Canary Islands Boost Global Film Presence at EFM Berlin

The Canary Islands' film and TV industry is stepping up its efforts to reach a global audience. They're doing this by having a strong presence at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, which is seen as Europe's most important event for the industry. This move, reported by Diario de Avisos, is part of the regional government's plan to get the islands involved in big projects right from the start.

The Canary Islands team, led by Canary Islands Film, has set up 60 meetings with production companies. These companies are interested in either filming in the islands or working together on projects. Over 40 professionals from the Canary Islands are part of this effort, backed by Proexca and the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster. The EFM, which is part of the Berlinale film festival, runs from this Thursday until February 18.

A major highlight for the Canary Islands is that La Palma was nominated as the best European filming location. This recognition came from the European Film Commissions Network for the Netflix series "La Palma." The production company Volcano Films handled the services for the show, which involved 13 different organizations. The series brought in about three million euros directly to the economy, hiring around 150 local professionals and over a hundred extras.

Also, the film "Rosebush Pruning" by Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, co-produced by Sur-Film from the Canary Islands, is competing for the top award, the Golden Bear. The 3Doubles studio is showcasing its animated movie, "Ages of madness: The Howling of the Jinn," in the new EFM Animation Days section. Plus, "Tal vez," the first film by Canary Islands director Arima León, is being screened. It was filmed in Gran Canaria with help from the regional government.

The Canary Islands' schedule in Berlin includes a special event called "Forget love, have a passionate affair with Canarian Cinema," which happens to be on Valentine's Day. They are also taking part in the EFM Animation Days and the Berlinale Co-Production Market. For their meetings, the islands have their own dedicated area within the Cinema from Spain pavilion.

Alfonso Cabello, the regional Deputy Minister of the Presidency and head of Proexca, highlighted the importance of an annual plan developed with the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster. Key goals for the industry are to keep the number of productions steady, make tax rules clearer, and help train local talent. About a month ago, the Canary Islands government asked the national government to transfer control over the tax incentives of the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF). This is seen as vital for attracting big productions.

The industry's strong growth is clear from 2024 figures. It has created over 14,000 jobs and hosted 154 film and TV series shoots, bringing in more than 218 million euros. The delegation at the EFM includes many companies such as Amissus Producciones, El Viaje Films, Volcano Films, KPMG, Onyxay Lanzarote Producciones, 7 Islands Film, Alda Productions, Accidental Films, Digital 104, La Caña Sisters, Anti Kino Films, Flaming Frames, and Nirú Films. It also features professionals from various fields, including producers, distributors, visual effects artists, and animation experts.