic decline in audience figures, we want to raise our voices in defence of these festivals and panoramas and, to this end, we have drafted a decalogue of reasons that shows why we are so relevant to the film industry:

1. We serve to filter, curate, enrich and add meaning to the cinematographic offer.

2. We are prescribers of content; therefore, we are increasingly necessary so that the public can orient themselves before the vast audiovisual production.

3. We serve as a test laboratory for some films because, in many cases, we provide them with a first contact with the public and we are the place where they get distribution.

4. We give life to many productions that if not for us, perhaps would not be released in the commercial circuit where more films are released, with a bigger rotation of titles and a shorter stay in theatres.

5. We are part of the economic circuit of amortization of productions, since we start or extend the commercial life of films.

6. Without overlooking their merit, we are an important source of income for film distributors and sales agents, who, by licensing films in multiple festivals of this kind they obtain greater promotion and can try to compensate for the box office drops.

7. Our diversity and high degree of specialization give greater visibility to all kinds of genres, facilitating the access of the audience to other stories and to more diverse points of view.

8. We are a meeting point for the industry and an oasis for the public that leaves their worries away for a moment to let themselves be carried away by the magic of cinema.

10. We offer initiatives that contribute to reversing territorial inequality and strengthen the role of culture as a driver of fair and sustainable development, since, among other things, we generate diverse, specialized and delocalized jobs.
11. Beyond the economic and cultural impact, our activities also generate social impact and pride of belonging to; and, consequently, we promote citizen and territorial cohesion.

After this plea, all that remains for us to say is... keep supporting us!

Carlota Álvarez Basso and Diego Mas Trelles

Directors of the Madrid Films by Women Festival

September 2025