Nine production businesses were exploiting the ZEC advantageous tax rates to operate in the Canary Islands in 2009 after relocating here. After fifteen years, thirty-one companies are still engaged in live action. Some Canary Islands pacemaker production firms and titles to keep an eye on are listed below:
Media Productions Anaga
The newest member of the Canary Islands, established in June 2023 by two Venezuelans who were raised in the United States: Gisberg Bermúdez, director of the popular chiller “Whistler: the Origins,” and Malena González, an actress who transitioned to producing and is currently living in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife. Production services were made available for “Bruha,” a film directed and co-written by Bermúdez for Elizabeth Avellán, that was shot in November. It currently has Jeff Fahey, González, and Clara Rosager McCaul Lombardi in post. Currently working on “Black Lotus,” Anaga’s debut production. González and Bermúdez express interest in providing production services as well as international co-production.
Canarias Estudios Buendía
the largest Spanish immigration to the Canaries. 202o was established in Madrid as a joint venture between broadcast network Atresmedia and parent company Movistar Plus+. It was also a producer on the shows “Veneno,” “Cardo,” and “Offworld.” It is currently based in Madrid, Bizkaia, and the Canaries, but it produces the majority of its titles from its 2020-established offices in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Ignacio Corrales, CEO of Buendía Estudios, states, “We’re on for the long term in the Canary Islands, looking to produce from there for the world and bring production to the islands.”
Calibrando Producciones
Octavio Guerra and Elisa Torres, who made their breakthrough with “Searching for Oscar,” created the documentary short and feature specialists in 2010. The film had its global debut during the 2018 Berlinale Berlin Critics’ Week. Begin Again Films bought up Guerra’s latest documentary feature, “I Had a Life,” last year, to enthusiastic reviews. He is currently seeking an international co-production for “What’s On Your Mind,” his feature debut.
Cabo Sur Motion Pictures
Described as a young production company that investigates the limits between fiction and nonfiction and tells stories with a strong social and cultural backdrop, the firm is based in Las Palmas, on the Canary Islands. It made a splash at Locarno last August with a project that checks a lot of boxes: “Ever and the Sharks.” It’s a combination of high-seas adventure, eco-drama, and coming-of-age story that follows a grieving teenage boy named Ever Apolo and renowned marine biologist Alejandra Mendoza Pfennig as they set out to geotag whale sharks off the coast of Peru for the first time.
Three Double Productions
As seen by last year’s $3.7 million global hit “Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow,” Tenerife-based animation studio 3 Doubles consistently delivers more than expected. This year’s Marché du Film has drawn attention to the studio’s two projects: “SuperKlaus,” a co-production between 3Doubles Producciones, Capitán Araña, and PVP Media that is being sold by Pink Parrot and will be released in theatres in November, and “Flamingo Flamenco,” a pre-production co-production with Studio100.
The Garajonay Company
Fede Pajaro and Carlota Amor, the newcomers to the Canary Islands, opened a shop in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2022 with the goal of producing films with “talent with good scripts focused on actors or looking for great performances.” They are currently working on a documentary, a series, and two films: the black comedy “Uncovering Lucia,” which stars Hugo Silva (“Marbella”) and Susana Abaitua (“Crazy About Her”; and the father-son horror film “House of Atreus,” which is starring Jaime Llorente from “Money Heist.” “Our goal is to create a minimum of four films annually in the Canary Islands, utilising local teams while drawing noteworthy international talent,” Amor states.
El Hombre Invisible
Founded in 2011 by José Ramallo, who is most known for his eight-part television series “Canary Islands of Legend,” which is set in each of the Canary Islands and tells the story of legends from the 17th century, including those about werewolves, Marian apparitions, and love stories. Ramallo wrote and directed the show. Produced in collaboration with Fantastic Fulanito and RadioTelevision Canaria (RTVC), the series demonstrates how our unique personalities are concealed and the Canary Islanders’ common way of life with the Latin American Hispanidad—a group of people who are connected by a wealth of myths and recollections, according to Ramallo. “You Will Lose the Canary Islands,” which details how the CIA exploited the Canary terrorist organisation MPAIAC to force Spain into NATO, is now under production.
Las Hormigas Negras
The 2021 fiction feature film “La piel del volcán,” directed by Armando Ravelo, is a narrative of love and hatred set during the Spanish conquest of the Islands in the 15th century, the post-Civil War era, and the present. It is run by Luis Luque and Mario Blanco and was established in Telde, Gran Canaria, in 2013. Presently on screen are two documentaries: Ayoze O’Shanahan’s “Fishermen from the Desert,” which explores the fishing connections between Mauritania and the Canaries, and Guillermo Magariños’ “Dark Party,” which tells the story of a dying carpenter’s comeback.
