CIIF Market closes its 20th edition, consolidating its position in the international audiovisual panorama
Canary Islands International Film Market 2024 concludes with great success. A very special edition celebrating its 20th anniversary, with a greater number of participating projects and an expansion of activities, which have aroused great interest from the industry that has met for a week in the capital of Tenerife.
More than 150 professionals have attended CIIF Market, including creators, scriptwriters, directors, producers, distributors, sales agents, financiers, institutions, organizations, studios, television networks and other national and international experts.
Some 600 meetings have been held between delegates of the selected projects and the invited recipient companies, to explore new avenues for financing and investment and to encourage co-productions.
The awards ceremony in recognition of their contribution to Canarian audiovisuals to producers Eduardo Campoy and Sebastián Álvarez, followed by the screenings open to the public of “Padres” and “Lo carga el diablo” in cinemas, were attended by more than 800 spectators.
The 20th edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market has ended with great expectations and very good feelings about continuing to grow in its international expansion.
Twenty projects from Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Uruguay participated in the search for funding for the 20th anniversary of CIIF Market, a pioneering and benchmark market in the Canary Islands, which has positioned itself as one of the essential events in the annual calendar of the sector.
From October 14 to 18, Santa Cruz de Tenerife has become a meeting point between cinema and series, between creation and production, between talent and business management, bringing together more than 150 professionals, including filmmakers, scriptwriters, directors, producers, distributors, sales agents, television channels, institutions, organizations, studios, investment funds, as well as other industry experts and news media from radio and television, print and specialized press.
CIIF Market is a strategic event for Canarian audiovisuals, both nationally and internationally, to encourage cinematographic and audiovisual creation, attract producers, find new projects, stimulate co-production for the global market and offer the islands for filming and tax benefits.
The project delegates have had a busy schedule of meetings and activities with invited professionals and potential investors to co-produce their projects, attending various panels and other networking activities, such as location tours to show the islands to new producers interested in filming in the Canary Islands or the Afterwork offered by Music Library & SFX.
Following the video pitch presentations of each project, around 600 individual meetings have been held in the business area set up at the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey Hotel between participants and host companies such as A Contracorriente Films, Álamo Producciones, Atresmedia Cine, Begin Again Films, Bendita Film Sales, Buendía Estudios, Faction Media, Hubert Bals Fund, Latido Films, Promenades Films, Radio Televisión Canaria RTVC, RTVE, Secuoya Studios o Warner Bros. Discovery.
All of them have contributed their point of view, advising on the projects, with the aim of enriching them and optimising their production possibilities. The recipient companies have described CIIF Market as an opportunity to learn about new approaches and different approaches in this type of forum.
For their part, the designers in general have been very pleased with their presence in the market, with the effectiveness of the meetings and have described this experience as an invaluable opportunity to make themselves known and for their work to continue growing, establish synergies and try to find new partners and generate co-production alliances.
CIIF Market 2024 Conferences
During the CIIF Market, Jeske van der Silke, director of the Hubert Bals Fund, the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s film project support fund and one of the most prestigious in the world, presented the event. The Fund aims to encourage European producers to participate as co-producers in high-quality film projects by filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East or Eastern Europe.
In addition to financial support, the Hubert Bals Foundation also plays a crucial role in promoting selected films at international film festivals, thereby helping to increase the visibility and recognition of emerging filmmakers and innovative cinematographic works.
The Hubert Bals Fund is recognized for its significant contribution to independent and arthouse cinema, providing essential resources and a platform for exhibition for filmmakers exploring new perspectives and narratives in the art of cinema.
“We have supported more than 1,300 projects since the Fund was established, and many of them have premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where some have even won important prizes such as the Tiger Award,” said Jeske van der Silke.
The panel was 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 rescue of nationality and Panamanian culture.
CIIF Market also held the conference Present and Future of the Audiovisual Industry – Challenges and Opportunities, 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 at Warner Bros. Discovery, hosted by Sara Gonzalo, Founder and Producer at Accidental Films.
A session that focused on analyzing the latest developments in the sector and gaining a deeper understanding of the type of projects producers are looking for and where platforms and channels are heading, as well as consumer demand.
Among the conclusions drawn, it is found that, despite the uncertainty of the sector and its constant evolution, the audiovisual industry continues to look for new ways to connect with audiences. Collaboration between platforms, televisions and producers must be essential to ensure that content remains relevant and achieves greater projection. In a context of accelerated transformation, the capacity to adapt, the promotion of diversity and the encouragement of new talents emerge as the main key factors to guarantee the success and sustainability of audiovisual production in the future.
Parallel market activities
Within the special actions that CIIF Market has organized on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the market held the first day of presentation of the service companies associated with the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster and the Tenerife Film Commission before the guests and foreign participants of the market. A unique opportunity that allowed companies to present their service offerings and talk about their latest work and career in the sector in order to strengthen and expand their network of contacts. Innovation, opportunities and collaboration were the central themes of the event.
