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CIIF Market announces the selected projects participating in its 20th edition

20 audiovisual projects in development from 9 countries: Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, are participating in the Canary Islands International Film Market 2024, which kicks off with the presentation of its programming and will be held until October 18 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and with many new features on its 20th anniversary.

Among the companies receiving the projects selected for advice and evaluation of financing and/or co-production opportunities, there are prominent producers, distributors, sales agents, television networks, studios and aid funds, such as The film is produced by: A Contracorriente Films, Accidental Films, Álamo Producciones, Amore Cine, Atresmedia Cine, Begin Again Films, Bendita Film Sales, Buendía Estudios, El Viaje Films, Faction Media, Hubert Bals Fund, Latido Films, Promenades Films, Radio Televisión Canaria RTVC, RTVE, Secuoya Studios, Urua Films, Warner Bros. Discovery, Zulfilmes and 73140323 PC.

Project delegates will have a personal agenda of one-to-one meetings with invited professionals and potential investors and experts. They will also be able to attend different panels along with other market and networking activities, and be eligible for important awards for their promotion and internationalization.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, October 10, 2024. The City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has hosted the presentation of the 20th edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market, which will be held until October 18 in the capital of Tenerife.

The event was attended by José Manuel Bermúdez, Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Pablo Martín Carbajal, CEO of PROEXCA; Cristóbal de la Rosa, Director General of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries of the Government of the Canary Islands; José Carlos Acha, Island Councillor for Culture and Museums of the Cabildo de Tenerife; Carmen Pérez, Councillor for Employment, Trade and Tourism (Development Society) of the municipality of Santa Cruz; and Guillermo Ríos, Director of CIIF Market.

The official headquarters of CIIF Market will once again be the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey Hotel, where creatives, scriptwriters, filmmakers, production companies, studios, distributors, sales agents, television channels, investors, financiers and other industry professionals will meet to promote film and audiovisual creation and promote the co-production of feature film and series projects aimed at a global market.

CIIF Market seeks to contribute to the revitalization of the industry by attracting national and international companies in the sector and by promoting meetings with Canarian producers, in such a way as to foster synergies to encourage cinematographic and audiovisual creation with the aim of supporting their internationalization.

José Manuel Bermúdez highlighted the market’s history as an essential event for attracting companies that can revitalize the city and attract investment. “Since the creation of the Santa Cruz Film Commission office in 2012, Santa Cruz has hosted 700 film shoots and the entire city is committed to facilitating the development of the audiovisual industry.”

The mayor has pointed out that “Cinema is a strategic sector for the whole of the Canary Islands, but our city has taken very seriously the task of supporting both filming and premieres, as well as the presence of teams in our streets. Santa Cruz is, without a doubt, a city of cinema and for cinema, there are more and more production companies and companies in the audiovisual sector that focus on our city and that generate an economic impact thanks to the large teams that participate in each one of them. Some of these projects are born here, at the CIIF Market, where the seeds of essential collaborations are planted to connect talent with financing.”

Carmen Pérez spoke about the 69 filmings that Santa Cruz has hosted this year, and the reason why it has been decided to promote “CIIF Market Awards 2024 – Development Society of Santa Cruz de Tenerife” to Eduardo Campoy and Chano Álvarez, for their determined commitment to supporting the development of the industry on the Island. And at each of these awards, open to the public, the films “Padres” and “Lo Carga el Diablo” will be screened, so that citizens can see the spaces in their city where they were filmed.”

José Carlos Acha, reiterated the importance of CIIF Market within the line of support to the industry that is carried out by the Cabildo de Tenerife, “Not only from the area of Culture, as a strategic sector, but also through the projects that are directly financed by the Tenerife Film Commission. We are at a very significant moment for the audiovisual sector in the Canary Islands, a strategic sector that is developing widely, where the incentives from a fiscal point of view are important. CIIF Market takes advantage of this potential, and has seen it for twenty years, when people were just beginning to talk about cinema as an industry, being able to unite here those international production companies that are looking for a set, with the ideas of creators, and that professionalism in the sector that, without a doubt, we offer them.”

For his part, Pablo Martín Carbajal explained that “at PROEXCA we have the mission of supporting Canarian companies in their processes of opening up to new markets in order to diversify the regional economy, strengthen the Canarian business fabric and promote job creation, which is why a market like CIIF Market is essential, as it is fundamental for the internationalization of our sector.”

Cristóbal de la Rosa recalled that a study by the Spain Film Commission says that “The Canary Islands are the third Spanish community in attracting international filming and the second in large international filming, with what this means for the city’s economy. All institutions are making a huge effort to strengthen the sector. Every day the industry is becoming more diversified, we started with services, we have attracted more talent, being able to produce and co-produce, and that is the work that is done in spaces like CIIF Market. You have an idea and you need to sell it and it is in the markets where you can achieve this.”