Match Point/La Popos Producciones
Both were released this year by Manuel Vega, who supported Marina Seresesky’s “Islas,” which starred Ana Belen and Vega, and “Fragmentos,” which was produced by Frank Ariza, directed by Horacio Alcala, and starred Emma Suárez (“Julieta”). Both connect Ariza’s AF Films and Match Point, with BTF Media and E-Media Gallery also partnering on “Fragmentos.”
Tinglado Motion Pictures
Founded in 2005 by David Baute, who is also the artistic director of MiradasDocs since 2008, this class act and historic production house is based in Garachico, Tenerife. Currently creating “Black Butterflies,” a triptych about climate change that was chosen for Annecy’s Contrechamp; “Three Bullets,” the winner of the Locarno Open Doors; and “Sugar Island,” a film about teen pregnancy that is based in the Dominican Republic. In the post, “Sugar Island” appears destined to be a big festival. In the meantime, Tinglado is solidifying his position as an animation producer while María Pulido, the art director of “Black Butterflies,” is getting ready to direct her first animated short.
Tourmalet Motion Pictures
“Killing Crabs,” directed by Omar Al Abdul Razzak Martínez and Manuel Arango, is one of the Canarian films that made a splash in the Islands themselves, drawing “both movie buffs and people who barely watch superhero movies to theatres.” The company is based in Tenerife and produces features, including Razzak’s, which it co-produced in 2013 along with Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “Stockholm.” Razzak says, “That’s what occurred in Tenerife, at least. Tourmalet is currently preparing toon picks with Blanca Bonet of Madrid and Gabriela Fernández Galán of Cuba, live action films like Razzak’s “Dolour Fantasma” and Alois Sandner’s “Fuego en la Boca,” and documentaries from Felipe Rugeles of Colombia and Rodrigo Demirjian of Argentina. Tourmalet is currently working on fiction features, animation, and documentaries.
El Viaje Movies
At twenty years old, they are currently pursuing a number of growth avenues, including developing new talent (Macu Machín, with “Undergrowth”), raising the bar for productions that examine Canarian identity markers (like co-founder José Ayalón’s “La Lucha”), and pushing into international co-production on movies that are perhaps just one or two steps away from major auteur status (Theo Court, “Three Dark Nights”). a representation of the Canary Islands’ tenacity and current growth.
Movies about Volcanoes
A veteran from the Canary Islands. Established in 1994, with a thirty-year history, it has been a two-way street that has produced films such as Julio Medem’s “Chaotic Ana” (2008), Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s “Evolution” (2015), and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s best new director, Goya winner “Intact” (2001), all of which are from Tenerife, while also providing services for Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (2014).
Recent and Current Titles for Canary Islands
A close score of the following features, or an attempt to do so, have lately garnered attention on the festival scene, both internationally and in Spain:
“Black Butterflies” produced by Tinglado Pictures
David Baute’s animated film “Climate Exodus,” produced by Santa Cruz de Tenerife-based Tinglado Films and Barcelona-based Ikiru Films, is currently scheduled to open in Annecy’s Contrechamp. Three very different ladies are seen in it, all of whom lose everything to global warming and must immigrate in order to survive.
Cabo Sur Films’ “Ever & the Sharks”
Lucía Pérez’s “Ever & the Sharks,” also known as “El niño y el tiburón,” which was created by Chémi Pérez at Cabo Sur Films in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, was a standout at the August Locarno Festival Match Me!, a mix of high-seas adventure, eco-drama, and coming-of-age story.
“El diablo lo carga,” Volcano Producciones
The most recent from Volcano features a disgruntled writer named Tristán who is forced to move his brother’s body from Asturias to Benidorm. It’s Guillermo Polo’s first time directing. characterised as a dark comedic road movie with absurdist elements, an independent vibe, and peculiar Spanish people and settings. had its world premiere at the Miami Film Festival on April 10.
“Fragmentos,” (Point of Match)
Produced by Frank Ariza, the project was a standout effort at Match Point, including a notable cast including Emma Suarez, Manu Vega, José Luis García Pérez, and Asia Ortega. The movie, Turning on “the complexity of human relationships,” has the support of AF Films, BTF Media, E-Media Canary, and Match Point.
“Atreus’ House,” produced by Garajonay Productions
starring Jaime Llorente from “Money Heist” and Antonio Resines from “Los Serrano,” with Llorente as an estranged son who must take care of his father, who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. David Hebrero (“Everyone Will Burn”) writes and directs. “The boy soon discovers the epic magnitude and complexity of family caregiving.”
“I’m Going to Vanish,” by Musk Canarias
The Canary Island production “I’m Gonna Disappear” (also known as “Voy a desaparecer”), which tells the story of two estranged brothers who reunite ten years later when one takes advantage of a prison furlough, was one of the market premieres at Malaga’s Spanish Screenings. Written by Canarian Coré Ruiz, it stars Raquel Herrera as the principal female character.
