John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentIn a sign of just how much the film and TV industry has evolved over the past few years, 25% of participants at the Malaga Festival’s new Spanish Screenings XXL will represent in one way or another VOD platforms, the organizers announced Tuesday.After taking place in November 2020 and October 2021 during two years of pandemic, Malaga’s leg of the 2022 Spanish Screenings XXL will take place over March 21-24 as part of an even larger Malaga Festival Industry Zone (MAFIZ).In line with the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris a fortnight ago, the event will expand to take in not only recent Spanish movies but series, animation and, in the case of the Spanish Screenings, straight to digital formats. “Not just features get sold these days,” said Malaga Festival director Juan Antonio Vigar. “Spain is beginning to be a reference in the production of series, documentaries, animation, digital creators and talent.
In this sense, the Spanish Screenings, as a unique Spanish film-TV market, are obliged to grow and evolve to adapt to international market demands,” he added.For Vigar, there are now “new and urgent needs for the Screenings’ organization and logistical structure to place them at a competitive level with other international markets which energetically support their national film industries.”Malaga has a strong record supporting new talent, its top award often gong to first feature filmmakers such as Pilar Palomero for “Schoolgirls” in 2020.As some of the most innovative series in Spain are being produced by creators which started off making series for smaller platforms – think Los Javis’ HBO Max U.S.
Read more on variety.com