The opening of the tenders takes place after the publication, today, in the Official Gazette of the Government ordinance that authorizes the ICA to distribute support in a total amount of 29.65 million euros until 2028, within the framework of financial resources and the forecast of multi-annual charges.

For 2023, according to the diploma, the amount foreseen is 4.9 million euros, while for 2024 the established value is 12.8 million. The following year, the figure is 7.5 million euros, and in 2026, 3.9 million. For 2027, the ordinance defines 377,5 euros and for the following year 50 thousand.

The annual declaration of priorities for the year of 2023, "prepared the suggestions and contributions collected by the ICA from the agents of the cinema and audio-visual sector", which foresees, within the scope of support for film creation and production, a financial reinforcement in all areas, in relation to the values of 2022, between 4.6%, for the finalisation support program, and the 11.1% for support for the production of animated short films.

The support for the production of the first fiction feature films, with applications until the June 01, has a reserved amount of 1.95 million euros, the same for the support of second fiction feature films, where the competition deadline is the 9 November.

To support short fiction films there is a total of 695 thousand euros. The contest runs through to September 21.

The animation cinema has an amount of 1.05 million for feature films, with the competition open until August 03, and one million euros for the 'shorts', with applications open until June 15.

The support for first documentaries (applications until 13 July) and second documentaries (23 November) foresees, for each of these competitions, the amount of 570 thousand euros.

In the case of automatic support, awarded mainly according to box office results of previous productions, for new cinematographic works of short or feature film, the competition reserves a total of 800 thousand euros, which "may be applied in one or more investment projects". Applications close on May 16.

The writing and development of works for cinema has an overall amount available of 650 thousand euros, and the competition is open until May 25.

There are 1.6 million for international co-production, with Portuguese minority participation (until June 06), and 500 thousand euros for co-production with Portuguese-speaking countries (until August 31).

According to the declaration of priorities, a competition will also be opened under the Luso-Brazilian Protocol, in the amount of 350 thousand euros, reactivating support for the co-production of fiction and documentary feature films between the two countries, "after four years".

The support for the distribution of national works in Portugal has 500 thousand euros (applications until December 31), the same amount for the support for the distribution of national, European and other works with less than 5% of the marked quota (until July 06).

Support for the exhibition totals 550 thousand euros, with applications until May 30.

Within the scope of support for audio-visual creation and production, there are reinforcements, in relation to the values of 2022, of 8.7%, in the area of writing and development (singular), with more 22 thousand euros, and 44.1%, for production support (fiction and documentary), with a reinforcement of the overall amount of the competition by another 1.5 million euros, as stated in the declaration of priorities.

In this area, according to the ICA, the "increases aim to meet the maximum percentage of 30.0% of support for audio-visual", provided for in the law, representing this year "28.8%, the highest ever".

In the set of calls announced today, the ICA "does not open the Support Program for Audio-visual Innovation with a view to its future reformulation".

The 29.65 million euros foreseen in the diploma published today represents an increase of about six million euros compared to the 2022 tenders (which totalled 22.9 million euros).

The growth in ICA revenues stems, in part, from the levying of the fee applied to operators of on-demand audio-visual services by subscription, such as streaming platforms.

Information on all competitions is available on the ICA website at https://ica-ip.pt/pt/concursos/2023/.