Balearic cinemas face €189,732 grant payback

Fifteen cinemas across the Balearic Islands face a demand to return €189,732 in 2025 cinema grants. Spain’s Institute of Cinematography and Visual Arts (ICAA), part of the Ministry of Culture, is seeking full repayment. The demand emerged on Tuesday, 15 September.

The funding was intended for cinemas and for attracting audiences. The available information does not name the 15 affected venues.

Sector challenges the requirement

Industry sources say the ICAA is applying a condition that was not included in the original transfer terms for regional governments. Those terms required regions to launch the aid schemes by 31 December 2025, which they say happened.

They say the rules did not require the process to be completed or grants awarded within the same year. The sector argues that this condition was explicitly added for 2026 transfers and should not be imposed retrospectively on 2025 funding.

Other regions also face repayment demands

The ICAA is also seeking €1.4 million from Andalusia for 112 cinemas and €1.087 million from Valencia for 86 venues. It has requested €392,114 from Castilla-La Mancha for 31 cinemas, €265,625 from the Canary Islands for 21 venues, and €189,732 from Navarre for 15 cinemas.

In Andalusia, the sector says the regional government published the rules and launched its scheme before the 31 December 2025 deadline. The grants were awarded in full on 23 June 2026.

Topics: Court cases · Culture · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com