Screenings

Abstract

The seventh edition of the Statistical Yearbook of Mexican Cinema, which covers 2016, was launched at the Guadalajara International Film Festival by IMCINE (Instituto Méxicano de Cinematografía), the national film institute. Some months later the eleventh edition of the Ibero-American Observatory of Television Fiction, also devoted to 2016, was presented by international research group OBITEL (Ibero-American Observatory of Television Fiction) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Both surveys compile exhaustive quantitative data and track qualitative trends in their respective media. This year, the pair offer invaluable evidence for evolution and convergence in the Mexican (and Spanish American) audiovisual field, thereby providing an account of the most important trends. Sometimes the findings can be counterintuitive, proving for example that (contrary to industry complaints) the Mexican government does indeed strongly support cinema and that (contrary to journalistic rumors of its demise) broadcast television is by no means dead in the region. But the handbooks also provide essential context for Netflix's first production in Mexico — and one of the most important and innovative series of recent years — the soccer comedy, Club de Cuervos ([Crows Club], 2015–). In keeping with this changing scene, OBITEL focused its case study of transmedia on Netflix's limited series Club de Cuervos. As noted in the handbook, the producers' aim was to avoid “telenovelizing” its content. Club de Cuervos exemplifies the trends seen in current Mexican film and television production, even as it blurs the distinction between the two in typical Netflix fashion. Mexican industry insiders still resent the U.S. domination of film distribution in theaters, and Club de Cuervos raises those stakes.