News

Jim Sheridan and David Merriman’s real crime re-imagination “Re-Creation,” Alberto Rodríguez’s big-scale “Los Tigres,” Paz Vega’s directorial debut “Rita” feature in Spain’s lineup at this year’s AFM.

They are joined at the Spanish Screenings on Tour by “Nightfall,” a Federico García Lorca focused real life horror film from “Wounded” director Fernando Franco, and “Wolf Night,” the latest from Guillem Morales.

Rich on crime thrillers, this year’s Spanish slate also plays to two of Spain’s strengths, the subject of Spanish Screenings showcases, which luckily enough are also proved to be of general market demand: animation and genre/fantasy. The Screenings also highlight just a few of the Spanish companies which have scored recent market hits. Very few were around before 2010 – a sign of Spain’s relatively recent dramatic growth.

Spanish Screenings on Tour

Animation Showcase

“Ages of Madness,” (Miguel Miranda, 3Doubles Producciones, Spain)

From go-ahead Tenerife-based 3 Doubles,...

Spanish TV production house Mediacrest is joining forces with Helsinki-based outfit ReelMedia and Finnish public broadcaster Yle to develop climate change thriller series project “17kHz.”

The co-production model resulting from the “17kHz” development deal will be one focus at the showcase “Spanish Fiction Contents: New Releases & Financial Opportunities,” which takes place Feb. 20 at Berlin’s European Film Market.

Organized by Icex Spain Trade & Investment, the meeting’s panelists will include Mediacrest‘s executives Gustavo Ferrada and Winnie Baert.

Created by Spanish writers Carlos Molinero and Paula Sánchez (“Yrreal”), “17kHz” series will comprise three seasons of seven-episode each.

Targeting YA audiences and set in four different countries, the series is described by Mediacrest as an “insurgent thriller,” which follows a group of concerned teenagers plotting to halt climate change and pursuing worldwide rebellion as the only way to save the planet’s future.

Working hand in hand with Yle and ReelMedia...

At a time when journalists are under attack in many parts of the world and the odious term “fake news” has become part of the global lexicon, Spain’s Mediacrest presents the topical drama series “Fake” at a key event in France-based Series Mania, the invitation-only Spain Pitching Breakfast, on Thursday.

Leading the charge is industry vet-producer Gustavo Ferrada, Mediacrest’s executive director of fiction, who joined the fast-rising Spanish production company in January.

“Fake” is one of five selected projects from leading Spanish production companies seeking European partners, comprising Fedent España, Friki Films, Onza, Vertice 360 and Mediacrest.

Created in-house by Mediacrest’s deputy head of fiction, Carlos Molinero and senior scriptwriter Nicolás Romero, the Strasbourg-based series of six 52-minute episodes follows a high-powered couple as their once idyllic relationship turns toxic. She’s a prominent journalist at an influential Spanish newspaper and he works in the European parliament. Pillow...

• [Pierre-Alexandre Despatis suffers for his cinema. Now covering his second edition, our official festival reporter and multi-function human cyborg will provide us the sights (plenty of cool pics!), the sounds, the reviews and the occasional interviews of the still very young 5th edition of the Tribeca film festival. Below are some of Pierre-Alexandre’s reviews in easy to read, insightful capsule form. Enjoy!] Mist In The Palm TREETribeca's selection of experimental films has been a wealthy bunch this year. This anti-film by Carlos Molinero and Lola Salvador relates the biographical flashes of Santiago Bergson and focus on a few events that that marked his life. As his daughter notes, "It's as if he never existed"-- no one remembers him! Of course, Bergson never existed and even his daughter is played by three separate actresses living in three different places. The poetry of the film is very reminiscent of Chris Marker's La Jetee with remarks like "I have photographed the future" and a very interesting montage of still images and archival footage dating from the first half of the century. The film is composed of 6 segments. While some are better than others, overall the film, and especially the third segment which imitates a silent film with inter-titles, is purely exquisite. The

...