The names of the projects selected to represent the Spanish film industry at the Cannes Film Festival market have been announced: five producers will participate in the Producers Network's Spanish Spotlight, four documentary proposals will be presented in the Spanish Showcase at Cannes Docs, five projects in development will be presented by Spanish Screenings at Goes to Cannes and eight short films will be shown at the Short Film Corner. 

Last March, the Marché du Film announced that Spain would become the market's guest of honor during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which will take place from May 16 to 27. One month before the start of the festival, the names of the projects and professionals selected to represent the country's film industry in an exceptional edition for Spain were announced.

As a result of the collaboration with the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure within the Plan "Spain, Audiovisual Hub of Europe" (PRTR), the Spanish participation is being co-organized by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, through ICEX Spain Export and Investment, and by the Ministry of Culture and Sport through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), and also has the support of industry experts, representatives of the most important national film festivals: the San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF) and the Malaga Festival through the Spanish Screenings program, the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao (ZINEBI), and the International Film Festival of Gijon/Xixon (FICX).

A total of 22 Spanish projects and professionals were selected to participate in the special programs dedicated to Spain in the different sections of the market. Specifically, five Spanish producers will participate in the Producers Network's Spanish Spotlight; four documentary projects will be presented in the Spanish Showcase at Cannes Docs; five projects in development will be presented by Spanish Screenings at Goes to Cannes; and eight short films by new talents from Spanish schools will be shown in the market's Short Film Corner.

In addition, the Spanish pavilion, located at stand A3-A5 in the Riviera building, will offer a meeting space for sales agents, producers, film commissions and other industry professionals and companies. The pavilion, where a total of 48 audiovisual companies will be represented, will be organized in two zones: the first, designated for film, documentary, and animation content, will have seven sales agents and production companies organized under the umbrella brand Cinema from Spain of ICEX Export and Investment; the second, to promote Spain as a filming destination, will have eight film commissions represented by the umbrella brand Shooting in Spain of ICEX-Invest.

Foco España at Producers Network

On Saturday, May 20, the Producers Network's Spanish Spotlight will highlight Spanish production and its professionals with the presence of five Spanish professionals in what is one of the most prestigious international co-production forums, bringing together more than 400 producers from around the world each year.

Paola Botrán (Sideral), Marisa Fdz. Armenteros (Buenapinta Media), Luis Ferrón (Lazona Producciones), Xavier Font Pijuan (ZuZú Cinema), and Emilia Fort Molas (Avalon) are part of the small group of five producers who will travel to Cannes with ICEX and ICAA. The five Spanish producers, together with eight other professionals who will attend as guests, will present their projects to the professional audience, having the opportunity to find financing in an initiative to promote Spanish co-productions launched by Cinema from Spain of ICEX Export and Investment in the framework of the Plan 'Spain, Audiovisual Hub of Europe.'

The 8 producers who will participate as visitors are: Jose María Alba Camacho (Pecado Films), Marian Fernández (Txintxua Films), Julieta Juncadella (Vitrine Filmes), Nacho La Casa (Captain Spider), Miguel Molina (Jaibo Films ), Clara Nieto (Powehi Films), Inés Nofuentes (Curuxa Films), and James Weiss (El viaje Films).

Spanish showcase at Cannes Docs

In a program developed in collaboration with - the Bilbao International Documentary and Short Film Festival (ZINEBI) and the Gijón International Film Festival (FICX Xixón), Spain presents four feature-length documentary projects in what will be the first showcase dedicated to Spain in the history of Cannes Docs, which will take place on May 21 at Riviera2. Specifically, Itoiz by Larraitz Zuazo, produced by Doxa Producciones; Los restos del pasar by Luis "Soto" Muñoz and Alfredo Picazo and produced by Du Cardelin Studio and Mubox Studio; A film by Fernando Ruiz Vergara by Concha Barquero and Alejandro Alvarado and produced by Azhar Media and Alvarquero films; and Un árbol es un árbol by Carlos Marques-Marcet with production by Suica Productions, AXfilms, and Lastor Media.

The directors and producers of the four selected documentaries will have the opportunity to present images of their projects to a prestigious audience of organizers from the world's most important film festivals, as well as renowned documentary film producers, distributors, and directors, in the market space dedicated to documentary film professionals, which highlights the documentary genre and its organic integration into the global film industry.

2cool4school Vol. 3 in Short Film Corner

From May 21-24, a collection of recently completed short films will be presented at the Short Film Corner video library in Cannes. The program 2cool4school Vol. 3, previously presented at the Malaga Short Corner in March, is an initiative promoted by ICEX and ICAA, to showcase the projects of young talents from film schools in Spain.

The program 2cool4school Vol. 3 will consist of Bound by Lucía Silvestre Graude from the University of Navarre; Conej Steps Out by Pablo Río from DigiPen Institute of Technology Europe Bilbao; Corpúsculos by Laura Ibáñez López from Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE); Muerte en Torrevieja by Adriana Erratia from ESCAC; Aproveche la infancia que luego va la vida by Mauro Maroto Megino from ECAM; Not Yet by Pau Ballesté Aguirre, Jorge Librero Cano, and Maria Bros Carreras from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Te vengo a buscar by José Provencio Vallecillo from TAI. School of the Arts; and Cando o tempo acabe by Miguel Gómez Abad of the University of Vigo.

Spanish Screenings Goes to Cannes

In a 110-minute session on Saturday, May 20, the senior producers of the five selected titles will give a brief project presentation or pitch, followed by a screening of a 12-minute clip of their film in the context of the Goes to Cannes section, the market's special section for work-in-progress projects.

In collaboration with Spanish Screenings, the program for the internationalization of the Spanish audiovisual industry, and in coordination with ICEX and ICAA in the context of the Marché du Film, the five selected projects were: El salto by Benito Zambrano and Cine365 Films; La canción de Sima by Roya Sadat and Alba Sotorra; A nuestros amigos by Adrián Orr and El viaje Films; Tratamos demasiado bien a las mujeres by Clara de Bilbao and Ficción Produccions; and Llobás by Pau Calpe Rufat, Galápagos Media S and Dacsa Produccions.

In addition to those selected in the four sections of the Marché du Film and the companies participating in the Spanish pavilion, the Spanish presence at the market will be rounded out by a program of panels and conferences on tax incentives, audiovisual projects linked to accessibility and sustainability, and the streaming platform that aims to make available to the public the contents of the collections of the Filmoteca Española's film archives.