Industry

More than audiovisual professionals from 13 countries participated in the virtual panel Sustainability Infrastructure for Ibero-American Audiovisual Production, held on July 23 as part of the fifth edition of the event. The free online session was organized by the Ibero-American Network of Film Commissions (IBEROFIC) in partnership with Ecovisión, a platform developed by the Panvisión Latin America Cultural Association. The discussion focused on how sustainability can become a strategic driver for regional competitiveness by promoting data sovereignty, professional training, and industry-wide collaboration.

"This initiative represents another step in our commitment to providing film commissions and productions across the region with practical, applicable tools. This forum not only allows us to showcase our industry's enormous potential to lead sustainable processes based on its own identity and data, but also lays the groundwork for building a collaborative network that promotes both competitiveness and environmental responsibility throughout Ibero-America," said Carolina Cordero, Founder and Chair of IBEROFIC's Board of Directors.
The session featured presentations by Marilha Naccari and Alejandra Marano from Ecovisión and was moderated by Dolores Montaño of IBEROFIC. Speakers presented findings suggesting that Latin American productions are inherently more sustainable than many large-scale international productions. In some cases, regional broadcast productions generate a significantly lower carbon footprint than major Hollywood projects, giving the region a competitive advantage if it develops and standardizes its own sustainability frameworks.

Panelists stressed that sustainability should no longer be treated as a standalone department or a commercial service, but instead become a cross-functional strategy that enhances the competitiveness of the audiovisual industry. Another key message was the need to protect regional data sovereignty by reducing dependence on foreign methodologies and auditing firms that collect local information without generating value for the region.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of training local eco-managers within the audiovisual sector. "As professionals within the audiovisual industry, we are fully qualified to take on this role because we understand how production companies operate from the inside," the speakers emphasized. They also noted that Ecovisión's certification model prioritizes shared governance and independent external auditing to ensure transparency without placing sole legal responsibility on non-specialist professionals.

Ecovisión reaffirmed its commitment to keeping its sustainability tools—including carbon calculators, statements of intent, practical guides, and production management applications developed with strategic partners such as TV Globo and ProMálaga—open, free of charge, and accessible to the region's audiovisual ecosystem. The organization also encouraged governments and film commissions to adopt these standards in order to maximize the positive economic impact of productions on local communities.
"Our goal is to become a leading voice in Latin America by offering a meaningful alternative for a region that remains highly fragmented. Our competitive advantage lies in building shared governance around valuable information for the entire supply chain. It is essential that every region and every stakeholder take part in this process so that the audiovisual industry's transition toward a more sustainable model happens in a consistent way," said Alejandra Marano, Strategic Integration and Social Impact Coordinator at Ecovisión.

The virtual panel forms part of the institutional, technical, and strategic cooperation agreement signed between IBEROFIC and the Panvisión Cultural Association through the Ecovisión project. The partnership includes access to Ecovisión's CO₂ calculator—developed specifically for the Latin American market—as well as Panvisión's participation in IBEROFIC's Sustainable Cinema Working Group, an initiative designed to strengthen professional capabilities, raise awareness, and develop updated sustainability protocols for the audiovisual sector.