La economía del cine popular ecuatoriano en la era digital

Abstract

Over the last fifteen years, Ecuadorian cinema has undergone significant growth, largely due to the democratisation of digital cameras, but most of this development has taken place within the framework of an informal economic system that has emerged on the fringes of official cinema and is known as 'EBT cinema' ('Ecuador Bajo Tierra'). After first proposing a definition of this generic category, the article seeks to define the contours of the 'EBT' phenomenon, emphasising its most singular characteristics, particularly in terms of production and distribution, and analysing the economic challenges faced by those involved in the sector in order to ensure its development.