Arturo Ripstein, Roberto Fiesco, and Julián Hernández
were the most seen Mexican filmmakers during the three years of Filmin Latino’s existence as part of the Mexican Cinematography Institute (IMCINE) .
Last night, the shutdown of the digital platform was made official through the Twitter account of María Novaro, new head of IMCINE .
Filmin Latino was aimed at facilitating viewers’ access to Mexican and international cinema online at a very low cost.
According to official numbers, the platform had a catalog of nearly two thousand titles with more than 75 thousand registered users . The website also had a free section of Mexican Cinema with around 200 short and long-feature films .
Subscriptions came with a cost of 69 pesos a month or 390 pesos for an entire year .
Its shutdown will take effect on January 1st and, according to Novaro, the decision was seen as necessary in order to promote Mexican cinema.
Off-the-record, Filmin Latino’s operation required an investment of 7 million pesos in order to function for the past three years , a figure that is three times lower than the average cost of a Mexican movie production.
Nonetheless, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro asked María Novaro to discuss the possibility of continuing the project . This morning, the filmmaker tweeted: “I think it is interesting as an instrument for distribution outside the country’s capitals. […] I would like to offer my help and support to change this decision. Many people who don’t have access to cinematheques and such have found a window to cinema through Filmin Latino .”
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