The Institutionalisation of Ibero-American Cinema in the Twenty-First Century: The Fénix and PLATINO Awards

Abstract

In 2014, the Fénix Ibero-American Awards for Cinema and the PLATINO Awards for Ibero-American Cinema were launched. Created by Mexican and Spanish organizations respectively, both platforms aimed at promoting and disseminating contemporary Ibero-American cinema. This article analyses the strategies developed by these awards to conceptualize, market, and circulate Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish cinemas in a global scenario. As such, the essay understands these initiatives as attempts to organize the cultural and economic domain of current Ibero-American cinemas. Specifically, our research dissects the different elements that constitute both prizes, from the creation of the statuettes to the selection of the films in competition and the broadcasting of the awards ceremonies. This close examination of how the Fénix and the PLATINO construct their symbolic power reveals how they mobilize and weave Ibero-American cinemas, regional and national identities, and city branding. Finally, the article questions the possibilities and limitations of these experiences as ways of developing economic and social discourses from and about Ibero-America.