Cinematic Development Company (Colombia)

The Cinematic Development Company, also known as FOCINE, was a Colombian government agency established in 1978, FOCINE was in charge of the Colombian National Film Fund, whose purpose was to design, execute, produce and promote the development of the country's film industry through public policies dictated by the Colombian government. During its period of operation, FOCINE laid the foundations for a new stage of Colombian cinema, which allowed different productions from the country to be taken to international film festivals, obtaining important recognition worldwide and positioning Colombian cinema as one of the most important in America, and the eventual evolution into the Film Development Fund - Proimágenes Colombia. However, according to recent critics, it was considered a closed and politicized entity that only sponsored renowned filmmakers and not amateurs.

Cinematic Development Company

Compañía de Fomento Cinematográfico
Agency overview
Formed	28 July 1978 (1978-07-28)
Dissolved	17 January 1993 (1993-01-17)
Superseding agency	Ministry of Communications
Headquarters	Bogotá, D.C.
Parent agency	Colombian Institute of Culture

History

Background

The first existing antecedent for the development of the Public Policy of Cinema in Colombia is the formulation of Law 9 of 1942 which promotes the development of the film industry in Colombia, generating tax exemptions and facilities for film makers within Colombian territory, which coincides with the golden age of Colombian cinema, led by the Acevedo Brothers who produced most of the film content in the country at that time. However, the film crisis of the early 1950s led to a large part of the large film production houses in the country disappearing or becoming, as in the case of Cine Colombia, exclusively distributors or exhibitors of film productions from abroad.

Around the 70s, Colombian cinema had several feature length fiction films with international co-production, goes through a stage where new directors produced documentary films, specialized in social criticism and the needs of a country that lived in the midst of an explosive political and civil situation, causing the interest of many to create productions that attended world-class film festivals obtaining awards that generated within the country's film circle a concept called Overpriced Short, caused by the promulgation of Decree 879 of 1971 that promulgates a screen quota and tax and customs exceptions for the importation of cinematographic material in Colombia, in this period stand out Oiga, Vea (1971), Chircales (1972) and Que es la Democracia (en: What is democracy?) (1972).

Creation of FOCINE: the FOCINE era

From these experiences that reactivated the national cinema, the government of the then president Alfonso López Michelsen decided to create an entity in charge of promoting the development of a growing cinema but with financing problems to be able to develop it within the Colombian territory, and thus through Decree 1924 of July 28, 1978, the Cinematic Development Company - FOCINE was born.

López Michelsen appointed Isadora de Norden as its first director. She managed FOCINE from 1978 to 1982, creating a series of measures that would strengthen the development of Colombian films supported by the Fund, such as the development loans administered by ProExpo, the management of policies to make imports of film material more flexible, and the promotion of the screening of national films in movie theaters within Colombia, at a time when American and Mexican productions dominated the market for screenings in the country. With the development loan measure, what was sought was that if the producer could not pay the credits for productions, then FOCINE would become the owner of the film and could distribute it, exhibit it, and keep it indefinitely, obtaining the profits to strengthen the Fund.

In 1982, María Emma Mejía took over as Director of FOCINE. During her time at the company, she developed a new model of special credit development for producers with a recognized resume, eliminating the mortgage on productions, changing the program and strengthening the projection of filmmakers who would receive funds in a more flexible way to produce in Colombia. In addition, that same year, FOCINE also became a production company, which increased a series of dynamics that allowed new directors to promote their productions throughout the country and to be able to exhibit them at international festivals, where many of them received important awards, highlighting that the work A Man of Principle by Francisco Norden became the first Colombian film selected to compete at the Cannes Film Festival.

The FOCINE era, although not a golden age in Colombian cinema, marked a milestone due to the enormous success of several Colombian films, despite the fact that the failed promotion of some films caused them to become cult films years later.

FOCINE's decline and dissolution

However, despite the international success of Colombian films from the FOCINE era at film festivals, the box office was a cause of the failure of the Cinematic Development Company, causing that in 1992, while preparing the launch of its last production as a film promotion entity: The Strategy of the Snail, Decree 2125 of December 29 was issued declaring the liquidation of the company that for 16 years had been the home of Colombian cinema. Ending its liquidation in 1993, national cinema was left without state funds, surviving by resuming international co-production, until Law 397 of 1997, in the midst of the birth of the Ministry of Culture, the Fund for Cinematographic Development - Proimagenes en Movimiento was born, which years later would become Proimagenes Colombia.

