The automatic incentive awards for international participation are a mechanism established by the National Council of Arts and Culture in Cinematography (CNACC) with resources from the Fund for Film Development, directed by the CNACC, to promote and encourage participation by Colombians in various film events around the world.

This Fund, administered by Proimágenes Colombia, provides incentive awards to participate in a list of nearly 200 events, selected according to their relevance and their potential impact for Colombian cinema.

This analysis covers the period between 2010 and 2013 and presents an overview of the five categories of support for International Participation. It is important to note that this incentive award is optional, i.e., it depends on interested filmmakers applying to an international event from the list published each year and to the Call for Applications of the Film Development Fund (FDC). In addition, it depends on the selection by those in charge of each of the festivals, meetings, markets, or workshops, a requirement for receiving the incentive award.

This policy of internationalization, which began in 2004, has grown significantly over the past four years. For example, the number of selected films participating in festivals has doubled, rising to 93, and the number of beneficiaries of international professional workshops has reached 270, an increase in attendance of almost four times compared to the first 5 years in which the incentive award was granted. In the period being analyzed, a total of 728 incentive awards were granted, with a value of 2,703,054,620 Colombian pesos (US$ 1,431,626,831). In addition to the above categories, this includes projects participating in film markets and meetings aimed at co-production. These indicators demonstrate the recognition of Colombian cinema as an emerging industry.

Similarly, internationally-oriented events taking place in Colombia are supported through these incentives: the various activities of the Cartagena International Film Festival and workshops delivered through Ibermedia.

It is important to highlight that these data only cover the incentives provided through the FDC. It is likely that many projects and individuals have participated in these competitions but are not reflected in this study because they did not receive the incentive awards.

• In 4 years, we have provided a total of 728 incentive awards to directors, producers, co-producers, lead actors and screenwriters, depending on the category and the year in which the incentive was granted.

• In 4 years a total of 2,703,054 Colombian pesos (US$ 1,431,626) has been granted.
• The amount granted in automatic stimulus awards for international participation has steadily grown over the past 4 years. It is worth noting the increase between 2010 and 2011, of 376,843,309, slightly more than twice the total awarded in 2010.
• The participation of films in festivals has one of the highest amounts, since they require greater investment.
• The incentives in the category of film awards were granted for participation in the Academy Awards in the best foreign film section. Feature films at this event are first nominated by the Colombian Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, at which point they receive part of the incentive. They must then be nominated by the event itself. Three films have received the first part of the incentive award.

• 43.01% of Colombians participated in events in Europe, followed by 27.95% in South America, 18.48% in Central America, and 10.09% in North America.

• The data for this graph were organized by classifying events from higher to lower attendance, dividing the events into 4 categories based on the number of people attending, and establishing the number of events for each category, in order to show patterns of attendance.
• 36.34% of incentive awards were given to participate in 66 events where between 2 and 9 Colombians attended.
• 31.68% of the incentive awards were given to participate in eight events where between 20 and 35 people attended, and 23.29% for 11 events where between 10 and 19 people attended. There is a high concentration of participants in these two ranges, considering the low number of events. Slightly more than half of the incentives, 54.97%, were granted for 19 events where more than 10 people attended.
• In addition, 8.7% of the incentives were given for 56 events where only one person participated.

• The festivals in which Colombian films participate the most are those with a Latin American focus. In some cases there are examples where Colombia has been the special guest, increasing Colombian participation in the event. This is a sign of recognition of quality.

• Of the 93 films that received support to participate in festivals, 47 are shown to be feature films and 46 are short films, i.e., the proportion is nearly 50%.
• The most incentive awards were applied for in the fiction genre, with a share of 62.37%, or 58 films, followed by the documentary genre with a share of 30.11% or 28 films, and finally the animation genre with a share of 7.53%, or 7 films.
• The seven animation titles are short films. The animation incentive awards began to be granted in 2010 only for short films and in 2011 for feature length films.

• The presence of Colombian projects in meetings often coincides with events where Colombia is the guest of honor, as in the case of the Huelva Film Festival.

• The funds given by the FDC have had an impact on attendance at the various markets. Greater participation has been achieved at markets where there is accompaniment, through the presence of a stand or by conducting special events where projects can enhance their visibility.
• The Cannes Marché du Film tops the list of markets that Colombians have attended.

• Europe and Latin America are the most common locations for attending workshops.

• 83.3% of incentive awards in Colombia, or 70 projects, are directed to the different events of the Cartagena Film Festival. Attendance at the Festival has been supported since 2012, while participation in the Producers Meeting has been supported since 2009 and the Documentary Workshop since 2010.
• The remaining 16.67% of the incentive award, or 14 projects, are directed to participation in the various programs supported by Ibermedia through the Ministry of Culture.