How many people in the Aysén region truly appreciate cinematic or audiovisual art, beyond the artistic perspective, or know about the economic implications that the film industry generates in various industrial sectors? According to data from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), in 2020, global box office revenue reached a total of $12.2 billion (an unimaginable figure), despite the COVID-19 pandemic that significantly impacted the film industry. It may be difficult to appreciate, especially since our region doesn't even have a real cinema. Without appreciation and knowledge of this art or market, we can't even begin to think about the economic impacts and benefits if this region were to become the next Hollywood. "It may sound distant, crazy, and very difficult to imagine, but like all dreams, the same dreams that led to the birth of this beautiful land, we must start by crossing the cart over the fence."
Today, economic policies are focused on diversifying the productive matrix, which means that we must seek alternatives to the conventional "natural resources" that are our primary source of income. We understand that they are finite and their environmental and social impact due to their production is quite high. It is in this sense that Catarsis Films, a regional audiovisual and film producer, is focused in the long term on "making Aysén a center of world audiovisual and film production" contributing to that diversification.
Talking about Catarsis Films is talking about Carol Moreno (43), founder and film producer, and filmmaker Os Oyarce (45), its director, originally from the fifth region, who came with just their backpacks to work in Coyhaique in 2017 and in their own words, "it was love at first sight," referring to their encounter with the region. From that moment on, they never left and settled permanently. The decision was to stay and commit, from their experience and knowledge, to contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of Aysén. Since then, they have produced several films and audiovisual works, including the short film "Truco," starring maestro Arturo Barros, and they have added value to the audiovisual sector of the region by providing quality audiovisual services to various public and private entities.
Currently, after a long journey, the production company is beginning to take its first steps towards its dream of making the region a relevant player in the national and global film industry. They recently won an important grant from the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Heritage for their project called "Shoot in Patagonia," aimed at strengthening the audiovisual company. They beat out major players in the national industry in this competition, which reinforces the importance of this idea that combines art and an innovative audiovisual business in balance.
"Shoot in Patagonia" is a new business unit of Catarsis Films, which will focus on promoting Aysén as a film destination and providing high-quality audiovisual services to national and international producers who come to film their movies or commercials in the region, all managed by an innovative locally-made web application that is currently in development. This service would be directly linked to the economic sectors of tourism, hospitality, gastronomy, transportation, construction, among others, expanding their business opportunities.
According to the study by Netflix and the IDB called "Behind the Scenes," it is estimated that between 6% and 10% of the total budget of an audiovisual production is allocated to these services. In other words, for those unfamiliar with the market, a large-scale production in the United States can cost $150 million, which means that 6% of that value, $9 million, goes to these sectors. A significant figure indeed...
In addition to this, Catarsis Films is launching its new web platform, www.catarsis.cl, which aims, in the medium term, to become a showcase for national and international audiovisual and film projects that need financing and distribution through an innovative collaborative business model linked to new technologies such as blockchain, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies. In this model, anyone could own a stake in the audiovisual production and earn money, changing the passive relationship between productions and the audience by involving them directly.
o celebrate the achievements and new challenges that lie ahead for Catarsis Films, Carol Moreno comments: "None of this would make sense without the community, and given our strong commitment to entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses, we want to give back and collaborate by raffling off two videos worth 500,000 pesos." Those who want to participate in this raffle can go to www.catarsis.cl, download the rules, and follow three simple steps. Everything is well explained on their website.
Finally, Os Oyarce invites public institutions, the private sector, and the community in general to work together so that in the near future we can create our own Hollywood version of Patagonia Aysén. Why not?