Between 1978 and 1993, FOCINE produced around 31 feature films, 139 medium-length films, 2 short films and 1 feature film and 11 short films on video, highlighting the works of directors such as Gustavo Nieto Roa, Camila Loboguerrero, Sergio Cabrera, Víctor Gaviria, among others who are today references of national cinema and who years later would promote the development of new policies for the Colombian film sector.

Feature films

Title	Director	Cast	Genre	Notes
1977
Camilo, el cura guerrillero	Francisco Norden			Although it was produced and released before the creation of FOCINE, the entity obtained the distribution rights.
1980
Amazonas: infierno y paraíso	Rómulo Delgado
1981
Amenaza Nuclear	Jacques Osorio	Jorge Ramírez, Lizardo Díaz Muñoz, Lyda Zamora, Lee Ki-Jeong	Action, comedy
1982
El manantial de las fieras	Ramiro Meléndez	Fabián Aranza, Bruno Rey, Tere Álvarez	Action, drama	Mexican-Colombian co-production
La virgen y el fotógrafo	Luis Alfredo Sánchez	Franky Linero, Amparo Grisales, Eric del Castillo, Mónica Herrán	Comedy
Pura sangre	Luis Ospina	Gilberto Forero, Humberto Arango, Florina Lemaitre, Carlos Mayolo, Luis Alberto García	Drama, thriller
1983
Cristobal Colón	Fernando Laverde		Animation
Ajuste de cuentas	Dunav Kuzmanich	Hernando Casanova, Marcelo Gaete, Florina Lemaitre	Drama
El escarabajo	Lizandro Duque Naranjo	Gina Morett, Eduardo Gazcón, Argemiro Castiblanco	Drama	Best Film at Bogotá Film Festival. Nominated for Golden Prize at Moscow International Film Festival.
Carne de tu carne	Carlos Mayolo	Adriana Herrán, David Guerrero, Santiago García	Drama, horror	Best Cinematography at Bogotá Film Festival. Won Best Actress and nominated for Best Film at Fantasporto.
1984
Cóndores no entierran todos los días	Francisco Norden	Frank Ramírez, Vicky Hernández, Isabela Corona	Drama	Best First Work and Best Actor at Biarritz Film Festival. Best Film, Actor, Actress, Editing and Sound at Bogotá Film Festival. Best Actor at Chicago International Film Festival. Won Acting Award and Critics Award at Huelva Latin American Film Festival. Honorable Mention at Figueira da Foz International Film Festival.
Con su música a otra parte	Camila Loboguerrero	Diego León Hoyos, Nelly Moreno	Drama	Best Actor and Best Actress at Bogotá Film Festival
Triángulo de oro	Jairo Pinilla	Jorge Pinilla, Ana Cecilia Mejía, Saíd González	Adventure
Caín	Gustavo Nieto Roa	Armando Gutiérrez, Marta Liliana Ruiz, Jorge Emilio Salazar	Drama
1985
Tiempo de morir	Jorge Alí Triana	Gustavo Angarita, Sebastián Ospina, Jorge Emilio	Drama	Best Cinematography and Best Editing at Havana Film Festival. Nominated for Best Feature at Chicago International Film Festival. Nominated for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at Goya Awards.
Pisingaña	Leopoldo Pinzón	July Pedraza, Carlos Barbosa, Consuelo Luzardo	Drama	Nominated for Golden Prize at Moscow International Film Festival
El día de las Mercedes	Dunav Kuzmanich	Hernando Casanova, Iván Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel Cañas	Drama
Extraña Regresión	Jairo Pinilla	Gloria Ida Bohorquez, Adriana Castillo, Azucena Celimin	Drama, mystery, thriller
Los emberá	Roberto Triana
1986
La boda del acordeonista	Luis Fernando Bottia	Orangel Maestre, Iris Oyola, Natalia Caballero	Drama, romance	Best Original Score at Bogotá Film Festival. Won Best Score and nominated for Golden Montgolfiere at Three Continents Festival. Best First Work at Havana Film Festival.
La mansión de Araucaima	Carlos Mayolo	Adriana Herrán, José Lewgoy, Vicky Hernández	Drama	Best Director, Best Actor, Actress and Cinematography (in a Colombian Film) and Best Editing at Bogotá Film Festival.
