Malaga’s Spanish Screenings – A Provisional Take
25.03.2022 - 01:37
/ variety.com
Briefly, five first takeaways from this year’s edition: Spain’s On Fire“Spain’s audiovisual sectors are on fire,” said Luis Cueto, at Spain’s Department of Commerce, at a Malaga round table on Thursday. Just one generation ago, Spanish cinema was regarded with suspicion in Spain’s august financial circles. No more.
At the same panel, Arturo Azcorra at Spain’s Telecommunications Ministry announced €30 million ($33 million) in new incentives, largely for high-tech innovation, such as VFX prototypes, animation and AI production technology. Cueto presented an ambitious Spain AVS Hub website. Speakers took 100 minutes to drill down on new r expanded financial instruments planned for Spain’s film and TV, such as the country’s ICO state bank discounting pre-buys from not only public broadcaster RTVE but also the country’s commercial networks and platforms.
Supersized as Never BeforeThe Malaga industry screenings form the first leg of the newly inaugurated Spanish Screenings XXL, second leg at the San Sebastian Fest, a third afterwards outside Spain. The event lived up to its name. Attendance skyrocketed to over 1,100 industry delegates, which is a serious figure.
In all, the Screenings showed over 100 finished films (63), projects (26) and pìx in post (14). It will take industry prizes, announced on Friday, to highlight many titles.Regulation: The GamechangerBroadly speaking, the AVS hub can go two ways, using enhanced financing to power up industry facets to another level, or via regulation. The former was seen this week at Series Mania, where Spain’s ICEX staged an up next Spanish series showcase, case study and buyers’ breakfast, The extension of the ICEX spread was only matched by France and Finland.