Following last year’s golden blueprint that laid out a path for future years, the second ECAM Forum Co-Production Market, taking place from June 10-13 in Madrid, will further expand its international connections and industry discussions as part of its mission to fortify links between Spanish talents and their growing industry with the global market.
Excited by positive hype from the initial event and Spain’s continued era of cinematic brilliance in films and TV, more than double the number of industry professionals and projects are vying for a place at this year’s industry gathering, organized primarily by Madrid’s esteemed ECAM film school.
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Over 700 credited attendees, which is a significant increase from the 400+ that attended in 2024, are projected to populate its Matadero and Cineteca Madrid facilities; 70 overseas visitors, compared to 50 in 2024, will be showcased 47 films in pre-production and post-production, along with developing shorts and series.
Or:
Around 700 accredited delegates, up from the approximately 400 who attended in 2024, are anticipated to attend its Matadero and Cineteca Madrid venues; 70 foreign guests, compared to 50 in 2024, will have the opportunity to view 47 films at various stages of production, including shorts and series in development.
Or:
In 2025, it’s expected that more than 700 accredited individuals, representing a substantial growth from the 400+ attendees in 2024, will participate at its Matadero and Cineteca Madrid locations; additionally, 70 international guests, compared to 50 in 2024, will be able to view 47 films in various stages of production, such as shorts and series still in development.
Two newcomers, Christian Jeune from the Cannes Film Festival and Michael Stuetz from the Berlinale, are among the 15 programming representatives attending film festivals in Toronto, Locarno, Rotterdam, Thessaloniki, London, and Marrakech for the first time.
On the sales side, the roster of twelve registered companies encompasses a variety of entities such as Le Pacte, Goodfellas, Co-Production Office, Film Boutique, Charades, and Spain’s art-house specialist Bendita Film Sales. At present, all titles are accessible for acquisition. Noteworthy among these are upcoming projects from promising filmmakers Mihai Mincan (“To the North”) and Francisca AlegrĂa (“The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future”), as well as the highly anticipated debuts by Nadine Luque, Claudia Estrada TarascĂł, and Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe.
Key features of this year’s expanded lineup of discussions and industry gatherings encompass:
1. A masterclass led by renowned French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello
2. Presentation of the Nostradamus report, a key industry reference from the Göteborg Film Festival, delivered by Johanna Koljonen
3. Dialogues with prominent Spanish authors, poets, and philosophers on The State of Things and Finde
4. An inaugural meeting focusing on financing and investment for independent producers, jointly organized by Madrid Audiovisual Cluster
Additionally, to strengthen international connections, new collaborations were established this year with Conecta Fiction & Entertainment (scheduled a week later in Cuenca, near Madrid), as well as ACAU and Proimagenes Colombia, the film-TV state agencies of Uruguay and Colombia.
ECAM Forum closes Friday June 13 with an awards ceremony.Â
In this interview, ECAM Forum coordinator Alberto Valverde unpacks his 2025 program.
What’s the experience like organizing the ECAM Forum following the remarkable success of Spanish films and co-productions at Cannes just a few weeks ago?
2021 was a remarkable year for Spanish cinema, marking a significant milestone with filmmakers Oliver Laxe and Carla SimĂłn competing alongside cinema legend Pedro Almodovar. Their films, “SirĂąt” and “RomerĂa,” were international collaborations that underscored the importance of our work. Interestingly, the producers of “SirĂąt,” Andrea Queralt and Xavi Font, visited ECAM during production in Morocco to present a new project. Xavi also submitted Ălvaro Pulpeiro’s “PetrĂłleo” for Films to Come, while Andrea brought Silvina Schnicer’s “La Quinta” for The Last Push. ElĂĄstica’s MarĂa Zamora, producer of RomerĂa, was here as well. Notably, the winners from Cannes are also present in this vibrant cinematic atmosphere.
