Feature Film Production

Spain's feature-film custom is one of the most decorated in world cinema. Our department heads have credits across the canon. Pedro Almodóvar (El Deseo, the Madrid-based production company he runs with brother Agustín) took the 1999 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for All About My Mother. The 2002 Best First Screenplay Oscar for Talk to Her. And reshaped Spanish cinema across Volver, Broken Embraces. The Skin I Live In, Julieta. Pain and Glory (2019), and Parallel Mothers.

Here is how this works in practice. Luis Buñuel's Viridiana (1961) won the Palme d'Or and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) won Best Foreign Language Film. Carlos Saura (Cría cuervos Cannes Grand Prix, Carmen, Flamenco) and Víctor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive, El Sur, Close Your Eyes 2023 Cannes Premiere) extend the auteur tier. Alejandro Amenábar (Abre los ojos, The Others, Mar adentro 2004 Best Foreign Language Oscar, Agora) is one of the few Spanish directors to cross fully into English-language genre at scale.

Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage 2007, The Impossible 2012, A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Society of the Snow 2024 Best Global Feature Oscar nom) bridges art-house and tentpole. Isabel Coixet (The Bookshop, Elisa y Marcela). Icíar Bollaín (Maixabel, Te Doy Mis Ojos). Alberto Rodríguez (La Isla Mínima, El hombre de las mil caras), Rodrigo Sorogoyen (El Reino, Madre, Las bestias 2022 Goya sweep). Carla Simón (Estiu 1993 2017, Alcarràs 2022 Berlin Golden Bear), Albert Serra (Pacifiction 2022 Cannes). And Paco Plaza / Jaume Balagueró (the REC horror franchise) round out the today's auteur bench.

Here is the short of it. On the runaway-production and rebates side Spain is one of Europe's most aggressive rebates jurisdictions: the ICAA federal rebate runs at 30 percent on Spanish-spend. The Canary Islands rebate at 50 percent with an 18M cap per project (administered by the Cabildo de Tenerife and Gran Canaria). Navarra at 35 percent (with a 5 percent uplift to 40 percent for Basque-language work). The Basque Country at 35–40 percent via the Diputación Foral. And Madrid at 25 percent regional uplift.

Here is the breakdown. Recent global features that shot here include Ridley Scott's The Counselor, Sam Mendes's Spectre (Plaza Mayor and Tabernas Almería). Wonder Woman 1984 (Fuerteventura and Almería), Knight and Day, Stuber, Allied. Stath Lets Flats, The Bourne Ultimatum. Game of Thrones (Itálica, Trujillo, Bardenas Reales, Peñíscola). And the upcoming Society of the Snow follow-ups. DPs from the AEC (Asociación Española de Autores de Fotografía Cinematográfica) include José Luis Alcaine (Almodóvar's regular), Daniel Aranyó, Mauro Herce, Pau Esteve Birba. Álex Catalán (Goya for La Isla Mínima), and Bet Rourich.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. Stages run through Ciudad de la Luz Alicante, Pinewood Iberia Madrid, Mediapro Studios Barcelona, Movistar+ Studios. And the historic Tabernas Almería desert backlots (Sergio Leone's spaghetti-western country). Premiere venues land at the San Sebastián Global Film Festival (Concha de Oro Golden Shell, September, the top Spanish-language premiere window). The Premios Goya (Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España). Sitges (genre, October), Málaga (Spanish-language competition), SEMINCI Valladolid. And Festival de Cine de Huelva (Iberoamerican). Co-production financing layers ICAA + RTVE + Movistar+ + Atresmedia Cine + Mediaset España Cinema + Ibermedia (the 23-country Latin American co-pro fund) plus European MEDIA / Eurimages support.