How a rich combination of public and private support is propelling Spain’s thriving film and TV sector

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Spain’s film and TV sector has embraced the opportunities of generous state and regional funds and the support of the streamers to become fixtures at festivals and produce must‑watch series.

Deaf

Source: Berlin International Film Festival

‘Deaf’

The creative output from the Spanish film and TV industry in 2025 has been impressive.

Eva Libertad’s Deaf was one of the standout titles of this year’s Berlinale Panorama, and Carla Simon’s Romería and Oliver Laxe’s Sirât both dazzled audiences on the Croisette as part of Cannes’ Competition. Guillermo Galoe’s debut feature Sleepless City was also a popular title in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and has gone on to play widely on the international festival circuit.

Another first feature, Jaume Claret Muxart’s Strange River, played in Venice’s Horizons sidebar, while new films from industry stalwarts Isabel Coixet (Three Goodbyes) and Alejandro Amenabar (The Captive) premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. Also in Venice, Gabriel Azorin’s Last Night I Conquered The City Of Thebes played in Giornate degli Autori where it won the Premio Bisato d’Oro for best screenplay and cinematography.

And Spain’s most renowned filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is in postproduction on Bitter Christmas, after winning the Golden Lion at Venice 2024 for The Room Next Door.

Coming out of the Covid 19 pandemic in Spain, a network of reliable, generous state and regional production funds has created an ecosystem that is allowing fresh voices and experienced talents to thrive.

Additionally, Netflix’s $1.2bn (€1bn) investment in the local film and TV sector over the next four years has helped to put Spanish-language series production on the map — all eyes are on its anticipated thriller Billionaire’s Bunker for 2026.

Home market

Spain also benefits from a deep-pocketed homegrown streamer in Movistar Plus+. The Spanish company is backing arthouse films, and giving them full theatrical releases before shifting to the platform. Whether by working as a producer or through third-party acquisitions, Movistar Plus+ has emerged as a cornerstone of Spanish cinema, supporting films such as Laxe’s Sirāt and San Sebastian premieres Sundays by Alauda Ruiz de Azua and Los Tigres from Alberto Rodriguez. Upcoming projects include The Black Ball by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (aka filmmaking pair Los Javis) and Javier Ruiz Caldera’s Cinco Minutos Más.

Filmin is another Spanish platform that has become a major player, while Secuoya Studios is gradually building a presence as a leading producer of film and TV. Among the buzzy upcoming series are Yo Siempre A Veces and To Kill A Bear, both by Movistar Plus+; Netflix’s Los Secretos De La Cortesana; Filmin’s Millennial Mal; Prime Video’s Day One; and Arcadia by Secuoya Studios/ViX. The growth in TV production over the past few years has boosted the profile of several young directors, who have honed their craft in TV fiction and are now moving into features. They include Estel Diaz with El Bunker and Samantha Lopez Speranza with Todos Los Lados De La Cama and Todo Arde.

In film, international co-production is the normal way of working for most producers, led by Maria Zamora (Elastica Films), Adria Mones (Fasten Films), Marisa Fernandez Armenteros (Buenapinta Media), Alex Lafuente (BTeam), Estephania Bonnett (Playlab), Marina Garcia Lopez (Sintagma Films) and Silvia Fuentes (Sétima).

The industry is now waiting for the final approval of a long-awaited film law that will rubber-stamp all government investment in film.

Ignasi Camos, head of Spain’s film body ICAA, who works with an annual budget of $123m-$130m (€105m-€110m) for film, underlines the importance of government support to the sector.

“It is an industry that, in GDP terms and jobs, brings much more to the country than it gets,” he says. “The success of the film and TV sector has, without a doubt, boosted the prestige of Spain.”