Canary Islands Lead Spain's Film and TV Boom, Especially in Animation

The Canary Islands' film and TV industry is thriving, according to a new report on Spain's audiovisual sector in 2025. The islands are leading the way among Spanish regions for filming and employing people in animation.

The report, from the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function, looks at the Spain Audiovisual Hub project and the overall state of the industry. It shows that Spain is doing very well across Europe, and the Canary Islands are a key player among the continent's leading regions.

Here's what the report found:

• Filming: 27% of productions in Spain happened in the Canary Islands, putting them in first place alongside Catalonia for the most activity.
• Government Support: The islands are third in Spain for audiovisual projects receiving funding from the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts, with 8% of the total. This shows a rise in both Spanish-made films and co-productions.
• Animation Jobs: The Canary Islands are third in the country for employment in animation, with 7.94% of the jobs, behind only Madrid and Barcelona.
• Companies: The sector accounts for 5.6% of companies in Spain.

The Canary Islands' audiovisual industry has grown significantly in recent years, thanks in part to tax incentives like the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) and the Canary Special Zone (ZEC). Investment in productions has jumped from around 35 million euros in 2017 to about 250 million euros now.

Within the ZEC, the low-tax area has seen its number of companies in the sector more than double, from 38 in 2019 to over 80 in 2025. Animation is a standout area, with 14 companies making up over 60% of the sector in the Canary Islands. Visual effects (VFX) have also seen growth, with five new companies joining since 2022, bringing the total to eight. New companies are also emerging that focus on creating their own original content from the islands.

This success is due to the combined efforts of various organisations, including the Canary Institute for Cultural Development, Proexca-Government of the Canary Islands, the ZEC, and the island councils, along with the Canary Audiovisual Cluster. Pablo Hernández, president of the ZEC, noted that "investors and companies most highlight the coordination and collaboration between institutions, which makes things easier." He added, "This work isn't done by one organisation, but by many people working together to make investors feel welcome and bring in more projects."

Hernández also stressed the importance of training and better facilities. "We have good training, but there aren't enough places and the options are limited compared to the amount of work. To become a major hub, we need to rely less on talent from outside and train more local technicians. We need to figure out what skills are missing and create more training opportunities."

Regarding infrastructure, he pointed to the need for studios to support ongoing series production. "Daily series create a lot of jobs. But for that, we need studios and related facilities. We have them in Gran Canaria, and major projects are progressing there and in Tenerife. We expect them to be ready soon to strengthen the sector."

Finally, he mentioned that special effects and animation in other styles are growing areas. "We now have over eleven special effects companies, and the Canary Islands are starting to be noticed in this sector," he concluded.