MORELIA, Mexico -- Mexican president Felipe Calderon is apparently backing down on a proposed 46% cut to the funding of the National Film Institute (Imcine) in the 2010 budget.
The cut, announced mid-September, would've reduced Imcine funds from 421 million pesos ($30.8 million) to $16.6 million -- hobbling the Mexican film industry.
It was met with a public outcry from members of the film community and a subsequent media storm.
The decision to maintain funding at present levels was revealed by Culture Secretary Consuelo Salzar at the opening of the Morelia Film Festival on Saturday and later confirmed by the Calderon administration.
Nevertheless, the Morelia crowd booed loudly at the mention of Calderon's name and the reversal was met with skepticism.
"We are used to them telling us one thing and in actuality something else occurs," said Julian Hernandez, winner of Berlin's Golden Teddy for "Enraged Sun, Enraged Sky."
No word has yet to emerge on the status of tax coin program Efecine, more commonly referred to as Article 226, which was set to be cut 20% to $29 million.
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