Guillermo Ríos, who was accompanied by Teodoro Ríos, honorary president of CIIF Market, highlighted that “This year we are celebrating the Canary Islands International Film Market, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It is a market that has been consolidating over the last decade and has become a national and international reference. This is reflected in the large number of projects that arrive, between 100 and 120 received annually, seeking to participate in this event, and this speaks highly of the health of the CIIF Market, which is why this year an effort has been made to involve more projects than ever before. ”.

The support of public and private institutions, as well as collaborating companies, has been fundamental and it has been understood that this event is undoubtedly a great economic engine for the islands. In this 20th anniversary we are eager to continue working, to grow, to evolve to continue innovating and to facilitate contacts and new opportunities for producers and other local and foreign professionals in the sector who are looking to launch their projects here. “he concluded.

Participating projects in CIIF Market 2024

In the selection of film and/or audiovisual projects, it has been valued that the project is being presented at a forum for the first time, that the production company has carried out at least one international co-production, innovation in formats and the proposal of new distribution and financing formulas, as well as previous completed work by the director and/or producer. The final choice was made to find a balance between commercial projects and others with greater creative risk.

In this edition, coinciding with its 20th anniversary, there will be 20 audiovisual projects (feature films and series) in the development phase that will participate in CIIF Market, from nine countries, some in co-production: Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, in the following sections:

International Section: 14 projects

  • Coragem Hoje, Abraços Amanha (Real Ficcao), Joana Brandao, Jacinta Barros. Portugal (Feature film, historical).
  • The Submerged Forest (Meridional Productions), Marina Seresesky, Álvaro Lavín. Spain (Feature film, drama).
  • The Middleman (Estación Marte Films), Izabel Acevedo González, Nina Wara Carrasco. Mexico, Guatemala. (Feature film, drama)
  • Isabella (Euder Arce Films SAS), Juan Zapata, Euder Arce. Colombia (Feature film, romantic comedy).
  • The Invisibles (80 Mundos SRL), Victoria Andino, María Eugenia Lombardi. Argentina (Series, period thriller)
  • The Memories (Red Collision Studios), Julian Camilo Sanchez, Sebastian Caballero. Colombia (Series, thriller).
  • Line (Manilha Films), Hermano Moreira, Bruno Contin. Portugal (Series, drama).
  • Cops and Moms (Apnea Films), Emmanuelle Kesch, Carolina Hernánez, Francisco Carrasco. Spain (Series, black comedy, thriller).
  • Husband for rent (Paula Goldstein PC), Hernán Belón, Paula Goldstein. Argentina (Feature film, comedy).
  • Old Dog (Batiak Films), Alejandro Cortés Calahorra, Clara Santaolaya. Spain (Feature film, psychological drama).
  • It Happened in January (Bolero Films), Luis Romero, Ralf Tambke. Panama (Feature film, drama)
  • A Happy Ending (Tarkemoto), Jesus Noa, Angel Tirado. Spain (Feature film, thriller).
  • Webmasters (U Films), Maximiliano Contenti, Lucia Gaviglio, Virginia Hinze. Uruguay (Feature film, drama).
  • Me Period (La Maldita), Mariam Hernández, Lucas Mirvois. Spain (Series, dramedy).

Focus Canarias Section: 6 Canary Islands projects

  • Erasmus (Jugoplastika), Chedey Reyes. Spain, Portugal (Series, comedy)
  • Different Species (Amissus Media), Laura Pérez, Daute Campos. Spain (Feature film, drama, psychological thriller).
  • The Call of the Void (Kairos Films), Liteo Pedregal, Victoria Alberca, Elsa Núñez. Spain, Portugal (Feature film, drama).
  • Metaverse of Gaia (JR Productions), Cándido Pérez de Armas, Rumen Justo Reyes. Spain, United Kingdom (Series, science fiction).
  • Oxygen (Idolargroup Holding), Elsa Nunez Fernandez, Susana Fernandez. Spain (Feature film, drama, science fiction)
  • Tourist go home (La Gaveta Producciones), Hugo Santacruz, Eduardo Cubillo. Spain, United Kingdom (Feature film, social satire).

Between the companies receiving the projects selected for advice and evaluation of financing and/or co-production opportunities include prominent production companies, distributors, sales agents, television networks, studios and aid funds, with representatives such as A Contracorriente Films (Manuel Monzón), Accidental Films (Sara Gonzalo, Jacobo Martínez), Álamo Producciones (Eduardo Campoy), Amore Cine (Juan Pablo Félix), Atresmedia Cine (Rosa Pérez Hernández), Begin Again Films (Gloria Bretones), Bendita Film Sales (Luis Renart, Elisa Hernández), Buendía Estudios (Ignacio Corrales, Concha Jaime Legorburo), El Viaje Films (James Weiss), Faction Media (Sylvia Stevens), Hubert Bals Fund (Jeske van der Slikke), Latido Films (Vanessa Vargas), Promenades Films (Samuel Chauvin), Radio Televisión Canaria RTVC (Diana Armas), RTVE (Mila Mayi), Secuoya Studios (Roberto Serrano), Urua Films, (Júnia Monteiro Matsuura), Warner Bros. Discovery (Andrés Longares), Zulfilmes (Fernando Centeio) and 73140323 PC (Ezequiel Montes).

