Festival president Sergio Benvenuto Solás explained during the panel discussion “Factoría de Cine Pobre: ​​​​Challenges and Results Along the Way” that the initiative advocates for creating alternatives in a region where accessing cooperation funds—which are concentrated in Havana—is more difficult.

  Documentary filmmaker Osmanys Sánchez Arañó, from Santiago de Cuba and a winner in the Factory’s first edition with the project “Llave de paso” (Stopcock), stated that this initiative is significant as a cultural milestone; it gives visibility to a region of the country that, in its view, has long been subject to the narrative hegemony of the Cuban capital.

  Filmmaker Ivette Ávila, who did not attend film school, noted that there are few funding options available in Cuba and that institutions have increasingly limited budgets for subsidies, describing the situation as critical.

  Producer Iraida Tamayo recalled that, based on past experiences, a proposal was made to establish a structure that would prepare filmmakers in advance for project presentations; Consequently, they proposed holding more workshops to train creators for that final stage.

  Sociologist Yoli Duarte pointed out that cooperation funding is an underutilized resource due to a lack of training regarding international funds and application procedures, and she advocated for the coexistence of institutional and independent mechanisms within the creative process.

  Alexis Triana, president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), asserted that any initiative not grounded in management capability “will die sooner or later” and urged the filmmaking community to seek funding sources beyond the state budget.

Musicologist Yetsi Rangel highlighted the essential nature of festivals, noting that they feature structures created at the local level to foster artistic creation; she also viewed Gibara as a springboard that boosts local assets such as gastronomy and the territory itself.

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