The Spanish minister for culture, Carmen Calvo, has today presented the outcomes for Spanish cinema in 2005, as well as the basics of a support plan for the cinematographic industry launched by the ministry. Spanish cinema ended 2005 with a 16.74% quota of the market, which represents a growth of 3.5% with respect to 2004. This market share is the second best in the last 15 years since 2001, when it exceeded 17%. As for audiences, the absolute figure was around 20.9 million, which represents an increase of 1.7 million compared with 2004. Spanish cinema collected almost 105 million euros in 2005; 12 million euros more than the previous year. The increase in audiences and takings was helped by the success of numerous and varied films. This positive data on Spanish cinema occurred during a year where film going audiences have fallen by 18 million in Spanish cinemas, a consequence largely due to the decline in US cinema on Spanish screens, which registered a fall of almost 10 points in its market share in Spain going from 69.74% to 60.24% in 2005. Nevertheless, the quota of European cinema, including Spanish, has increased by ten points, from 27.2% in 2004 to 37.18% last year last, which indicates that a greater balance is being generated in the preferences of audiences. The global falls in cinema attendance, that has taken place in all western countries, is due basically to the existence of other means to enjoy cinema, especially in the home through DVDs as well as through competition from new forms of entertainment. In addition, this decline is also affected by piracy, against which the Spanish Government has already started up a series of actions within its Integral Plan, led by the Ministry of Culture. Another aspect fundamental to the vitality of Spanish cinema in 2005 is the increase in the number of productions. During last year 142 feature films were produced in Spain, nine more than in 2004 and the highest number in the last two decades, whilst 30 films are currently in post-production. Of these 142 feature films, 53 were coproductions with other countries. To this end, France, The UK and Italy are the European countries who have collaborated the most and Argentina and Chile are the Latin American countries who have collaborated the most with Spain. For more information (in Spanish), CLICK HERE.