Confusion over cancelled events
Updated: 22-Jun-2012
| 
Convento do Carmo, where the film festivals would have been held.
Photo: SUPPLIED
|  |
This year the Cineclube de Tavira would have celebrated its 13th annual festival of the best of European films (Mostra de Cinema Europeu) and the eighth anniversary of its festival of non-European films (Mostra de Cinema Não-Europeu).
Each year the festivals have attracted thousands of visitors from all over Portugal and Europe. Sadly, the two events, designated as Mostras de Cinema, will not take place this year.
André Viane, director of the Cineclube, is heartbroken at having to cancel the shows and regrets the lack of information over three months from Tavira Câmara, which has left him without the time to organise such a major event.
One of the aims of the festivals was to help raise money to enable the club to survive throughout the year without depending too heavily on financial support from official institutions. Now the club’s very existence is threatened.
The original aim of the Cineclube de Tavira, which was founded on April 8 | 
André Viane, director of the Cineclube de Tavira
Photo: SUPPLIED
| |
1999, was to promote quality cinema. Since the acquisition of the Cine Teatro António Pinheiro by the Câmara in 2001, more commercial films have been shown on weekends.
The immense support by filmgoers for the film festivals has astonished André. Here are some of their comments: “The Mostras is a high spot that enriches the life of the citizens and the visitors ....”; “It is with immense sadness that I read about the cancellation, we shall be poorer culturally”; “The film festivals give a touch of excellency to the city. There is nothing better in the rest of Europe” .... and so on.
The Algarve Resident contacted Tavira Câmara about their alleged lack of response to André Viane’s projects and was told that the decision to cancel the film festivals was “unilateral”.
In a public statement regarding the issue, the câmara said: “We were surprised by the cancellation of the events as the câmara has, and always will, support the activities of the Cineclube de Tavira.
“As in previous years, the film festivals were part of the official summer programme for Tavira, which is organised by the Associação da Baixa de Tavira, and supported by the câmara, with Convento do Carmo having been confirmed as the venue, the necessary equipment arranged and financial support allocated.”
The statement also said that the municipality had contacted the Regional Directorate for Culture so that this entity could proceed with receiving applications for the cultural programme of events. “This information was passed on to Cineclube de Tavira by both the câmara and the Regional Directorate for Culture, but no application was received requesting funding,” stated the câmara, adding that the municipality had since 2011 paid the Cineclube de Tavira a total of “€16.936,50 relating to financial support and services provided, which amount to €24.275,50.”
|
top
the algarve web designers