Volcano Films shares its experience at CIIF Market on international production and co-production from the Canary Islands
- The Canary Islands production company, with more than 30 years of experience, presented the series La Palma and the feature film The Hive at the 21st edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market in a session moderated by Ricardo Martínez, director of Tenerife Film Commission, with the participation of Sebastián Álvarez and Alejandro Álamo, producers of Volcano Films.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, October 30, 2025. The Canary Islands reaffirmed their position as one of the most attractive destinations for filming international productions thanks to their tax incentive system, audiovisual infrastructure, and the talent of their professionals. In this context, the Case Study session “International Productions in the Canary Islands,” held today as part of CIIF Market 2025, focused on the maturity of the sector and the key role played by local production companies.
The event featured the participation of Volcano Films, one of the archipelago’s most established production service companies, with over 30 years of experience. Through two case studies, the production company shared its expertise in both international film shoots with tax incentives and co-productions with Canarian participation, demonstrating the evolution and consolidation of the audiovisual ecosystem in the Canary Islands.
During the session, panelists Sebastián Álvarez (CEO and producer) and Alejandro Álamo (producer), both from Volcano Films, presented two complementary case studies:
La Palma – International production with tax incentives under the service model, filmed in Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria, released on Netflix in 2024.
The Hive – An international co-production from the Canary Islands with the German production company augenschein Filmproduktion, filmed in Tenerife in 2025 and directed by Martín Rosete.
The panel, moderated by Ricardo Martínez, director of the Tenerife Film Commission, offered a practical dialogue on the different ways in which the Canary Islands can integrate into global audiovisual production, from the provision of services to co-production with its own financing structure.
The first case presented was La Palma, a production by the Norwegian company Fantefilm with production services from Volcano Films. The series, filmed in 2023 on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma and released in 2024 on Netflix, became one of the platform’s most-watched titles for weeks.
As Alejandro Álamo explained, the project originated after a location scouting trip organized by the Tenerife Film Commission in 2021, in which several Canary Islands-based production companies participated. Ultimately, Volcano Films was chosen to support the production, which mobilized more than 1,000 extras, 20 supporting actors, and 300 technicians, most of whom were local professionals.
“Although the “La Palma” project had an international technical team, about 85% of the hired team was from the Canary Islands, including up to 30 Spanish supporting actors, mostly from the Canary Islands, who participated in the series.
It’s a story that takes place in the Canary Islands, was filmed in the Canary Islands, and for weeks was among the top-rated non-English language series worldwide on Netflix. For us, it’s a clear example of how international projects can generate employment and value here.”
This case exemplifies the synergy between the film commission, tax incentives and Canary Islands companies, and how the archipelago’s audiovisual industry is able to manage highly complex international film shoots by integrating local talent.
The second case study was the feature film The Hive, co-produced by Volcano Films and the renowned German production company augenschein Filmproduktion. Filmed in Tenerife during the summer of 2025 and directed by Spanish filmmaker Martín Rosete, the film represents a decisive step for the Canary Islands film industry in its evolution towards international co-production models and independent development.
Unlike the service model, in “The Hive” the Canary Islands-based production company assumed a co-executive producer role, actively participating in financing, creative development, and technical execution. The filming team was comprised mainly of Canary Islands professionals in key departments such as cinematography, art direction, makeup, and wardrobe.
Starring Franka Potente and Sophie Cookson, the film combines iconic locations in Tenerife with filming in Germany, reinforcing the international projection of productions linked to the Islands.
Sebastián Álvarez has explained how Volcano Films’ participation in the project “The Hive” came about. “We had already done two production services with the same company, and that relationship of trust was key for them to fully delegate the Executive Production, allowing us to propose not only a technical team, but also a director and professionals, primarily from the Canary Islands. And to be a bridge for this emerging talent. And in this way, The Hive was born as a service and quickly evolved into a co-production. It all happened in just a month and a half, and that only occurs when there is confidence in your technical and human capabilities.”
“Our criteria for selecting staff were based on the experience accumulated after years of diverse filming projects in the Canary Islands. With such a large Spanish and Canarian team, the financial and tax management was very smooth.”
Founded over 30 years ago, Volcano Films has established itself as one of the most experienced production service companies in the country and a leader in attracting international film productions to the Canary Islands. Its involvement in large-scale projects demonstrates the ability of local companies to compete in the global market, contributing talent, logistics, and technical expertise.
With these two cases, the day has shown that the Canary Islands have gone from being a privileged setting to becoming an active agent within the international audiovisual industry, capable of generating added value, skilled employment and economic diversification for the Archipelago.
To close the panel, Guillermo Ríos, director of the CIIF Market, highlighted the role of Canarian talent in the growth of the audiovisual industry, and praised the work of entities such as the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, the Tenerife Film Commission and local production companies in positioning the Archipelago as a destination not only for filming, but also for creation.
He also had words of appreciation for the trajectory of Volcano Films. “I want to highlight the great work Volcano has done by supporting local talent. I sincerely believe that the boom of Canarian talent is yet to come, because from here we are fighting to tell our own stories, with hard work, with vision, with a strong network.”
And he wanted to close with a direct message to international producers. “To those who come from outside, I say that you can count on us. We want to collaborate, contribute, and fight together to tell stories. When we go to a region, we like to rely on local teams, because they are the ones who can best develop, guide, and enrich each project.”
This panel is part of the activities promoted by the Canary Islands International Film Market to strengthen the visibility of the Canary Islands audiovisual sector and encourage the exchange of good practices between local and international production companies.
The meeting provided an opportunity to analyze firsthand how tax incentives, public-private collaboration, and the professionalization of the sector are consolidating the Canary Islands as one of the most competitive hubs of the European audiovisual industry.
The 21st edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market is being held this week in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, until October 31, establishing itself as a key meeting point for the audiovisual industry. The event brings together producers, distributors, financial agents, and institutional representatives with the aim of promoting co-production, investment, and the international reach of film and television projects linked to the Canary Islands.
The market is promoted by Festeam, Communication and Events, and is sponsored by the Tenerife Island Council, through the Area of Culture, Museums and Sports; the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canary Institute of Cultural Development, Canary Islands Film and PROEXCA; and the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, through the Development Society and Macaronesia Films; with the collaboration of Turismo de Tenerife, through the Tenerife Film Commission; and the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, among other entities.
