Adopted at the General Assembly of IMAGO (IAGA), Vienna, March 2026

Gathered in Vienna for the General Assembly of IMAGO, the International Federation of Cinematographers – representing national cinematographers’ societies from around the world – reaffirms its commitment to the recognition of cinematographers as creative authors within the audiovisual arts.

In light of the recent adoption by the European Parliament of the report on Copyright and Generative Artificial Intelligence – Opportunities and Challenges, addressing the use of copyrighted works in the training of generative artificial intelligence systems, IMAGO acknowledges the opportunities that artificial intelligence may bring to the audiovisual sector while recalling that technological progress must respect and operate within existing copyright and authors’ rights frameworks.

Throughout the history of cinema, technological innovation has continuously transformed the tools available to cinematographers—from film to digital imaging and virtual production. More than twenty years after IMAGO’s First International Congress on Cinematographers’ Authorship, held in Huelva in 2004, IMAGO continues to uphold a fundamental conviction: visual storytelling arises from artistic vision, creative collaboration, and human creative decision‑making, with technology serving as a tool in the hands of creators.

Cinematographers play a central role in shaping the visual language and narrative identity of audiovisual works and in assuming creative responsibility for the image. In many countries they are recognized as co‑authors of cinematographic works, reflecting the nature of their creative contribution.

IMAGO supports the development of artificial intelligence within a framework that ensures transparency regarding the use of creative works, the lawful use of protected content in the development of AI systems, and fair recognition and remuneration for creators.

IMAGO calls upon policymakers, public institutions, and industry stakeholders to support the development and governance of artificial intelligence in ways that sustain a fair and responsible creative ecosystem, where human creativity and authorship remain at the heart of cinematographic creation.