El día que me quieras	Sergio Dow	Fausto Verdial, María Eugenia Dávila, Claudio Berge	Drama, musical, romance	Venezuelan-Colombian-Argentine-American co-production. Best First Film, Cinematography and Production Design at Bogotá Film Festival. Best Actress at Cartagena Film Festival. Won House of the Americas award at Havana Film Festival. Nominated for Best Feature at Chicago International Film Festival.
Visa USA	Lisandro Duque Naranjo	Marcela Agudelo, Armando Gutiérrez, Gellver de Currea	Romantic Comedy	Colombian-Cuban co-production. Best Colombian Film, Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay (in a Colombian Film) at Bogotá Film Festival. Best Film and New Actress at Cartagena Film Festival.
A la salida nos vemos	Carlos Palau	Alejandro Madriñán, Abril Méndez, Santiago Madriñán	Comedy, drama	Colombian-Venezuelan co-production
San Antoñito	Pepe Sánchez	Carlos Jaramillo, Ángela Calderón, Nubia Tapias	Comedy, drama
El tren de los pioneros	Leonel Gallego	Manuel Restrepo, Ana María Ochoa, Fabio Ríos	Drama, history
1987
Cronaca di una morte annunciata	Francesco Rosi	Ornella Muti, Rupert Everett, Anthony Delon	Drama	Italian-French-Colombian co-production. Nominated for Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Nominated for Best Director and Cinematography at Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.
El embajador de la India	Mario Ribero Ferreira	Hugo Gómez, Olga Lucía Alvira, José María Arzuaga	Comedy
1988
Profundo	Antonio Llerandi	Rafael Briceño, Tania Sarabia, Orlando Urdaneta	Crime, drama	Venezuelan-Colombian co-production
Técnicas de duelo: Una cuestión de honor	Sergio Cabrera	Frank Ramírez, Humberto Dorado, Florina Lemaitre	Comedy	Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Director and Editing at Bogotá Film Festival. Best Ibero-American Film and Kikito Critics Prize at Festival de Gramado. Nominated for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at Goya Awards.
1989
Martín Fierro	Fernando Laverde	Paulino Andrada, Alberto Benegas, Rafael Chumbito	Animation	Argentine-Colombian co-production
Un hombre y una mujer con suerte	Gustavo Nieto Roa	Claudia de Colombia, Fernando Allende, Federico Arango, Manuel Busquets	Drama
1990
Rodrigo D: No Futuro	Víctor Gaviria	Ramiro Meneses, Carlos Restrepo, Jackson Gallego	Crime, drama	Nominated for Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.
María Cano	Camila Loboguerrero	María Eugenia Dávila, Frank Ramírez, Maguso	Biography, drama, romance	Best Actor at Bogotá Film Festival. Best Cinematography at Cartagena Film Festival. Best Film at San Antonio CineFestival.
La estrategia del caracol	Sergio Cabrera	Fausto Cabrera, Frank Ramírez, Delfina Guido	Comedy, drama	Colombian-Italian-French co-production. Won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury's Forum of New Cinema award at Berlin International Film Festival. Won Golden Sun at Biarritz Film Festival. Won Silver Precolumbian Circle, Best Colombian Film and Director at Bogota Film Festival. Nominated for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at Goya Awards. Won Grand Coral - Second Prize, Best Music and Production Design and 3rd place for Audience Award at Havana Film Festival. Golden Colon at Huelva Latin American Film Festival. Golden Spike at Valladolid International Film Festival.

Aftermath and legacy

Currently, the entity that survived the liquidation of FOCINE is the Fundación Patrimonio Fílmico Colombiano (en:Colombian Film Heritage Foundation), which was founded in 1986 as an initiative of the former FOCINE, with the District Cinematheque, Cine Colombia and the former Inravisión (today RTVC).