Has Spain’s Focus on Commercial Appeal Diminished the Country’s Festival Footprint?

variety.com:

Jamie Lang Spanish cinema has seen significant changes since the pandemic, as observed by its sales agents. Despite recent successes, such as top prizes at the Berlinale in 2022 (“Alcarràs”) and 2023 (“20,000 Species of Bees”), the limited selection of Spanish films at this year’s event has raised questions about the long-term forecast for the Spanish industry.

Commercially, Spanish films sell well abroad, and animation and genre titles are hot commodities. A key factor in Spain’s industry growth has been an influx of productions backed by monied TV companies and local streamers.

That can be a double-edged sword. “The arrival of streamers has had an impact on the consumption habits of viewers, both in cinema and on TV, and also on the production of content,” says Javier Esteban at The Mediapro Studio.

MoreThan Films’ Queralt Pons suggests those changing habits have “shifted focus toward series rather than feature films and  have also led to a homogenization of the audiovisual language.