WHY ARE SO MANY FILMS SHOT IN SPAIN? COMMENTARY FABRICIO FERRARA, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR Spain: the three phases of Spanish evolution The good moment of the Spanish industry como paso), Boomerang TV (Motivos Perso- has been assembled many years ago. Global nales), etc. that started to travel as ready- hit series La Casa de Papel positioned again made and scripted formats to Russia, Italy, among the top demanded drama, but the Portugal, CEE, USA and Latin America, gener- reason why the country is now the main con- ating the first phase of expansion. tent hub for global drama in Spanish is not On a second stage, dominant private con- because the recent creations but mainly for glomerates were shaped operating in the the works forged in the past. creation, production and distribution of con- Prensario Since early 1970s the country has gener- tent, taking the evolving business to a new International ated first-class cinema, which was rapidly stage. They were Mediaset España, formed in recognized abroad. Several Spanish talents 2011 with the merge of Gestevision Telecin- ©2018 EDITORIAL PRENSARIO SRL PAYMENTS TO THE ORDER OF have succeeded in Hollywood: Antonio Ban- co + Cuatro, and the following year Atresme- EDITORIAL PRENSARIO SRL deras (Philadelphia), Oscar winner Penelope dia TV, from the combination of Antena 3 + OR BY CREDIT CARD. REGISTRO NACIONAL DE DERECHO Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) or Javier Bar- laSexta. DE AUTOR Nº 10878 dem (Biutiful); Oscar winner directors José Netflix, Amazon and HBO are since 2015 Luis Garci (Volver a Empezar, 1982), Fernando major responsible to make available Span- Trueba (Belle Epoque, 1993), Pedro Almo- ish drama on a global scale: La Casa de Papel, Argentina: dovar (Todo sobre mi madre, 1999) and Ale- Vis a Vis, Time in Between, Grand Hotel, Minis- Lavalle 1569, Of. 405 C1048 AAK jandro Amenabar (Mar Adentro, 2004); and try of Time. And also the originals like Elite Buenos Aires, Argentina Hollywood directors Juan Antonio Bayona (A (S3 announced), Las Chicas del Cable, Alta Tel: (+54-11) 4924-7908 Fax: (+54-11) 4925-2507 Monster Calls), and Alex de la Iglesia (Perfec- Mar, among others. This success confirmed tos Desconocidos). the third phase of expansion: Spanish digi- USA: 12307 SW 133 Court - Suite #1432 The international acknowledgement of tal originals consolidated the country as the Miami, Florida 33186-USA the Spanish cinema was followed since early main hub for drama creations in Spanish. Phone: (305) 890-1813 Email: [email protected] 1990 by successful TV dramas from Globo- Moreover, big European Indies like Website: www.prensario.tv media (Medico de Familia), Ganga (Cuentame Gaumont (France) and Beta Film (Germany) are opening offices to build new successes Representantes: Mexico: from Spain to the world. Also, new small and Mariano Alarcón: medium-sized producers have appeared, [email protected] while existing talents are emerging into new Chile: alliances and partnerships to generate con- Karina Cortés [email protected] tent that can travel worldwide. Spain now is a big global asset. And that’s Peru: Miguel Angel Hurtado the reason why Prensario decided to devel- [email protected] op this special edition 100% focused in the Colombia: country that everyone is talking about. Wel- Paola Zapata Lozano come to Spain, let’s discover together what [email protected] In 1982 Spanish director José Luis Garci won the very first this country has to offer. Enjoy it! Oscar for an Spanish movie and the very first one for a Ecuador: Spanish-language production, Volver a empezar Juan Carlos Arias Rendon [email protected] Uruguay: Santiago Rodríguez [email protected] Paraguay: Prince Soledad Otto [email protected] Editor: Nicolás Smirnoff Editorial Director: Alejo Smirnoff Sonia Martinez, head of drama at Atresmedia with Alex Pina Pedro Almodovar, the most important Spanish director International Business Director: and Esther Martínez Lobato, Vancouver Media co-creators outside Spain, has received the Golden Lion for Fabricio Ferrara of La Casa de Papel, which gave Spain its first Emmy Lifetime Achievement at the 76th Venice International International Business Manager: International in 2018 Film Festival last August Alberto Buitron Mailed by subscription - One year, air mail: WWW.PRENSARIO.TV Americas: USD 150 Rest of the world: 150 • 4 • PRENSARIO INTERNATIONAL PREMIUM INTERVIEW • PROMOTION AT MIPCOM and to manage partnerships with local and international associates in order to develop ICEX: ‘The international all kinds and sizes of projects’, he highlights. From the public organization side, the LUST, SEX, MONEY path is key to strength our role of ICEX is multiple: to help companies to develop their business internationally as audiovisual industry’ smooth as possible, while we have an im- portant role in gathering information and tools, so our companies can compete in the ICEX Spain Trade & Investment is the producers, their maturity