Spain comes to the Berlinale 2025 as the "Country in Focus" at the European Film Market (EFM), with a delegation of 400 professionals from the audiovisual sector

The Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, takes part in the Welcome to Spain as the "Country in Focus" at the European Film Market

Spain comes to the Berlinale 2025 as the "Country in Focus" at the European Film Market (EFM), which will be held in the German capital from 13 to 19 February. As part of the strategy to promote the internationalisation of the Spanish audiovisual sector, the Ministry of Culture, through the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), and ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, have organised a programme of activities around the 'Spanish Kaleidoscope & Cinema From Spain' stand, which will bring together more than 400 professionals and 50 Spanish companies at this prestigious forum for the international film industry.

The Spanish Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, met with a representative of the large Spanish delegation at the Spanish stand this morning, after a tour of the market at the Gropius Bau. At the welcoming ceremony in Spain, in which he took part yesterday afternoon together with the German Minister of Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, the minister stressed that "the presentation of Spain as a "Country in Focus" will allow us to take full advantage of the opportunities for dissemination and internationalisation offered by this festival".

He added that it is "a great opportunity for the Spanish film industry to showcase its talent and strength, and, above all, to showcase projects in development, seek strategic alliances, find partners, investors and be able to finalise projects already underway". He concluded that "this is the task and the pride of this Ministry of Culture: to support and publicise our film industry, our creators, and to allow Spanish cinema to continue to grow, as it is already doing, in the global market and among viewers all over the world".

'Spanish Producers Spotlight'

The activities of España País Foco, organised in collaboration with ICAA and ICEX, begin tomorrow, Friday 14 February, when the 'Spanish Producers Spotlight' will take place. At this event, 10 cutting-edge Spanish producers and newcomers to the international scene will present their companies and projects in development to leading professionals. The participants will be Aintza Serra Verdaguer (Escándalo Films), Alba Sotorra Clua (Alba Sotorra S.L.), Clara Santaolaya (Batiak Films), Emilia Fort (Avalon Productora Cinematográfica), Jose Esteban Alenda (Solita Films), Odile Antonio-Baez (Pecado Films), Ricard Sales Lacima (LaCima Producciones), Roberto Butragueño Sánchez (Sideral Cinema), Rodrigo Espinel Martinez (Morena Films) and Valérie Delpierre (Inicia Films).

'Berlinale Series Market'

ICAA and ICEX will promote the presence of Spanish series at the EFM with two outstanding activities scheduled for Monday 17 February. On the one hand, the 'Spanish Thrillers' panel - with which ICEX will support the alliance between Berlinale Series Market and Iberseries & Platino Industria - will propose a dialogue on the rise of the Spanish thriller and its global relevance, with the cases of 'Internal Affairs' (Mediacrest Entertainment and RTVE) and 'Shades' (Secuoya Studios and SkyShowtime). And, on the other hand, 'The Spanish Connection: 4 Series Pitches' will present four series in development: Pink Noise' (Lamola Studio) with Álvaro León, 'The Wheel' (Mr. Miyagi) with David Matamoros, 'Dark Waters' (Federation Spain) with María Rocher and 'True North' (The Aurora Project) with Horacio Alcalá.

'Berlinale Co-Production Market'

In order to improve their professional network and open up to new opportunities, as part of the Visitors Programme, there will be 10 other Spanish start-ups participating in the Coproduction Market activities such as the Visitors' Get-Together, the Berlinale Co-Production Market Lunch and specialised sessions. The participating companies are Monkeys Filmakers, Good Friends Pictures, Lavida, Materia Cinema, Pimpinella Films, La Cochera Producciones, Ringo Media, Shift Dif, Smile & Pixel and Artefacto Films.

In addition, in the same line of international work, outside the official EFM programme, co-production meetings will be held with Colombia (14 February) and Uruguay (15 February), as well as the networking event with the New Horizons Festival in Poland to facilitate co-productions aimed at young audiences and children (16 February).

'Berlinale Talents'

In addition, thirteen young Spanish film professionals have been selected to participate in 'Berlinale Talents', the festival's prestigious networking programme: Valèria Sorolla (actress), Laura Egidos Plaja (producer), María Gisèle Royo (director and scriptwriter), Gerard Rodriguez (producer), Adrián Saba (director and scriptwriter), Araceli Isaac Delso (producer), Gerard Borràs (editor and director), Juan Sebastián Vásquez (director and scriptwriter), Susana Fernández (programmer, curator and audience designer), Pau Aulí (art director and costume designer), Pilar Moreno (director and scriptwriter), María Elorza (director and editor) and Rubén Téllez Brotóns (film critic and journalist).

Spanish presence at the 75th Berlinale

In parallel to the professional activity at the EFM, Spain has an outstanding selection of titles at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, whose opening, with the presentation of the Honorary Golden Bear to Tilda Swinton and the screening of the opening film 'The light' ('Das Licht'), by Tom Tykwer, will be attended this afternoon by the Minister for Culture. Iván Fund's 'El mensaje' ('The Message') will be screened in the Official Competition, while Eva Libertad's 'Sorda' ('Deaf') will be shown in the Panorama Section. In addition, 'Only on Earth' by Robin Petré (co-production with Denmark) and 'Juanita' by Karen Joaquín & Uliane Tatit will be screened in the Generation Section. Elena Duque's 'Portals' will be screened in the Forum Expanded Section; and Lucía G. Romero's 'Close to September' will be in Berlinale Shorts. Finally, a restored copy of Antonio Giménez-Rico's 'Vestida de azul' ('Dressed in Blue') will be part of 'Berlinale Classics'.

Spain, seventh EFM Country in Focus

With the invitation to Spain as Country in Focus, the EFM has, for the seventh time since 2017, put a film region in the spotlight with its 'Country in Focus' programme, following Mexico, Canada, Norway, Chile, the Baltic States and Italy. Giving its reasons for the nomination, the Berlinale market organisation considered that "its many filmmakers make Spain a dynamic and strong European film destination with international appeal, as well as a long and successful tradition of Spanish films in the festival programme, and also in the EFM and the Berlinale's industry initiatives". The EFM also stressed that Spain is firmly committed to the expansion of sustainable film production and the digitalisation of the film sector with a vision for the future.

Non official translation