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This article conceptualizes New Ecuadorian cinema as small, glocal and plurinational. It makes the case that it is a propitious time to study this emergent cinema. However, while it is a heterogeneous film scene, this article argues that it is still traversed by long-standing ethno-racial, class and regional inequalities. After inserting Ecuador's largely unknown film history into regional trends, different spheres of production are analysed, including mestizo fictionalized narratives, activist documentaries, indigenous and community filmmaking and coastal 'guerilla' filmmaking. The article looks at both the accomplishments of the sector and current challenges. It proposes that more state and private funds invest in fostering plurinational and regional initiatives, and cultivating diverse makers and audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ma-ori film-maker Barry Barclay used the term 'Fourth Cinema' to describe indigenous cinema, a philosophy based on his own practice as a director. He sought to privilege the indigenous gaze and the indigenous audience by centralizing te ao Ma-ori or the Ma-ori world-view in principle and in practice. However, much has changed in the world of film-making since Barclay developed his theory. The range of storytelling by Ma-ori on large and small screens has increased exponentially, and Ma-ori films such as Boy (Waititi, 2010) and Mt Zion (Kahi, 2013) have reached the top of the domestic box office, implying a wide Ma-ori and non- Ma-ori audience within the settler-centric culture of New Zealand. This article reviews and contextualizes Barclay's philosophy. It then uses his central concepts to examine the feature Mt Zion, exploring aspects of the film's text, production and distribution, to establish what conclusions can be drawn regarding the relevance of Barclay's thinking to the practice of a new generation of Ma-ori film-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]