in the dis- global arena face to face with more State agency for the internationalization tributing brands at international resourceful partners. We have to of Spanish businesses operating abroad level and the change of the take advantage of our impor- through the Economic and Trade Offices of consumption model OTTs have tance in the fiction field, but we Spain. Through the umbrella Audiovisual supposed’. need to keep an eye on what’s From Spain, it has supported the Film & TV ‘Spanish content stands out going on in the rest of genres. industry for years, helping to create a perma- for having good stories and Coproduction is the new key nent meeting point with Spanish content in high quality production, but word, so ICEX is helping Span- all major international markets and comple- until few years ago it reached a ish companies to develop their menting the industry in those areas they had smaller number of territories and business in this area’. more weaknesses when competing at inter- audiences due to the decision making Conde remarks: ‘Spain has tradition- national level. power to decide what was bought and con- ally produced strong drama content. And the ‘Our efforts have contributed a tiny bit to sumed on TV being only in the hands of the same talented companies are producing fac- the current moment of visibility of Span- TV programmers. Today there are many more tual, animation, TV formats (scripted and un- ish industry in the world’, underlines Pablo options, and global audiences like Spanish scripted). We have to keep on working on ex- Conde, Cultural Industries Director ICEX, as content. Latin America is no longer dubbing panding this phenomenon to other genres. the entity supports international production our series into neutral Castilian. They have For example, in the production of documen- and distribution companies, while it helps responded positively to our accent and this taries Spain leads together with Japan and a opening new business opportunities. fact has undoubtedly been one of the most small group of countries, the assumption of important battles that have been fought for the production standard in 4K and 8K’. many years by Spanish distributors’, adds And he concludes: ‘Besides, there are ICEX MAIN OBJECTIVES Conde. Spanish entertainment formats around the Spain is the fourth TV fiction format ex- world, in the USA, Canada, Germany.... It is a • Increase the number of companies porter and the second fiction European great challenge for all of us, producers, dis- tributors and public institutions to gain vis- exporting on a regular basis. producer, according to The Wit. ‘We have witnessed how well-known international ibility over all these areas. Moreover, we still companies have put their eyes in Spain, how need add the challenge of broadening our • Diversify the export markets for Spanish they have opened headquarters and have audience coverage by strengthen our busi- products and services. bought some key companies. On the other ness relations with Asian and African coun- side, we have seen the international consoli- tries. We have a great opportunity and ICEX • Increase the number of exporting sectors dation of Movistar+ or The Mediapro Studio, will support our companies to achieve it’. and how Atresmedia and Mediaset have set and their share in the overall Spanish up own international studios to produce on economy. a global scale’. ‘One the main challenges is to take full • Promote Spanish investment abroad. - advantage of the momentum we live in or- Improve the image of Made in Spain. der to strength our industry and to open it Pablo Conde, Cultural to new strong players. And the international Industries Director path is key for achieving this goal. Film and TV industry is evolving so quickly that adap- ‘We keep fostering the co-production of tation is one of the most relevant points to TV series by helping our shareholders to grow; diversification is the other way’, com- participate in the main international co-pro ments Conde. events. Moreover, we will keep an open eye On the one hand, Spain needs to have for more niche opportunities in the docu- strong companies who foster and feed mentary field and entertainment formats. themselves with the talent of small- Another major goal for us is to help our com- er creative companies. ‘And the panies with diversifying and increasing their secret is to keep the IP client agenda in territories such us Middle East and Asia’. ‘Spain is among the top ten TV markets globally but this is not causal. The emer- gence of drama is the result of the evolution MIPCOM of several factors: the know-how of Spanish 2019 R7.J11 [email protected] • 6 • PRENSARIO INTERNATIONAL PRENSARIO TOY BOY 225X290+5.indd 4 29/8/19 13:15 PREMIUM INTERVIEW • INSTITUTION ICAA: ‘The audiovisual industry in Spain is in effervescence’ As an organism handling the national bud- film, but also in terms of content such as get for the subsidies for film production, the series, advertising, etc.