Spain Revs Up Co-Production as Public Funding Builds

Luis Miguel. The seasoned and beloved singer is getting ready for his world tour and appears to be settling in in Madrid, where he spends most of his time. According to sources near to him, this willingness to spend time in Spain appears to be linked with his relationship with Paloma Cuevas.

Jet2 has warned holidaymakers travelling to two Spanish destinations that they may face some “disruption” due to walkouts by ground handling staff. Throughout March and into April staff with ground handler Swissport will go on strike several days a week at Barcelona and Lanzarote airports.

Brits usually head to Spain for sunshine and sandy beaches, yet the country has been hit by heavy snow showers as Storm Juliette batters parts o f the country. Temperatures have dropped to as low as -16C in Spain while the Balearic island of Majorca has been especially hard hit.

Many Brits will already be planning their summer getaways, but travel expert Simon Calder has shared a useful tip to know when booking your trip, which could help holidaymakers save up to £1,000 for a family of four. Simon appeared on ITV’s Lorraine where he issued guidance as part of his summer holiday clinic.

Emiliano De Pablos Boston-based sales agent 34T has picked up international sales rights to Spanish writer-director Ana Ortiz’s feature debut, psychological thriller “El claro de las luciérnagas” (“Firefly Glades”). Produced by Sergy Moreno at Madrid’s White Leaf Producciones, the film is structured as a Spanish regional co-production, teaming with Magnética Cine’s María Barroso in Andalusia and Joaquín Calderón at Navarra-based Melitón Films. “Firefly Glades” figures among the 22 projects selected at Málaga’s 2023 Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (MAFF), which runs March 13-16 as part of Málaga Festival’s growing Mafiz industry area.

EXCLUSIVE: Following bidding wars in multiple territories, A24 has sold Past Lives, probably the year’s most critically acclaimed new film, to a raft of key territories.

Latin Grammys will be hosted out of the United States for the first time in history. After years of discussion, it appears like the awards show will take place in November in Spain.Marc Anthony reacted when a fan mentioned his ex-wife, Jennifer LopezRosalia looks stunning in a new revealing photoThe announcement was made by Juan Manuel Moreno, the president of the regional government of Andalusia, who was joined by the CEO of the Latin Grammys, Manuel Abud.

A recent episode of daytime TV favourite A Place In The Sun contained a stark warning for anyone in the UK wishing to move to Spain.

The Latin Recording Academy and the Government of Andalucía have reached an agreement that will likely see the 2023 Latin Grammys move to Spain for the first time in its 23-year history.

Thania Garcia The Latin Recording Academy and the region of Andalusia have announced a new “three-year sponsorship deal” that will likely see the 2023 Latin Grammys moving to Spain in November, according to sources. During a Wednesday press conference between the board of Andalusia and the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Andalusia board president Juanma Moreno said the partnership includes the plans to host the Latin Grammys and “two major concerts hosted by the Academy in 2023, and another major concert in 2024 and in 2025.” “We are considering Sevilla to celebrate the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards this November, but we are still working through the logistics with our partners TelevisaUnivision. We will share additional details about the date and location of the next Latin Grammys soon,” said Latin Academy Manuel Abud in a statement.

Emiliano De Pablos Buenos Aires-based production outfit Mil Monos is teaming with writer-director Pablo Agüero (“Primera nieve,” “Akelarre”) and writer-creator Nicolás Britos (“Limbo,” “Pibas en orsai”) to develop dystopian coming-of-age thriller series project “Decibel.” Produced by Mil Monos’ Maximiliano Monzón, “Decibel” is currently at pilot script stage, and a shoot start is planned by January 2024, tentatively in Argentina. Written by Britos, the eight-episode, half-hour thriller follows five deaf teenagers born in a mountainous region. When The Hum, a sound that transforms every person who can hear it into a frenzied killer, is unleashed, their deafness makes them immune.

