Madrid Film Office participates in the European Film Market (EFM) to promote the capital as an audiovisual hub

The City Council participates again, through Madrid Film Office, at the European Film Market (EFM), one of the most important events for international cinema that takes place within the framework of the Berlin International Film Festival, from today until February 19.

The City Council's audiovisual office is present with a space at the Cinema from Spain stand with the aim of promoting the city as a filming location and audiovisual production center and strengthening relations with the national and international industry.

The goal is to continue promoting Madrid as one of the main hubs of activity in Europe, after 2024 in which it hosted more than 1,000 medium and large-scale projects filmed, including 41 fiction feature films, 53 series and more than 430 advertisements. This represented an increase of almost 18% in the assistance offered by Madrid Film Office compared to the previous year.

The Madrid Film Office space will also be available to Madrid companies for their meetings, which will also be able to participate in a co-production meeting with British companies organized by the Spain Film Commission, in collaboration with the British Film Commission, and in different networking and co-production activities with the delegations of Colombia and Uruguay, organized by the ICAA.

This year, the European Film Market has Spain as Country in Focus, with a large presence of professionals and projects linked to Madrid among the participants. This makes the meeting an important global showcase for creators and the Spanish industry, with Madrid at the forefront as the main center of activity for the sector in our country.

The region brings together around 29% of the total active companies dedicated to audiovisual activities in Spain, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics, which represents 73.4% of the turnover and 44.6% of the employed personnel. In cinematographic terms, almost 40% of the 972 Spanish films produced between 2021 and 2023 were produced totally or partially by Madrid companies, according to data from the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA).

Among the actions that have Spain as the protagonist, thanks to the agreement between ICAA and ICEX with the European Film Market, is the Spanish Producers Spotlight session, where ten Spanish producers will have the opportunity to present their companies and their upcoming projects in this section, among which are six production companies from Madrid: Avalon (Emilia Fort), Batiak Films (Clara Santaolaya), Usual Films (José Esteban Alenda), LaCima Productions (Ricard Sales), Sidereal Cinema (Roberto Butragueño) and Morena Films (Rodrigo Espinel).

Berlinale Co-Production Market

In the Berlinale Co-Production Market section, a renowned five-day event (February 15-19) in which around 600 producers, sales agents, international distributors, as well as representatives of national funds will participate, five Spanish projects will be present that seek to complete their financing through their participation in this section.

Among them, two with Madrid ties: Konbini by Pedro Collantes, produced by Aqui and There Films with the Japanese company Culture Entertainment, and Girl, don't play by Ainhoa ​​Rodríguez, a production by the French production company Les films du Worso and the Spanish Cabiria Temptation which passed through the Academy Residences, a program supported by the Madrid City Council.

For their part, six other emerging Madrid companies will participate through their representatives in the Co-Production Market Visitors Programme, a program that aims to serve as an introductory step to international co-production and participation in the Berlinale Co-Production Market. Are Andrea Gautier Sansalvador (Smiz and Pixel), Anna Giralt Gris (Artifato Films), Néstor López Ferreira (Filmakers Monkeys), Alvaro de Miguel (Shift Dif), Mario Pagano (Good Friends Pictures) y Araceli Pérez-Rastrilla (Life).

At least 15 projects linked to Madrid will be present on the market this year through different international sales agents such as the Madrid-based Latido Films to connect with buyers and programmers. Among them, the fiction feature film The Message (Iván Fund), a co-production of Argentina and Spain that will have its premiere in Berlin competing for the Golden Bear, to which are added 8 (Julio Medem), Al Otro Barrio (Mar Olid), Mikaela (Daniel Calparsoro), Raqa (Gerardo Herrero), The Good Sister (Sarah Miro Fischer), La infiltrada (Arantxa Echevarría) and Wolfgang (Javier Ruiz Caldera).