Letter of San Angel

Representatives of film societies and federations worldwide, united in Mexico City, release the Letter of San Ángel, during the 5th Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival and on the eve of the opening of the Film Society Revolución at the Carillo Gil Art Museum.
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the International Federation of Film Societies and of the 80 years of the Brazilian Film Society movement, we emit the document hereby to expose the conclusions of the First World Conference of Film Societies.

Recognizing the role played by film societies as catalysts of international exchange, the signees hereof assume to:

1.Construct a permanent bridge for the distribution and exchange of films among our countries in a combined action with official entities and civil organizations.
2.Support and strengthen the collaborative network of organization, production, documentation, editing, programming, and publishing.
3.Multiply the film society circuits, especially in unconventional places like museums, cultural institutes, schools and public and private institutions.
4.Enrich the CineSud catalogue by contacting film societies, festivals, public institutions and authors interested in sharing their work.
5.Promote the creation of video and film libraries for cultural and communitarian use.
6.Repudiate the misusage of author’s rights that restrains free circulation of cultural goods and denies access to art and culture.
7.Adopt legal alternatives, like Creative Commons, to promote fair regulations for both public and author rights.
8.Stimulate the research and development of new technologies for the promotion of film societies and reproduction of film work.
9.Recommend the creation of an international commission, to the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Film Societies, to research and recover the Federation’s historic files.
10.Fight for a legislation in defense of film societies in all countries, emphasizing the urge to approve the project that proposes the addition of Article 19 bis in the Federal Law of Cinematography in Mexico.
11.Reaffirm the principles exposed in the Letter of the Public’s Rights (Letter of Tabor, 1987) and begin a campaign to promote such document worldwide.
12.Incite the Mexican film societies to organize themselves and occupy their place in the International Federation of Film Societies, by creating a national entity to represent them.
13. Demand the end of the United States economic sanction that suffocates the life and culture of the people of Cuba.

Mexico City, February 29, 2008.