translated from Spanish: They canceled the Phoenix Film Awards; they accuse missing support

Cinema 23, organization of civil society was founded in 2012, focused on the dissemination, distribution and visibility national cinema and foreign, announced in a press release the cancellation of the sixth installment of the awards Phoenix, due to lack of economic resources of the authorities of culture.
According to the statement, Cinema 23 took the decision to cancel the Phoenix Awards of this year given the lack of response and support of the new federal administration, and the city of Mexico.
Before the announcement of the cancellation of the cinematographic event, actors and film directors, such as Gael García Bernal, one of the members of this Association, Marina de Tavira and Everardo González – director known for his documentary freedom of the Devil-regretted the decision and kick in the visibility and dissemination of cinematographic works generated by this cancellation.
In an interview Animal politicianRodrigo Penafiel, who is one of the directors of the Phoenix Awards both Cinema 23, said that one of the major effects that generates this cancellation is the promotion, dissemination and visibility that is It came giving the film made in Mexico, in Latin America, in Spain, in Portugal.
“Unfortunately, in recent years much support is given to moviemaking, the translation of movies, and not to promote, display and visibility”, he said.
Only in 2018, Mexico 120 films, occurred while at the level region occurred more than 850, however, not all had the same scope in broadcasting and this is one of the tasks where contributed the Phoenix Awards. 
They helped to make visible abroad what he was doing in Mexico and in the region, and producers of the Golden Globes as the Academy Awards in the United States have realized the importance of having a selection of Latin-American cinema.
Thus, “winners and films that were nominated and/or won went to the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards, as the case of is a fantastic woman, Neruda, the club, the embrace of the snake, wild stories, I think you lose that on the one hand” said the director of Cinema 23.
“only gave us long”
according to Rodrigo Peñafiel, the first approach that were made with the authorities of culture at the federal level and of the city of Mexico was since they were in the field; they met with Alejandra Frausto, current Secretary of culture. From that first meeting, they didn’t have a specific answer.
“Teach you the project and with various actors of the local government and confirmed us that Yes it was going forward, but once won we were told that if they were going to see, but that this was not the priority because they gave them a country with a black hole and a disaster” , he said Penafiel. 
In February of this year, unanswered official authorities on whether they will receive financial support for the event, organizers of Phoenix Awards began to look at other options outside the city of Mexico taking into account institutions and cities as Los Cabos, Guerrero, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Durango, and countries like Colombia and Brazil.
However, now they didn’t have enough time to save the delivery.
So far, and according to one of the directors of Cinema 23-Awards Phoenix, none of the authorities of culture has sought to resume dialogue, nor Alejandra Frausto, Sergio Mayer, appointed to the Committee on culture and cinematography of the Chamber of Deputies , and much less José Alfonso Suárez del Real, Secretary of culture of the Government of the city of Mexico.
“Repeatedly was the same speech, that never would we receive and that never would help. Practically the last year we went with more force, from November and December were able to talk to Sergio Mayer, saying that you going to support and never got to know nothing of it.”
Six years passed, received federal funds and support in logistics. The previous Government of the city of Mexico obtained facilities of the City Theatre “Esperanza Iris”, place where every year were carried out these awards, in addition to support for obtaining permits.
The Culture Commission of the Chamber of deputies assigned resources, although they were gradually decreasing. In 2014, they were subsidized with 7 billion pesos; in 2015, 3.5 billion pesos;
in 2016, 2 million pesos; 2017 counted 1 million 800 thousand pesos and by 2018 only 1 million pesos.
the reactions in the Guild
“had finally organized something – we do cinema – that gives you broadcast, information, meeting and added value to the film that we do in our countries.” Be in Spanish, Portuguese, or indigenous languages. Mexico as the center of this celebration. What pity. “, said Gael García Bernal in his Twitter account.
For his part, the director of documentaries Everardo González wrote on his Twitter account: “one of the most important civic initiatives in Latin America dismantles. Awards Phoenix, celebrated and expected by filmmakers in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala, Spain and many more, today announced its cancellation. We lost all”.
The Director Natalia Beristáin, who, in 2018, will present his latest film the Agods, also reacted to the cancellation of these awards: “blindness not understand Awards Phoenix and Cinema23 as a bridge of communication with Ibero-America and the different” culture and cinematographies that there live only stresses the null cultural policy of the 4T”, he wrote.
“We never had an official response, we never understood, we never knew, never explained why they were not, they even told us they wouldn’t, gave us long, was no us answer calls or e-mails, or messages, and Alejandra Frausto Leal Suárez, or” Claudia Sheinbaum, there was no response. It became clear to us that the Government does not want to help civil society and all want to do it alone, from direct support and vote,”said Rodrigo Peñafiel, director of Cinema 23-Awards Phoenix.
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Original source in Spanish

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