Interviews from Caracas - Movie Making in Venezuela

Today our host Cody Weddle interviews Juan Carlos Lossada, the President of Venezuela’s National Autonomous Center for Cinematography (CNAC) about movie making in the country. Our guest tells that the first movie producers arrived in Venezuela in 1897, and the first movies were produced in Maracaibo. In the last ten years, he says, the film industry has grown as never before, partly because of supportive legislation. In 2014 the country broke production records and is now winning international award and attracting large audiences. Last year alone, Venezuela participated in more than 200 festivals and organized more than 50 festivals in the country. One highlight of the past few years, says Lossada, is the production of excellent documentary films. He spoke a bit about CNAC, the institution that oversees movie making in Venezuela, its production, research and training. Most of Venezuela’s recent movies are produced by amateur movie directors, and there are many opportunities for promising young actors. Joint projects with other Latin American countries have been an important manifestation of regional integration, and overall, the future looks bright for Venezuelan film. teleSUR