RibeLabs, newly created Ibero-American Network of Audiovisual Laboratories
The initiative was announced in the framework of MAFIZ, the Malaga Film Festival’s industry zone
MAFIZ, the Malaga Film Festival’s industry zone, was the setting chosen for the presentation of RibeLabs (Ibero-American Network of Audiovisual Laboratories), the new international network consisting of six laboratories and spaces for the cinematographic development of Latin America, Spain and the Caribbean, whose President is Rogelio Chacón, the Deputy General Coordinator of Mafiz.
Juan Antonio Vigar, Director of the Malaga Film Festival, hosted the event held on Friday 17th of March in the Rossini Hall of the Cervantes Theatre, during which the philosophy and lines of action of this innovative network were explained. The event was attended by Viviana Saavedra, Director of BoliviaLab (Bolivia), Rafael Sampaio, Director of BrLab (Brazil), Jesús Pimentel, Director of Cine Qua Nom Lab (Mexico), Eduardo Villalobos, Director of Encuentros BioBioCine (Chile), Rogelio Chacón, Deputy General Coordinator of Mafiz (España) and Ivette Liang, Director of Nuevas Miradas-EICTV (Cuba).
Juan Antonio Vigar opened the act, highlighting the initiative’s transcendence, which resulted from “a coincidence of the intentions and interests of the laboratories of Latin America”, and that “additions multiply the efficiency of the results”, expressing his pleasure that “the network has been created in Malaga as a result of a process of joint reflection”. He finalised his intervention thanking everyone for the work carried out, and passed the floor to Jesús Pimentel and Ivette Lang, who intervened in representation of the network.
After thanking the Festival for all of its efforts, Jesús Pimentel pointed out “that it is very encouraging to have spaces like MAFIZ that stimulate preparing laboratories where there can be introspection, but above all, where filmmakers can reflect on the reasons that have led them to write those scripts and to promote that type of narrative”. He added that “we have created a network that is absolutely necessary to promote this kind of space, because it seems to us essential that amongst the laboratories of Ibero-American there be a general notion of the work we are doing in respect to the new cinema”, defending that the voice of the new independent cinema should not be lost.
Ivette Liang, in turn, explained that the network had been created “due to the need to strengthen ourselves as laboratories, to continue supporting independent cinema, to grow and help so that laboratories continue to be this first filter for projects that can later be seen on screens, and to add digital creators to these spaces”. She finished her intervention declaring that “we believe in training, in independent cinema and in the importance of creating these networks and connecting projects with the industry”.
RibeLabs’ objective is to expose and analyse the current panorama and the challenges of these spaces, and to promote an organisation that combines their objectives and motivations. These not-for-profit training initiatives boost, develop, orient and enhance audiovisual projects irrespective of gender and format.
Laboratories for project development are spaces based on a training methodology which accompany all phases of the creation, production and exploitation of audiovisual projects. They are equipped with the necessary resources to carry out research, experiments, internships and creative, technological and technical work that strengthen and encourage a personal regard in order to convert an idea into an audiovisual production.
