MADRID — Spanish cinema’s top brass and Madrid politicos convened Wednesday to demonstrate support for next week’s eighth edition of the Madrid de Cine Spanish Film Screenings, set to run June 17-19.
About 69 buyers from 35 countries are confirmed to attend the screenings, which take place at the Conde Duque Cultural Center and the Princesa theaters.
“The film industry is a great example of how the Spanish economy is going to recover through exportation,” said Spanish producers federation president Pedro Perez, repeating the mantra of recent years that Spanish films perform better abroad than at home.
Perez is expected to reveal export figures for the past year during Madrid de Cine, and he hinted Wednesday that they are encouraging.
“This sector is an example of why certain sectors are considered privileged sectors because they are key to the image of the country and act as an attractor to introduce Spain and its products abroad,” Foreign Trade Commission CEO Maria del Coriseo Gonzalez-Izquierdo said.
Spanish titles including Juan Pinzas‘ New York Shadows, Guillermo Fernandez Groizard‘s This Isn’t a Date and Papick Lozano‘s Casi Inocentes will be among 14 films debuting for international markets during Madrid de Cine. Other titles at the screenings include Daniel Calpasoro‘s Combustion and David and Alex Pastor‘s Los Ultimos Dias.
Spanish actor Jose Coronado (No Rest for the Wicked) has been tabbed the “godfather” of this year’s event, a designation given to a local star who adds a bit of glamour.
