CIIF Market reveals the film and audiovisual projects that make up its 17th edition

A total of 16 projects (nine fiction feature films, four documentaries and three television series) have been selected as the focus of the 17th edition of the CIIF Market, meeting point between producers, distributors and investors.

On April 13, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council hosted the presentation of the XVII edition of Canary Islands International Film Market, which will be held in hybrid format from April 28 to 30 in the capital of Tenerife.

At the event, where the cinematographic and audiovisual projects that will participate in CIIF Market 2021, as well as the selected literary works, were announced, Laureano Pérez Rodríguez, CEO of PROEXCA and general director of Economic Promotion of the Government of the Canary Islands, appeared; Enrique Arriaga, vice president and Minister of Culture of the Cabildo de Tenerife; José Manuel Bermúdez Esparza, mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Ricardo Martínez, director of the Tenerife Film Commission; and Guillermo Ríos, director of CIIF Market.

The official headquarters of CIIF Market It will once again be the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey Hotel, where professional meetings will take place (in person or online, depending on the evolution of the pandemic and open to other venues) of production companies, distributors, television channels, sales agents, as well as other industry professionals, to promote audiovisual creation and encourage the co-production of projects in development aimed at the European and international market. At the same time, the meeting seeks to promote synergies between the film and publishing sectors by including the participation of Spanish literary works with the possibility of being adapted to different screens.

The press conference has opened José Manuel Bermúdez Esparza, which has shown its satisfaction with the celebration in the capital of Tenerife of a new edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market. "Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been a city focused on the world of film production for a decade. This municipal government is aware of the need to promote the audiovisual industry, which generates employment and wealth in the municipality, in addition to being an undoubted source of promotion beyond our island geography," he pointed out.

Next, Laureano Pérez Rodríguez He wanted to congratulate CIIF Market for “being a reference event in the audiovisual ecosystem of the Canary Islands, in addition to thanking its mission and vision of promoting the production of international projects, which in turn promotes audiovisual creation in the Canary Islands.” "At PROEXCA we firmly believe in this event and have supported it in its different editions by attracting renowned international producers, to make them aware of the advantages of filming in the Canary Islands and our local industry. According to the most recent data, the volume of investment in the audiovisual industry on the islands reached 50 million euros, and in relation to film and television productions, direct employment of 2,500 hires was generated. These positive figures highlight the importance of the sector," he adds.

For its part, Enrique Arriaga, has highlighted the importance of the audiovisual industry for Tenerife as a strategic economic sector, an industry that is a true driving force for business and work activity.

Canarian cinematography

Ricardo Martinez has pointed out that "the Cabildo of Tenerife, through the Tenerife Film Commission, supports with its sponsorship the development of this market in its commitment to promoting the local industry and all those projects that, in reference to audiovisual production, generate movement in the sector. For more than 20 years, we have informed and promoted the advantages of filming on the island thanks to the tax incentives, the great professionals and the variety of landscapes and settings that the island offers."

To Guillermo Rios, “coordination with the different institutions and organizations that sponsor and collaborate in the market is essential, so we want to thank them for their invaluable support.” And he highlighted in his speech that "despite the difficulties due to the current situation of the global health crisis, it is a pleasure to be able to hold a new edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market, a highly anticipated event in the cultural panorama of the Canary Islands and especially of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which will turn the city into a meeting point and business engine to promote film and audiovisual co-production."

The director of CIIF Market also wanted to point out that “Canary Islands International Film Market was born 18 years ago with the aim of promoting audiovisual creation and strengthening networking between industry agents, adding today the consolidation of synergies with the publishing sector and including literary works with the possibility of being adapted to different screens.

16 projects

CIIF Market has selected the following national and international film and audiovisual projects seeking financing, among which are a wide variety of productions (nine fiction feature films, four documentaries, one of them animated, and three television series or miniseries) and genres (drama, comedy, thriller, horror), with seven women directors.

The main selection criteria have been the quality of the projects, their diversity, the financing plan, the evolution of the script, their international vocation and the talent of the directors or producers, so an attempt has been made to find a balance between projects that may be more commercial and others with greater creative risk.

The national and international selection is made up of the works:

• The worm king, of LaConda Productions (Spain). Director: Sonia Escolano. Financial Partners: Camera Dark (Ecuador), Seven Elephants (Mexico), Medusa Films (Colombia). Feature Film/Drama.
• Eskaton, stronger than death, of Agnus Film (Paraguay). Director: Marcelo Fan. Feature Film/Drama
• Herculean, of Danidog Films (Spain). Director: Daniel Ortiz Entrambasaguas. Feature Film / Thriller
• The bad mother, of Nibble Films (Spain). Director: Alicia Albares. Financial Partners: In advanced conversations with Raw Films y OnceLoops Media (Argentina). Feature Film / Horror
• The rock and the sea, of Carajito Films (Uruguay). Director: To be defined. Series / Drama / Thriller
• What we do in the shadows, of Synopsis. (Spain). Director: Sara Design y Lucia Hernández. Documentary
• Maine Coon, of The Polo Brothers & japanese Films (Spain). Director: William Polo. Feature Film / Black Comedy
• they will not pass, of Possessed (Spain). Director: To be defined. Series/Drama
• Turret, United Mafia, of Solworks Films (Spain). Director: Alvaro Iglesias. Feature Film / Thriller
• A vulgar and sad loner, of Gris Half y Thurn Films (Spain). Director: Ephthymia Zymvragaki. Financial Partners: Thurn Films (Germany). Creative documentary
• A stitch, a tear, of Canal Culture (Colombia). Directors: Carlos Castro e Isabel Macias. Financial Partners: Saint Quirinus Study (Argentina), Foundation ceiba (Colombia). Animated documentary
• Empty, of Audiovisual Atelier (Argentina). Director: Esteban Insausti. Financial Partners: RTV Commercial, Institute Cuban of the Music, Productions hummingbird (Cuba). Feature Film/Drama

