Advertisement

Malaga Festival’s Spanish Screenings XXL Embrace Sector’s OTT Revolution

In a sign of just how much the film and TV industry has evolved over the past few years, 25% of participants at the Malaga Festival’s new Spanish Screenings XXL will represent in one way or another VOD platforms, the organizers announced Tuesday.

After taking place in November 2020 and October 2021 during two years of pandemic, Malaga’s leg of the 2022 Spanish Screenings XXL will take place over March 21-24 as part of an even larger Malaga Festival Industry Zone (MAFIZ).

More from Variety

In line with the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris a fortnight ago, the event will expand to take in not only recent Spanish movies but series, animation and, in the case of the Spanish Screenings, straight to digital formats.

“Not just features get sold these days,” said Malaga Festival director Juan Antonio Vigar. “Spain is beginning to be a reference in the production of series, documentaries, animation, digital creators and talent. In this sense, the Spanish Screenings, as a unique Spanish film-TV market, are obliged to grow and evolve to adapt to international market demands,” he added.

For Vigar, there are now “new and urgent needs for the Screenings’ organization and logistical structure to place them at a competitive level with other international markets which energetically support their national film industries.”

Malaga has a strong record supporting new talent, its top award often gong to first feature filmmakers such as Pilar Palomero for “Schoolgirls” in 2020.

As some of the most innovative series in Spain are being produced by creators which started off making series for smaller platforms – think Los Javis’ HBO Max U.S. pickup “Veneno” – the Spanish Screenings XXL have also incorporated the Spanish Screenings HACK MAFIZ Málaga, a new digital creators forum launched last year. Malaga called its first edition an “absolute success.”

Issuing a call for admissions on Tuesday, the Malaga Screenings XXL also drilled down in first detail on new and established sections and initiatives at this years’ pumped-up event: New sections take in:

*Remake Day, with the participation of prominent industry producers

*Literary Adaptations: An online spread on spanishscreenings.online of works with rights available for small or big screen makeover

*Spain Colorful Diversity: Spanish regions’ locations, support systems and rebates or credits

*Regional Film Hub: A new platform for the promotion of films supported by regional film agencies

*Market Premieres: Three invitation-only screenings of productions as yet to bow at international markets, presented by key cast and creators.

Malaga’s Spanish Screenings XXL will maintain multiple tried-and-tested sections, including:

*In-theatre screenings of films little seen to date at other international markets, prioritising films from 4Q 2021 and 1Q 2022

*NEO Screenings of innovative, left-of-field titles

*Next from Spain trailers of upcoming releases

*Spanish WIP pix in post

*Spanish Co-Production Forum: Featuring both fiction and non-fiction titles

*An Industry Club meeting space

*A Film Library for films and TV series.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.