Over the past few years, the Spanish audiovisual industry has undergone a transformation and expanded globally, with both established and emerging artists contributing domestically and internationally. Prior to creating ECAM Forum, we have maintained ongoing communication with these Spanish players and creators specifically to facilitate connections on a global scale and encourage new collaborations.
In the previous year, nearly all of your ongoing projects â seven out of eight â ended up premiering at various festivals. That was quite an impressive achievement…
Absolutely thrilled! Our goal is to compile our ongoing projects into a valuable platform for discovering exceptional works for the upcoming year. These accomplishments greatly assist us. Engaging with the creators behind these works-in-progress was enriching, as it was crucial for them to secure notable premieres and selections during the ECAM Forum. Last year’s Last Push titles showcased a diverse range of films, from poignant documentaries like “Gods of Stone,” which won an award, to more robust productions such as “Los Tortuga” (“The Exiles”). Both films had successful premieres [in Rotterdam and Toronto] and reached global audiences, which is the primary objective of our endeavor.
Can you explain why your 2024 opening event served as a model for future events, and highlight the main innovations we can expect this time around?
Among the highlights of last year was receiving positive feedback from international visitors, who were astonished by the excellence of our projects. On the Spanish side, local professionals were equally impressed by the distinguished members of the international group. This upcoming year, we anticipate an even more impressive lineup of international delegates, for example, including Christian Jeune from Cannes and Michael Stuetz from the Berlinale.
For the initial five events, ensuring consistency with the scale of our gathering, the nature of projects, and the caliber of professionals involved has been crucial. Our aim remains to uphold the same level of quality, consideration, and diligence in the selection process and overall management. Given that we’re now entering our second year, naturally we’re broadening the reach of our activities, collaborations, and aspirations. The event is expanding, but we remain committed to maintaining its sustainability for future editions.
How many delegates will attend this year from how many territories?
The attendance at our event has significantly risen this year. Compared to 400 accredited professionals in 2024, we now have 730 this year, which shows an impressive growth. In terms of international guests, we hosted 50 in 2024 and are hosting 70 this year. We are inviting approximately 70 key decision-makers from Spain, similar to last year’s number. This brings our total invited guests for the meetings up to around 140. The countries represented (between 18-20) range geographically from Spain to Canada, US, France, Romania, Estonia, and Latin America. It just so happens that due to the projects chosen this year, we will have a substantial presence of both Europeans and Latin Americans at our event.
Could you tell me about the budget for your expanded plan, and could you share some insights about the importance of the new collaborations with institutions?
The specifics of our budget remain undisclosed, but it hasn’t undergone significant alteration. Our primary collaborators continue to be the ECAM Foundation Comunidad de Madrid. Additionally, we are working with Matadero, Film Madrid, Madrid Film Office, Cineteca, Dama (rights collection agency), and AC/E (international promotional body of Spanish cinema). We’re also maintaining our collaboration with Filmin, Rotterdam, Series Mania, and have recently established strategic partnerships with Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, ACAU in Uruguay, and Proimagenes in Colombia. The ECAM school and Foundation view these collaborations as a natural way to share talent and foster a connection between Europe and Latin America. We anticipate announcing new partnerships this fall.
For this year, you’ve made it possible for international ventures to submit their pitches. Can you share some of the unique difficulties encountered during the project selection process as a result of this expansion?
Our primary objective is to boost Spanish cinema on the global stage and entice international artists to collaborate with Spain. We recognize that showcasing a diverse selection and bringing together thrilling international talents with emerging Spanish productions provides a more effective means of film promotion. It’s fantastic to see Spain’s Maria Herrera, Alba Esquinas, and Elena Molina working alongside Maryam Tafakory [from Iran], Francisca AlegrĂa [from Chile] or Mihai Mincan [from Romania].
Expanding our horizons to global initiatives proved to be a tough task, as we aimed to draw in unique perspectives and abilities. However, we succeeded! We are thrilled with our choice and could have effortlessly chosen another 15 projects that didn’t quite fit the bill. Making these hard decisions was necessary.