The following Canarian projects participate in the Focus Canarias section:

• Let me tell you again that I love you, of Chukumi Studio y Los Emotions. Director: José Victor Fuentes. Feature Film / Comedy
• He Fausto, of New moon Music & Films. Director: Roberto Chinet. Financial Partners: Reverse Films (Spain). Miniseries / Thriller / Drama
• Trans – Star, of Dunes Films. Director: Bibiana Monk. Feature Film/Comedy-Drama
• Desert Fishermen, of Sirocco Factory. Director: Ayoze O'Shanahan. Documentary. Winning project of the latest edition of the Canarian Film Accelerator (program promoted by the Audiovisual Cluster of the Canary Islands and co-financed by PROEXCA and the collaboration of Canary Islands Film, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and the University of Las Palmas), which participates in CIIF Market through the agreement reached with CLAC.

Canary Islands International Film Market has also chosen several literary works that will be presented with the aim of adapting them to the screens. In this selection we find Buckson (Grafito Editorial), by Víctor Araque and Rocío Estepa; The right wars (SGAE Express Author), by Gabriel Ochoa; Violet mara… mara… marvel (LxL Editorial), by Felicitas Rebaque; The heart of the birds (Nectarina Editorial), by Elsa López; and The Ice Witch Awakens (LxL Editorial), by Sara Maher.

New awards to continue promoting production

To the usual awards granted by CIIF Market, this year several more awards are added, the result of new collaboration agreements carried out with different entities, to which the film and audiovisual projects participating in the market are eligible to favor their international projection and promotion abroad.

• CIIF Market Santa Cruz de Tenerife Award to the project with the greatest international projection, with an amount of 1,200 euros to attend an international market of your choice.
• Canary Islands Film Award for best Canary project, which will reward the winners with a travel bag to go to a sector-specific market with international projection.
• Filmmarket Hub Award, consisting of exclusive one-year registration to the official catalog of the Filmarket Hub online market, where access will be facilitated and the project will be recommended to the most important companies in the audiovisual sector and financing funds.
• Macaronesia Films Award to the project with international potential, which will receive financial and legal advisory services (project finance) regarding tax incentives in the Canary Islands.
• Premio Music Library & SFX: El proyecto ganador dispondrá de tarifa plana limitada a una producción gratuita, que permitirá la sincronización de la música de producción de los catálogos de Music Library & SFX en el contenido del proyecto, a través de su división de supervisión musical 360º Acorde. Una vez licenciada la música utilizada, queda cubierta de los principales derechos para emisión multiplataforma en todo el mundo y para toda la vida del contenido.
• MAFIZ Award (Málaga Festival Industry Zone), two projects will be awarded with free accreditation to attend all the activities of the next edition of the industry area of ​​the Malaga Festival.

Additionally, this year, for the first time, the following awards will be awarded to the literary work or works with the greatest potential and viability for adaptation to film, television or digital platforms.

• Premio Music Library & SFX para Obra Literaria: Disfrutará de una tarifa plana, en el caso de que sea llevada a las diferentes pantallas, limitada a una producción gratuita, que permitirá la sincronización de la música de producción de los catálogos de Music Library & SFX en el contenido del proyecto, a través de su división de supervisión musical 360º Acorde.
• Adapta Market Award: El libro obtendrá inscripción gratuita durante un año en la plataforma online Adapta Market, iniciativa recién creada por Nautilus Gestió Cultural i Comunicació, con la colaboración del Institut Valencià de Cultura y la Associació d’Editors del País Valencià. El autor, la editorial y/o agentes literarios podrán contactar con productoras y guionistas interesados en buscar nuevas historias a través de la literatura y propiciar estos encuentros y red de contactos.

CIIF Market is organized by Festeam Comunicación y Eventos S.L., con el patrocinio del Gobierno de Canarias, a través de Canary Islands Film del Instituto Canario de Desarrollo Cultural, PROEXCA y Turismo de las Islas Canarias; Cabildo de Tenerife, a través de la Film Commission de Turismo de Tenerife y el Área de Cultura; Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a través de la Sociedad del Desarrollo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife y de la Consejalía de Cultura; y de Macaronesia Films. Y la colaboración de Secuoya Studios, Atresmedia Cinema, MAFIZ (Málaga Festival Industry Zone), Latido Films, Audiovisual Cluster of the Canary Islands, Filmarket Hub, Music Library & SFX, plataforma ADAPTA, Rahn Mercedes Benz, La Jefa Cerveza Artesana, ZEC (Zona Especial Canaria) y Hotel Occidental Santa Cruz Contemporáneo.