“A Volcano That Was Inhabited,” by Kino Rebelde
“An Inhabited Volcano,” directed by David Panteleón and José Victor Fuentes, had its world premiere at last year’s Visions du Réel in Switzerland and was screened at the Valladolid International Film Festival. It is a record of the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano on La Palma in September 2021 intercut with audio messages from a group of childhood friends on a Whatsapp group. Film Festival and won a prise at the Márgenes festival in Madrid.
“Killing Crabs” (film, Tourmalet)
The fiction feature debut of Omar Al Abdul Razzak, “Killing Crabs,” produced by Tourmalet Films, took home the best Spanish film and actress (Paula Campos) awards at the 2023 Malaga Festival’s Zonacine presentation. A portrayal of a moment in time and location, Tenerife during the 1990s, it also won the Las Palmas Film Festival’s Richard Leacock Award for best picture. According to Razzak’s explanation to Variety last year, the movie is a “family portrait seen through the eyes of a brother and sister whose childhoods are nearing their end.”
“La Lucha” produced by El Viaje Films
a flagship Canary Islands production in 2024 with an eye towards the global market. Additionally, it’s José Ayalón, partner of El Viaje Films, making his directing comeback. Ayalón watches as a father and daughter fight for survival in life, much like the wrestlers in combat, against the unique backdrop of Canary Island wrestling.
Buendía Estudios Canarias presents “Marbella.”
Written by Alberto Marini and directed by Dani de la Torre, who reteamed after “La Unidad,” the deeply scripted series delves into the sybaritic criminal classes of La Costa del Sol. “The tone is fiction, artificial and highly entertaining, but the background is painstakingly researched,” says Fran Araujo, executive producer of the Movistar Plus+ Original, one of its banner series for the first half of 2024.
“Tefía’s Nights” (Buendía Estudios Canarias)
The most well-received film at the 2023 Malaga Film Festival, and a notable accomplishment for Buendía and the SVOD provider Atresplayer, it opened many Spaniards’ eyes to the existence of Francoist labour camps as detention facilities for undesirables, including political dissidents, social outcasts, and homosexuals. A heartfelt, multifaceted look of repression’s victims, including a moving performance by Patrick Criado (“Riot Police”).
“Outside,” produced by KV Films
Additionally during MAFF in Málaga, the fiction feature debut of renowned documentarian Víctor Moreno (“La ciudad oculta,” “Edificio España”), “The Outside” (“El Exterior”), will take place at his archipelago-based KVFilms in the Canary Islands the following year. It has been submitted to the Torino Script Lab 2022 and Cinemart Rotterdam 2022, transforming a female astronaut’s reevaluation of her viewpoint on Earth, and it has received the top honours at Mecas and Abycine Lanza.
“SuperKlaus,” Three Times Produced
Pink Parrot has pre-sold the animated family comedy “SuperKlaus,” which was co-produced by 3 Doubles Producciones in the Canary Islands, to over 40 countries, including important markets like the United Kingdom. (Kaleidoscope) and Splendid, Germany.
“Three Bullets,” a film by Tinglado
The Dominican filmmaker Genésis Valenzuela’s “Three Bullets” (Tres Balas), which is presently in development and co-produced by Tinglado Film, was a major highlight of the previous year’s Locarno Festival, winning numerous Open Doors honours. It weighs in as a hybrid fiction-doc-come-essay examination of the 1992 murder of Dominican immigrant Lucrecia Pérez, combining colonial history, displacement, and criminal enquiry.
“Three Dark Nights” (film by El Viaje)
* The choral cast of “Three Dark Nights” (Tres noches negras), the third feature from Spanish-Chilean Theo Court (“White on White”), directed by Pablo Larráin favourite Alfredo Castro, will lead the cast. The film is scheduled to open at El Viaje Films and is expected to be a highlight of Ventana Sur’s Proyecta project competition and September’s San Sebastián Co-Production Forum.
“Lucía: Uncovered” (Garajonay Productions)
Hugo Silva (“Marbella”) and Susana Abaitua (“Crazy About Her”) appear in this blockbuster film from newcomer Garajonay. Silva plays a judicial expert, while Abaitua plays the murder suspect that he is investigating and falls madly in love with. “Yrreal,” a “very black comedy” by Alberto Utrera
* “Undergrowth,” produced by El Viaje Films
“La Hojaresca,” a film from Machín about three elderly sisters dividing their family property inheritance, made history by being the first 100% Canarian film to have its international premiere at the Berlinale in February. It was screened at the Malaga Festival in March and won best Spanish picture and director in the Zonazine parallel section.
“How Are You Feeling?(Producciones Calibrando)
The first fiction work in which documentarian Octavio Guerra stars. Zaida and another girl from her artistic swimming team had sex with a boy that they both like. A video taken during a party becomes viral. She is so harassed by her team that she thinks of ending her life. “A movie about the mistreatment that every woman experiences in life,” explains producer Elisa Torres.