Let me mention this: Last year, our national projects were limited to just six. But this year, we have expanded to 11 projects! Six of these are from our own training program, while the other five are international collaborations with Chile Shorts (Chile), Bogo Shorts (Colombia), La Femis (France), DISFF (Greece), and FAMU (Czech Republic).
Could you explain what your vision for our 2025 full-length film lineup encompasses in terms of recurring themes, personal creative perspectives, and representation diversity?
This collection showcases an array of storytelling techniques and artistic styles, featuring comedies, genre pieces, science fiction, documentaries, and timeless classics. The initiatives exhibit a fervor for pushing the limits of genre and narrative, a firm dedication to taking creative risks and self-expression. We are thrilled to see numerous debut and sophomore projects with remarkable visions, supported by producers who bring a mix of domestic and global experience. I truly believe this lineup is incredibly exhilarating, offering opportunities to uncover fresh perspectives.
Not only does it offer a broader range of representation in storytelling and amongst creators, but it’s indeed a progressive move. What stands out particularly when glancing at future films is that these fifteen projects stemmed from three distinct selection procedures. Interestingly, upon finalizing the list, we discovered all were helmed by women (one with a shared direction).
Could you comment on your industry talks and high-brow cycle of conversations?
The conferences we’re organizing are geared towards over 700 accredited experts in the audiovisual field, addressing current hurdles in this industry. These sessions provide attendees with useful resources and strategies, particularly on topics like financing, co-production, and promotion. Our aim is to bolster Spanish cinema, and we’re excited to have prominent speakers from Spain and beyond participate. Additionally, we’re thrilled to share the Nostradamus report with our audience post-Cannes. This report serves as a valuable guide for understanding future trends, how various industry sectors are adapting to current challenges, both internally and externally.
After several months of careful planning alongside my colleague Brais Romero and Luis E. ParĂ©s from Cineteca Matadero, we’ve crafted a unique series of discussions, titled “The Three Conversations about The State of Things” [in Spanish language]. This enlightening series aims to explore significant themes that resonate with us as individuals, transcending the confines of the industry and touching upon our shared societal concerns. We’ve invited filmmakers, writers, poets, musicians, and philosophers for insightful discussions. The result is a vibrant tapestry of powerful voices from Spain. We eagerly anticipate their perspectives on our current world and the importance of visual storytelling.
One aspect we aim to delve into is the perils of nostalgia. We’ll explore how comfort and creative complacency can arise when adhering to familiar patterns or well-worn concepts, be it in literature or film. It will be intriguing to hear Bertrand Bonello, who skillfully eschews nostalgia, its comfort, and safety in his work.
One innovation for this year is a jointly organized event titled “FINDE Industry Gathering on Financing, Investment, and Indie Film Production,” in collaboration with the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster. To put it simply, this gathering focuses on discussions and networking opportunities related to funding, investment, and creating independent films within the film industry.
This workshop is an expansion of ECAM’s academic program, focusing on providing hands-on resources to nurture our budding financiers. We noticed that many talented producers struggle with funding their projects despite being surrounded by such talent. Therefore, we hope this session will provide valuable insights. This project has been developed in collaboration with Sophie Erbs, a French producer based in Madrid, and Teresa Azcona, the director of Madrid Audiovisual Cluster. We consider this year as a trial run, and we’ll assess the program’s effectiveness afterwards.
On a personal level, how does it feel to run the hottest new Spanish co-pro market?
2021 has been a year of growth for us, building upon the foundations laid last year. We weren’t sure then if we were creating an abstract masterpiece or not, but the hard work paid off. This year, we’re reaping the benefits of our initial efforts, and our team is more robust than ever. The synergy within our group has improved significantly due to the additional time spent refining our event design.
Our ultimate goal remains the same: to deliver a fantastic experience through an engaging, focused professional event that showcases top-tier projects and attendees. We strive for excellence in every aspect of our program while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere.
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2025-06-03 13:18