Guillermo Farré of Movistar Plus+ on why the company is embracing “risk-taking films” such as ‘Sirât’, ‘Los Tigres’

Madrid-based pay-TV and SVoD service Movistar Plus+ moved into feature production last year and has quickly emerged as a leading backer of the Spanish film industry.

The company’s biggest success so far is Cannes Film Festival jury prize winner Sirât from director Oliver Laxe, which it produced with Filmes da Ermida, El Deseo, Uri Films and France’s 4a4 Productions, and which has been chosen as Spain’s entry for the Academy Awards.

Five projects in official selection at the San Sebastian International Film Festival are co-produced by the Spanish streamer: Alberto Rodríguez’s Los Tigres and Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Sundays in competition, documentaries Flowers For Antonio and Until My Voice Breaks, and the series The Anatomy Of A Moment.

With eagerly-anticipated titles from Rodrigo Sorogoyen (The Beloved) and Los Javis (The Black Ball) in the pipeline, Movistar Plus+ head of original films and Spanish cinema Guillermo Farré talks to Screen about the company’s ethos.

Movistar Plus+ used to just buy rights to Spanish films. Why did the company decide to become actively involved in film production?

We started with the hypothesis: what would happen if you give exceptional filmmakers the resources they need to make their films? We made the right decision: there is an audience for different, risk-taking films with added production value. The first titles we announced included Sirât, Los Tigres and Sundays, so we couldn’t be happier.

Sirât is a challenging, different, auteur film – it worked exceptionally well in the Spanish and French box office [$3.2m in Spain and $1.2m in France, where it was released on September 10], and has now been released on our platform with very good results too. In the first two days of streaming, Sirât’s results match those of an American blockbuster.

What is your approach when working with Spanish companies?

Our involvement is talent-driven, for original production and for rights acquisitions of Spanish films for our platform. In the case of originals, the idea is to get involved as producers on four to five films a year, and we buy the rights for about 40 films, all aimed at offering the best and most diverse slate of Spanish cinema.

We are firm believers in theatrical exhibition. The better a film works in cinemas, the better it works when streaming. We also look at the international market, through our co-production partners in Spain and abroad, and sales agencies. To have a cultural impact, which is what we look for in the originals, a film also needs to do the festival circuit.

How and when do you decide to get involved in a feature project?

The key is being flexible and deciding based on the project. There are films that need more financial resources than others; there are some that need more in development, and others that come to us with a finished screenplay. It varies. They can be in different stages of financing. I guess that our financial department would love to have a clearer model, but the strategy of Movistar Plus + is talent-driven and about being flexible.

What are your hopes for the company’s involvement in future film production?

To be courageous enough when it comes to greenlighting projects. In the industry, everybody looks for what’s safe but I have the feeling that there are so many films, so many series being made that what we call “safe” has trouble standing out. People are tired of “safe”, they are hungry for different stories, unique visions in storytelling and the unexpected.

Is the new Movistar Plus+ management led by CEO Daniel Domenjó ready to embrace risk?

Yes, the directive is to keep on broadening genres and targets. I think young people are open to different, brave stories.

Are you open to working with international filmmakers?

We don’t rule anything out but there is a strong connection of our audience and subscribers with local stories. Big Spanish productions work better on our platform than blockbusters from the majors.

You’ve also bought the rights for Pedro Almodovar’s upcoming Bitter Christmas.

If Movistar Plus+ wants to be the leaders in Spanish cinema in Spain, we need to have Almodovar’s films. We made a significant financial effort to get him back with The Room Next Door, his first feature in English and Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner last year. We have great synergy with Almodovar’s producing company El Deseo. They are strategic partners. We also worked together on Sirât.

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