Considered one of the most important audiovisual training institutions in the world, Eictv, as it is also known, was established on December 15, 1986 by the Committee of Filmmakers of Latin America, as a branch of the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema, according to the press release.
Since then, it practices the teaching philosophy of “learning by doing” and each year receives around 330 teachers and film specialists from various regions.
The academic program includes the Regular Course modalities -from which 1,094 professionals from 64 countries have graduated- International Workshops, Dialogues of Advanced Studies and Master’s Degrees.
Despite situations of various kinds, the prestigious educational institution exhibits significant results, including the maintenance of the academic program planned in all these modalities.
According to the statement, the call for the Regular Course 2025-2028 had the initiative of creating an online platform for applications, which will facilitate the application of aptitude tests to candidates and the recruitment process by the selection teams in the different specialties.
It is worth highlighting that, throughout these almost four decades, more than 400 students and graduates have won awards and recognitions at important international festivals such as the Oscars, Goya, Cannes, San Sebastián, Mar del Plata, FICUNAM, Bogoshort, Venice, Sundance, IDFA and Berlinale.
About a dozen films produced by the school were awarded in several of these competitions. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Welfare Office was established, which is based on the Eictv model of coexistence and culture of peace and includes a protocol for action against all forms of violence, reviewed and endorsed by a team of specialists.
Thanks to Unesco’s Transcultura program, the academy has completely renovated sound studios, in addition to a series of workshops that benefited Caribbean students and the recent visit -for academic purposes- of the Spanish filmmaker Benito Zambrano.
Also noteworthy are the donations received from several graduates, as well as those made by the Brazilian embassy and the Martin Luther King Memorial Center, among other people and institutions.
In the context of the 45th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, which concludes today, Eictv awarded the Fernando Birri Prize to the Bolivian filmmaker Jorge Sanjinés Aramayo.
This is the highest distinction awarded by the Academic Council to institutions and individuals with a work of high aesthetic and humanistic value in Latin American cinema and audiovisual production.
There are many fruits of an institution that promotes cinematographic creation, always honoring its precursors: Fidel Castro, Gabriel García Márquez, Fernando Birri and Julio García Espinosa.
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