Emiliano De Pablos Madrid-based Aquí y Allí Films, one of Spain’s most successful auteur movie production houses, is joining forces with popular Spanish actor turned writer-director Daniel Guzmán (“Nothing in Return,” “Canallas”) to produce drama thriller “La deuda.” Backed by Spain’s pay TV giant Movistar+ and public broadcaster RTVE, “La deuda” will be produced by Aquí y Allí’s Pedro Hernández and Guzmán at El Niño Producciones. The film is scheduled to roll in Madrid by the fall. Written by Guzmán, “La deuda” tells the story of Lucas, a 37-year-old man and the 86 year-old woman Antonia, who live together in a city too big to be alone. Lucas is looking for a job but the job seems not to be looking for him.

Emiliano De Pablos 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.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent The latest series from Alex de la Iglesia and “Veneno” creators Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo feature at a first-look Next from Spain Showcase which marks a massive step-up in the country’s presence at the Berlinale Series Market. Running Feb. 20-22, the showcase also unveils “Rapa” Season 2, with its first season proving Movistar+’s biggest 2022 bow, and “This Is Not Sweden,” a pioneering Spanish co-production with Scandinavia and Germany.  The Showcase titles are joined by Isaki Lacuesta’s “The Chauffeur’s Son,” a Co-Pro Series project from “Elite’s” Zeta Studios, and “Selftape,” a Filmin Original from Filmax and a Series Market Screening.

Emiliano De Pablos Top Spanish producer Nostromo Pictures, which is behind Netflix hit “Through My Window,” is partnering with Beta Fiction Spain to launch “Hermano Caballo,” a documentary by Marcel Barrera, director of  “Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea” and “100 Meters.” “Hermano Caballo” marks the first documentary produced by Nostromo Pictures and also the first handled by Beta Fiction Spain, the Spanish arm of Jan Mojto’s European studio Beta Film, which launched last year. The documentary focuses on reknowned Catalan wrangler Santi Serra, developer of a natural training technique based on creating bonds with horses and learning through play. 

Berlinale Series Market kicks off Monday as Spanish series “The Snow Girl,” a missing girl suspense thriller produced by Spain’s Atípica Films, has attracted huge heat for Netflix, punching 101.7 million hours watched in its first three weeks. Doing so, it ranked as the streamer’s No. 1 non-English show in the world over Jan. 30 – Feb. 5.  In all, Spain has more shows and movies in Netflix’s all time non-English Top 10s than any other country in the world, seven to France’s two, for example.  Spain, it could be argued, has cracked online. But its drama series industry wants to ring more options. 

Emiliano De Pablos Spain has proved ever more successful in luring some of the biggest movies and series, and although 2020 saw a large rise in tax breaks, the big hike came in December. New record tax advantages raised relief for international productions to up to €20 million ($21.4 million) per movie and $10.7 million for any single series episode. In the Canary Islands — operating a special tax regime — the film tax break ceiling is now an extraordinary $38.6 million, one of the highest in Europe. Effective Jan. 1, deduction rates for foreign productions are set at 30% for the first $1.1 million of deductible expenses and 25% for the rest in the Peninsula, and 50%- 45% in the Canaries.

Film Factory founder Vicente Canales. “Now, either a film works, and sells pretty much the world, or it doesn’t work at all.”

Ángela Aguilar has already made special memories in her young and successful career, but in a few days, she will perform in front of royalty. The special honor will take place at the Ibero-American Patronage Awards 2023, which has a mission to promote patronage in the arts. The award ceremony will take place on February 20 at the Salón de Actos of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, and will be presided over by Queen Sofía, mother of King Felipe VI and mother-in-law of Queen Letizia.“She was invited by the Queen Sofia Foundation, where Queen Sofia is going to be,” her proud dad Pepe Aguilar explained in an interview.

EXCLUSIVE: Fabian Forte’s Argenitian horror Legions (aka Legiones) has found buyers at the EFM.