An onstage dialogue between filmmakers Bi Gan and Albert Serra was one of the star events at the Shanghai International Film & TV Market (June 12-21), showcasing Spanish screen talent and strengthening ties between the Spanish and Chinese industries.
Shanghai was a key port of call for Where Talent Ignites, the campaign to promote the Spanish film industry set up by ICEX, the Spanish government’s body for Trade and Investment, under the Audiovisual From Spain umbrella. The Spain focus programme in this major Chinese market is designed to expand collaboration between the two countries and to nurture dialogue among industry professionals, companies and institutions.
Spain’s presence in Shanghai highlighted the momentum of the country as a production powerhouse, gaining visibility across major festivals, markets and international platforms and riding the wave of international success in Cannes, where three Spanish productions were selected for Competition: Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas, Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beloved, and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s La Bola Negra, the latter winning the best director award.
The Where Talent Ignites programme at the Shanghai International Film & TV Market included a showcase of three original short films; a Spanish Remakes session designed to connect Spanish IP with the Asian market; a session on film policy and shooting locations; and an event celebrating creative collaboration under the title ’Stories Travel Further: Literature and Cinema in Spain-China Dialogue’.
It is within this session the conversation between Bi Gan and Albert Serra took place. Both filmmakers are renowned international auteurs and have made a strong impact at Cannes. China’s Bi Gan, whose critically acclaimed Resurrection was selected for Competition in 2025, won the special jury prize; while Albert Serra, a Catalan filmmaker who has become a Croisette regular from his first feature, Honour Of The Knights in 2006 to Pacifiction in 2022. He is now in post-production on Out Of This World, scheduled for a 2027 release.
The showcase of three short films in Shanghai followed their premiere at the market in Cannes and presentations held in Mexico City and Madrid. The three films, produced by ICEX’s Audiovisual From Spain, were conceived as a cross-disciplinary celebration of the country’s rich contemporary cultural landscape, with stories that connect cinema with music, fashion, design, animation, dance and visual arts.
Flamenco is directed by Carla Simón, one of Spain’s leading arthouse directors and part of the new wave of women filmmakers that have transformed the country’s landscape in recent years. After winning the Golden Bear in Berlin for Alcarràs in 2022, Simón premiered her third feature Romería in Competition in Cannes last year. In Flamenco, she blends her personal style with homage to the Spanish music and dance, one of Spain’s most distinctive cultural traditions. It includes the participation of artists Rocío Molina, Niño de Elche and Ángeles Toledano.
La Tarara, by the award-winning short film and music promo director Nicolás Méndez, revolves around fashion with a cast led by Ingrid García-Jonsson and Barbara Lennie, who stars in Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas. The short film also features guest appearances by Almodóvar regular Rossy de Palma and Miguel Bernardeau, who recently starred in La Bola Negra.
La Llama, the animation short directed by Turbo (Pau López and Gerardo del Hierro) was inspired by the visual universe of artist and designer Jaime Hayon. It is a poetic and sensory journey through a constantly transforming living space, honouring the tradition of contemporary Spanish architecture, design and visual arts.
The Shanghai programme also included a presentation by Fernando Benzo, secretary general of the Federation of Publishers’ Guilds of Spain (FGEE) focused on Spanish literary works with strong audiovisual adaptation potential. This is a stepping stone in the strategy to build bridges between the Spanish publishing sector and the global audiovisual market and promote future international productions based on Spanish writers’ source material.
Contact: Eva Herrero, MadAvenue PR, eva@madavenue.es
No comments yet