Buenos Aires wants to be on the big screen again. Within the framework of the Emmy Awards in New York, the Buenos Aires Minister of Culture, Gabriela Ricardes, presented a battery of measures to promote the audiovisual industry, attract international investments and position the City as a creative hub with global competitiveness. The initiative, supported by the management of Jorge Macri, combines economic benefits, new productions and strategic agreements to expand the presence of Buenos Aires on the map of world cinema.
One of the most celebrated news was the confirmation that two great hits from the San Martín Theater will make their leap to the cinema. It is about Cyranodirected by Maxi Gutiérrez with Julio “Puma” Goity starring, and Richard IIIin a version by Marcelo Piñeyro with Joaquín Furriel. Both productions will be made as co-productions with private companies, a model that seeks to consolidate the articulation between the public and private sectors in the audiovisual chain.
But that’s just one pillar of the plan. Ricardes announced a 15% increase in funds allocated to the development and production of audiovisual projectsa measure that seeks to expand opportunities for more filmmakers, production companies and technical talents. Furthermore, it will increase the cash rebatean economic incentive that reimburses part of the expenses incurred by productions that film in the City. This mechanism, used in large audiovisual centers around the world, aims to attract international filming, generate local employment and promote services and infrastructure associated with the sector.
In addition to the economic incentives, new features for exhibition and international promotion are added. Buenos Aires, which already has the prestige of BAFICI as a benchmark festival in the region, will incorporate new proposals with high cultural impact: in 2026 there will be special editions in the City of festivals of San Sebastián, Málaga and Sitgesamong others. The bet is clear: turn Buenos Aires into an active showcase of the best cinema in the world, while national productions are screened in those same circuits.
In addition, the BA Film Commission—dependent on the Ministry of Culture—confirmed the signing of more than 20 agreements with film commissions in large international cities. These agreements facilitate the circulation of projects, the exchange of professionals, access to locations and cooperation between audiovisual markets.
The plan also includes operational measures to facilitate production: simplification of procedures, faster filming permits and assistance through BA Set, the program that helps locate sets, manage logistics and coordinate with public organizations. The premise is to reduce bureaucracy so that filming in Buenos Aires is more attractive and efficient.
“We have the agility to generate concrete and dynamic policies and efficiently resolve the demands of an increasingly demanding sector,” Ricardes highlighted. “The City actively promotes audiovisual development by offering a wide range of funding opportunitiesincentives and comprehensive support programs for film, television and digital productions.”
The audiovisual industry represents one of the cultural sectors with the greatest capacity to generate qualified employment.exports and international visibility. Therefore, this new policy seeks to combine Argentine creative talent with global capitals, taking advantage of the urban diversity of Buenos Aires, its cultural infrastructure and its positioning as one of the creative capitals of Latin America.
The cameras are ready. With new funds, international agreements and a strategy that puts cinema at the center of the scene, Buenos Aires seeks to star in its own story of audiovisual growth. And, if everything goes according to the official script, the City will not only be a stage, but also a producer of stories that travel the world.
by RN
