This year’s IV CIMA Congress was titled: Audiovisual narratives from different perspectives: 50/50 in 2025. The first with an international focus, the Congress was held on 6th, 7th and 8th July at the University of Alcalá. CIMA members Josefina Molina, Esther García, Isabel Coixet and Carla Simón – who were awarded the National Cinematography Award – inaugurated the event. WFT Chair Dr Susan Liddy represented WFT Ireland at a round table event: Institutions and Associations of the Audiovisual / Future Challenges.
The 2022 Annual Report, ‘The representativeness of women in the Spanish feature film sector’, was presented at the meeting by Sara Cuenca. Additionally, representatives of European and Latin American audiovisual institutions and associations from conversed about their experiences with Spanish filmmakers. The round tables included representatives from – among other institutions and associations – the Austrian Film Institute, the Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), the Simone de Beauvoir Audiovisual Center of France, the Argentinean association La Mujer y el Cine and the Asociación de Mujeres Cine y TV of Mexico.
The opening ceremony was studded with the presence of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta; the president of the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, Cristina Andreu; the director of the Women’s Institute of the Ministry of Equality, Ana Varela; the rector of the University of Alcalá, José Vicente Saz, and the mayor of the City Council of Alcalá de Henares, Judith Piquet. The First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, attended the closing ceremony together with the President of CIMA. You can watch the inauguration here.
This Congress facilitated essential networking towards efforts for equality. The event also promoted the professional development of women in the audiovisual media, contributed to rethink the gaze in audiovisual narratives and examined the representation and construction of social reality in storytelling on screen. Furthermore, conference fostered collaboration between different countries for the recovery of the historical memory of women in film and audiovisuals. Dr. Liddy represented WFT and its dedication to promote greater representation of women on screen and behind the camera, and to create a screen industry that is equitable, sustainable, and successful well into the future.
The association celebrated at the congress upon registering its first thousand members, which included professionals from all disciplines of the film and audiovisual sector. The main objective of the congress was to start a conversation between the different agents involved in the fight for gender equality on and off screen, and to study the necessary measures to be followed in order to achieve effective and real equality in the sector.
In her closing remarks at the CIMA 2023 Congress, Vice President and Minister of Economy and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, acknowledged CIMA’s groundbreaking commitment and the success of the first international congress with representatives from Europe and Latin America. She especially congratulated CIMA on their impressive growth, as they now count more than 1,000 member women. With her eloquent speech, she emphasized the importance of equality and film for the 5050to2025 goal. Spain itself has already introduced quotas to achieve this goal.
About CIMA
The Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA) is a pioneering organization dedicated to promoting gender equality and empowering women in the audiovisual industry. Through its initiatives, advocacy efforts, and events such as the IV CIMA Congress, CIMA strives to foster a fair and inclusive landscape for women professionals in film and audiovisual media.
Photo credits
Pilar Martín Bravo / CIMA
