The non-profit group Association of Film Commissioners International, with headquarters in Wyoming, USA, has setup a branch in Mendoza and is actively looking to provide links for outdoor venues, local actors, and filmmakers
The Film Commission of Mendoza is counting on, among other venues, the diverse and unique landscapes and lakes that can be found in the Andes Mountains and San Rafael.
Local lawyer Alicia Groisman, who is working together with Maria Victoria Gómez de Erice to establish the Film Commission of Mendoza, said “We want Mendoza to be the Hollywood of South America”. Groisman’s intent is to promote the film industry in the province through the training of actors, directors, and technicians.
Groisman’s efforts started in 1996, when she made key contacts with Hollywood people involved with the movie “7 years in Tibet “ that was filmed in Mendoza. In 2004 Groisman applied for the local branch of the Film Commission, and last November she was granted legal status.
There is another hurdle that Groisman and Gómez de Erice must get past; the Mendoza Association of Film and Audiovisual Arts (AMCA) has legal arguments against the efforts of Groisman and Gómez de Erice. Groisman argues that the AMCA has directors and filmmakers inside their organization, and therefore cannot act fairly as a “Film Commission”. It is Groisman’s hope that the situation resolves in her favor.
Translated digest of the article " Impulsan a la provincia como polo de cine”, by Diario Los Andes. Photo by Diario Los Andes.
The original article is available at:
http://www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2010/5/27/sociedad-492254.asp
