Méndez-Leite: “We have finally reached an agreement that Spanish cinema is going through a good moment”

Fernando Méndez-Leite, who was elected president of the Academy of Dinner Last June, he faced his first Goyas at the head of the institution, passing the test with flying colors.

After a brief reference to the creation in Cantabria of the The forest of Spanish cinema, an initiative with which the Film Academy plans to offset the carbon footprint left by the Goya gala, Méndez-Leite had his first words to remember the recently deceased and Honorary Goya, Carlos Saura.

“Carlos, whom I admired as a teacher and loved as a friend, has said goodbye to us, to his viewers, premiering his penultimate work this week. And I am sure that he will already be in those galaxies in the pre-production of That light, his film about the civil war, his most beloved project,” he commented.

The president went back to his childhood, recalling that “I was a child abducted by movies and in my defense I will allege that even then my screen quota was very high: of the first 100 movies that I saw between the ages of six and nine, 40 were Spanish. Since then, I am more than anything else, a movie viewer, who tonight takes a break to remind you what the Film Academy is.”

He also highlighted that “The Academy is a living institution that develops multiple and varied activities of a training and cultural nature.” “We at the Academy are those of cinema, each one with their ideas, their beliefs and their preferences in all areas. An entity that makes its decisions democratically and that collaborates with administrations of different colors but that maintains scrupulous independence and maximum respect for freedom of expression. I have inherited from my predecessor, Mariano Barroso, an institution in progress and with a wonderful technical team,” he acknowledged.

A good year for Spanish cinema

About him moment that the industry is going through, admitted that “it seems that we have finally reached the agreement that Spanish cinema is going through a good moment, a change of cycle that has meant respect from the public, recognition from critics and awards at the most important festivals in the world. . And a notable improvement in the box office results of our films.”

“The pandemic has especially affected the exhibition sector, which in the current circumstances needs institutional and professional support. The platforms have been decisive in achieving full employment of technicians and generate a lot of work for interpreters. But let us not forget that the pleasure of seeing and hearing films on the big screen is incomparable,” he added.

On the other hand, he highlighted the gradual incorporation of women to the most different trades of our profession, highlighting that “three of the five nominated for Best Film are directed by colleagues who give a new vision on stories of now and always. They are films also led by women in production. Four of them are also written by women.”

“The box office of Spanish cinema is rising largely thanks to commercial films that do not usually appear at awards ceremonies, but are of indisputable importance for our industry and for the hundreds of workers who make Spanish cinema. Let us also recognize the efforts of those who make independent and experimental films, who seek new forms of narration, who twist traditional language in continuous experimentation,” he noted.

In his speech, Méndez-Leite wanted to announce that coinciding with the tenth anniversary of his death, the Academy will create the Elías Querejeta Award in memory of the producer who opened more doors to independent cinema in difficult times.

Finally, addressing the political authorities present in the auditorium, he commented: “as you can see this year we are not asking for anything. We are very happy. For the prayers, the nuances and the protests, we will see each other in the offices…”

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