CIIF Market will hold video pitch sessions of the selected projects, which will be presented and evaluated by the receiving companies.

Participants will have the opportunity to have a personalized agenda of one-to-one meetings with invited professionals, national and international experts and potential investors to co-produce their projects, as well as attend different panels, where the most current trends in the industry and other networking activities will be analyzed. The selected projects will also be eligible for various awards to promote their work abroad.

CIIF Market 2024 Activities Program: Development Society Awards, special screenings, presentations, conferences and much more

In this edition, in addition to the already announced special screenings open to the public with the screenings of the films Padres (October 14) and Lo carga el diablo (October 17) and the awards that will be given to producers Eduardo Campoy and Sebastián Álvarez thanks to the support of the Development Society of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, new activities will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15, such as the Tenerife Networking Meeting and subsequent Fam Trip, with the collaboration of the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster and Tenerife Film Commission.

CIIF Market will host the first day of presentations by service companies associated with CLAC and the Tenerife Film Commission to market guests and participants. A unique opportunity that will allow companies to present their service offerings and talk about their latest work and experience in the sector with the aim of strengthening and expanding their network of contacts.

In the afternoon, a Fam Trip will be held, through which participants will be invited to tour a small part of the island, to see first-hand the great diversity of landscapes that Tenerife has within a few kilometres, before the official opening of the market.

Various sessions will also be held during the week, such as the presentation of the Hubert Bals Fund and the conference on the Present and Future of the Audiovisual Industry – Challenges and Opportunities, open to the public, also with the collaboration of Tenerife Film Commission.

On Wednesday 16th there will be a talk with Jeske van der Silke, director of the Hubert Bals Fund, the film project support fund of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and one of the most prestigious in the European scene. Jeske will talk about the different lines of support, what kind of projects can be submitted, from which countries, the main eligibility criteria and all those issues to consider when submitting a project and increasing the chances of being selected.

The panel, organised in collaboration with Tenerife Film Commission, will be moderated by Luis Romero, a Panamanian director, producer and screenwriter. Through his production company Bolero Films, he has produced works that study society from the perspective of human rights, the recovery of nationality and Panamanian culture.

On Thursday 17th the conference Present and Future of the Audiovisual Industry – Challenges and Opportunities will take place, in which renowned professionals from the sector, executives from television networks, studios, producers and distributors, will address current trends and share their editorial strategies. With the participation of Milagros Mayi, Director of Acquisitions at RTVE; Rosa Pérez, Executive Producer at Atresmedia; Manuel Monzón, Executive Producer at A Contracorriente Films; Roberto Serrano, Deputy Director of Development at Secuoya Studios; and Andrés Longares, Director of Local Production, Warner Bros. Discovery .

Directed by Sara Gonzalo, founder and producer of Accidental Films. She has produced series for almost all platforms and television channels, with titles such as Gran Hotel (Atresmedia), Velvet Colección (Movistar+), The Refugees (BBC), or El Caso Asunta (Netflix). In addition, she has produced feature films such as ‘Un Año, una noche’ by Isaki Lacuesta, selected in the official section of the Berlinale.

CIIF Market Awards 2024

On Friday 18th, CIIF Market will award seven prizes to which all participating projects are eligible to promote their growth and development at a European and/or international level:

CIIF Market Santa Cruz de Tenerife Award to the project with the greatest international projection, with a cash prize to attend an international market of their choice.

Tenerife Council Award for the project with the greatest European projection, with free accreditation to attend a European film and/or audiovisual market of your choice.

Focus Canarias Award for the best Canarian project with free accreditation to attend an international film and/or audiovisual market of their choice. *Sponsored by Festeam, Comunicación y Eventos

Music Library & SFX Award, the winning project will have a flat rate limited to one free production, which will allow the synchronization of production music from the Music Library & SFX catalogs into the content of the project.

The MAFIZ Award will be given to the European project and the Latin American project with the greatest potential for co-production to participate in MAFIZ 2025, the industry section of the Malaga Film Festival.

Blurr Stories Award, the winners (European project and Latin American feature film project) will receive laboratory services including Conforming, Online and Delivery, which includes: 1 DCP, 1 ProRes HQ Master and 1 H.264 Master. The award will allow both projects to be completed with professional quality standards for distribution and exhibition.

The Térrea Award will be awarded to a European project and a Latin American project, consisting of the formulation of a sustainability plan to implement strategies to reduce emissions and improve the social impact of the projects.

CIIF Market is organised by Festeam, Communication and Events, with the sponsorship of the Tenerife Island Council, Department of Culture, Museums and Sports; the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, through the Development Society; and the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development, Canary Islands Film and PROEXCA.

The market is supported by the Tenerife Tourism Board, through the Tenerife Film Commission; the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster and Macaronesia Films, among other entities, such as Music Library & SFX, AECINE, Bankinter, Blurr Stories, CIMA Impulsa, Control Freaks, IsLABentura Canarias, MAFIZ Málaga, PNR, RAHN Star, Riverflow Pictures, Térrea and ZEC (Zona Especial Canarias).