Marisa Lazo and Amaury Vergara call on business leaders to support national cinema.

Within the framework of the 40th edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), businesswoman Marisa Lazo and the president of Grupo Omnilife-Chivas , Amaury Vergara , made a direct appeal to the business sector to actively engage in strengthening Mexican cinema through existing tax incentives . The conversation, organized in collaboration with the Marisa Foundation, sought to build bridges between the creative community and potential cultural investors.

FICG Director Estrella Araiza celebrated this partnership as a significant step toward the collective construction of the festival and the film ecosystem in Mexico. “It's incredibly important that FICG partners with these initiatives. We are deeply grateful to the Marisa Foundation for having this initiative, because ultimately, projects are built as a community. The festival is built as a community, and we are very happy that we were able to achieve this,” she said.

During the meeting, Marisa Lazo emphasized that investing in film not only represents support for culture, but also an active way of choosing which narratives are placed at the center of social conversation . “We want to invite you because it's a great opportunity to decide what you want to support, what topic interests you, what production interests you, what do you want to feature? What conversation do you want to bring to the table?” she stated. She added: “What Amaury and I want is to invite you to seek us out for support, and for that to become a reality, and in an easy way.”

Amaury Vergara , for her part, shared her vision of the value of cinema as a cultural vehicle and its relevance to a country's social development. "First, because cinema is wonderful. It's something incredible; for me, it's the art of arts," she noted. However, she went beyond romanticism to emphasize the concrete impact that supporting the arts has on a nation's health. "Not just cinema: we must support the arts in Mexico. As Marisa says, countries that support culture, art, and artists are countries that live better, that have greater equality, that are more sensitive. It's not just romantic; it's verifiable."

Both agreed that there is a specific mechanism for channeling this support: the Fiscal Incentive for Investment Projects in National Film Production and Distribution (EFICINE). Amaury explained that, for a project to qualify for the incentive, it must meet certain requirements, both for filmmakers and companies. “You have to do your homework. Investigate how EFICINE works. It's not an easy process; there's a process where films are rated, and only those with a certain rating can receive the incentive,” he explained.

Regarding the role of companies, Vergara stated: “It's a digital process where they have to register with the SAT (Tax Administration Service) and link it to the stimulus in order to be considered. Obviously, I'm summarizing this; there are more in-depth aspects, but that's really the general term,” he said. He emphasized that it's crucial to do it in a timely manner: “There are two annual windows; I invite you to review it carefully at EFICINE.”

Vergara also highlighted the relevance of this type of incentive to ensure the sustained growth of new generations of filmmakers. “Mexico has a significant fiscal stimulus. Not all countries have something like this. In Latin America, we are an example of this incentive. Thanks to this, Mexican cinema has been able to recover through difficult times in recent years,” she noted. She also acknowledged that thanks to this support, many emerging filmmakers are gaining international recognition. “We can boast to the world that we are a country that produces films, that exports films, and that our filmmakers are winning international awards.”

Although EFICINE requires that the films awarded be nationally produced, Vergara emphasized that cinema is also a platform for international collaboration. “Part of the incentive rules is that they must be national productions. Obviously, there are also collaborations with other countries, and the FICG is an example of that collaboration. Each year there is a guest country—this year it's Portugal—and there are many producers,” he mentioned.

Lazo concluded his presentation by reaffirming the impact culture has on personal and collective transformation. “This kind of closeness to culture makes us better people, more sensitive and more empathetic. Hearing other stories, other experiences, other ways of seeing the world, enriches you completely,” he concluded.

CT