Great response from the local public to the activities open to the public. More than 800 spectators came to the Víctor Cinema to see the presentation of the CIIF Market – Development Society Awards to producers Eduardo Campoy and Sebastián Álvarez and the special screenings of the films “Padres” and “Lo carga el diablo”.
On the other hand, more than 60,000 views have been accumulated on the CIIF Market YouTube channel and videos on social networks, a record, with the presentation of the 20th anniversary, new content regarding conferences, awards, film screenings, interviews and statements by award winners, participants and sponsoring and collaborating organizations and institutions, as well as daily summaries of this edition.
Statements from recipients and participants
Eduardo Campoy (Álamo Producciones), during his participation in CIIF Market, said that “we try to find ideas from independent authors and producers who do not have access to the big studios. Here we have the opportunity to come across some ideas that we can then develop together.”
Andrés Longares (Warner Bros. Discovery) has clarified that “here we find very filtered projects, of a certain quality, with relevant elements that make them attractive. This type of meeting allows you to meet the people behind the projects, because in the end 90% of the decision you make is based on whether you can collaborate with that person.”
Mila Mayi (RTVE) said: “We are not looking for anything in particular, we are not coming with a predetermined idea, but we are looking for projects that are attractive to the audience. This is the first time I have come to this market and I find it very interesting to gain new perspectives.”
Rosa Pérez (Atresmedia) said that “I have been to the market several times and I have noticed that in recent years the level of the projects has grown a lot, both in how they are told by the professionals who come, as well as the stories they bring, which are very good.”
Director and screenwriter Elsa Núñez, from the “Oxígeno” project and producer of “La llamada del vacío”, said: “I am very grateful to be here. These have been very useful and productive meetings and encounters, not only in terms of learning, but also in terms of getting to know great professionals who have been in this sector for a long time and who, thanks to their advice and analysis, allow us to continue improving and delving deeper into the project.”
For Portuguese director and producer Hermano Moreira, from the “Line” project: “The more people who can help improve the project, for me it is very good to exchange impressions and get new perspectives, and CIIF Market allows you to do that.”
Producer Ángel Tirado, from the project “A Happy Ending”, said: “This market is very productive. The feedback we receive from recipients is very interesting, because they advise us on how to present the project, how to define it, how to package it so that it is more effective in selling and getting the support we need.”
For Argentine producer Paula Golstein of “Marido a domicilio”: “This is a very accurate market, because you see that there is a very genuine interest in your project, we have had good reviews from experts.”
Colombian producers Sebastián Caballero and Vanessa Gómez, from “Las memorias”, have said: “We have been doing a route of markets and festivals this year, and the proposal has been very well received here. We have received very good feedback on our project.”
Canarian director and screenwriter Cándido Pérez de Armas, from “Metaverse of Gaia”, who is familiar with the market, concluded: “We are very happy with the reception and we can say that this edition, with its 20th anniversary and all the activities that take place, is being magical. It is a great international window for the Canary Islands, I have seen the growth of CIIF Market and thanks to events like this, more and more people are seeing and listening to us abroad.”
The projects selected at CIIF Market were eligible for various awards to promote their development and internationalisation, which were presented at the closing ceremony of the edition, where the project “Coragem Hoje, Abraços Amanha” won the CIIF Market Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2024 Award and the Blurr Stories Award. “Perro viejo” won three awards: Cabildo de Tenerife Award, MAFIZ Award and Térrea Award; and “Tourist go home” was the winner of the Focus Canarias Award and the Music Library & SFX Award. Here are all the winners.
CIIF Market 20th edition review
Taking stock of the edition, Guillermo Ríos, director of CIIF Market, thanked the support of institutions and collaborators “without which this market would not have celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The help of the institutions has been essential to reach the position that Canary Islands International Film Market currently occupies, a friendly, very human market, which sets us apart from other major events, with great potential to boost the audiovisual industry and offer new opportunities, and we are very satisfied with the path taken so far.”
“This year we had to do something special, and that was to bring to the big screen the fruits of the market of those projects that have been here. Two awards have been given to producers who deserve it for their valuable contribution to the Canary Islands audiovisual industry, supporting local talent and companies, and we have held special screenings of films that have not yet been released. It was only fair that the city could see these results in the cinema and it is very exciting for us, since, in a certain way, with these actions we close the circle of the main objective of the market, which is to see that the projects become a reality.”, Ríos continued.
Finally, Teodoro Ríos, honorary president of CIIF Market, reviewed the history that led to the birth of the market, recalling the creation of the “Spanish Film Screenings” in Lanzarote in 1999, with screenings of each year’s Spanish film harvest for international buyers, and where the first Spain Film Commission was created. “The screenings ended in Madrid and we then focused on setting up a market, which was first Euroforum and was based at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Film Festival, and then evolved independently to become this CIIF Market in Tenerife, which is a necessary space for the development of projects and the strengthening of the industry.”
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).
