© FICC, 2025

[Main image: Panel discussion with Benoît Thimister, General Secretary of Les Grignoux cinemas; David Montenegro, Head of Programming at Cartagena Film Festival and Dominga Sotomayor, filmmaker.]

More than twenty talents and professionals travelled from the EU to Colombia to take part in the 64th edition of the Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI). As part of the delegation — which showcased 90 EU productions and co-productions — a highlight was the audiovisual policy roundtable “Right to See: The Collective Experience of Film as a Democratic Act”.

The panel brought together perspectives from both Latin America and Europe to explore the diverse social dynamics that emerge around collective film experiences. It examined how cinema can foster new ways of being and coming together across different cultural contexts.

Benoît Thimister, representing the Europa Cinemas network and the Belgian cinema group “Les Grignoux”, reflected from a European perspective on the importance of infrastructure and community-based models that support inclusive cinema practices.

Chilean filmmaker Dominga Sotomayor contributed insights on mixed audiences during screenings, the political dimension of programming films that are accessible to all, and the systems that enable audience networks and alliances for film dissemination. The panel was moderated by David Montenegro, Head of Programming at the Cartagena International Film Festival.

Also invited by the EU-LAC Cinema campaign coordinated by the European External Action Service, German producer Michael Henrich provided support and advice to emerging Colombian directors participating in the Opera Prima Lab. Dennis Ruh, Director of the festival “Seriously Berlin”, offered Latin American producers valuable insights into the European market during his lecture: Coproducing and Distributing in the European Market: How to Navigate International Film Markets and Festivals.

Background

The European authors’ participation to the FICCI is linked to the values and objectives of the initiative EU-LAC Cinema: promoting audio-visual cooperation on youth, gender and diversity.

EU-LAC Cinema is a multi-stakeholder, dynamic initiative designed to foster cooperation between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) through the powerful medium of cinema. Spanning 2024–2025, the activities of this initiative celebrate diversity, gender equality, youth empowerment, and cultural exchange by supporting a wide range of actions in the cinema and audiovisual sector. From training workshops, film screenings, and festivals to co-production initiatives and professional networking events, EU-LAC Cinema promotes shared values and strengthens creative ties across continents.