The touring Spanish-language screening returns to Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur on December 4, the most important mart convention in Latin America, to much fanfare.
The fourth edition of the Spanish Film Festival, organized by the Málaga Film Festival, which has proven in the past to be an important promotional platform for Spanish cinema, features panels that briefly explain many of the themes that are driving international business these days, such as new talent, theatrical success, sales, co-productions and intellectual property.
The morning of December 4th will begin with the winners of the Malaga Festival’s Hack Malaga, which features the next generation of content creators presenting their innovative visions using the latest audiovisual technology.
This will be followed by the presentation of clips from the 2026 line-up of Spain’s most prominent film sales companies: Latido Films, Filmax, Film Factory, Bendita Film Sales, Sideral, Begin Again Films and Cinema Republic.
Focusing on producing films that attract not only soft money finance but also box office and other benefits, the early afternoon session will feature producer María Luisa Gutierrez of Bowfinger International Airport. Pictures, one of Spain’s most successful production companies founded by Gutierrez and the hugely popular actor, producer and director Santiago Segura, talks with Variety International Features Editor John Hopewell about the “Bowfinger Method.”
Bowfinger has a catalog of more than 40 titles, including the hit series Torrente and Father There is Only One, but there are other titles that don’t take advantage of Segura’s talents, such as 2024’s blockbuster ETA undercover thriller Undercover, directed by Aranxa Echevarria, which grossed a whopping 9.6 million euros ($11.2 million), making it the second film to be released in Spain. It has the highest score. 2024. “Undercover” is touted as the biggest hit ever by a Spanish female director.
Mr. Gutiérrez and Agustín Bossi, of Pampa Film in Buenos Aires, who previously worked on “The Chinese Takeaway” (2011) and the Disney co-productions “Monzón” and “The Boss,” will explore case studies of Argentinian-Spanish co-productions. This includes the local film “Homo Sapiens!,” which became the highest-grossing film in both Argentina and Argentina. – and Mexico: “Mesas de Regalos,” both involving the pampas. The producers will also discuss what co-production brings.
Two concurrent workshops aim to delve into intellectual property protection issues, one led by director, screenwriter and lawyer Francisco Menéndez (“Stealing Las Vegas”), and the other on strategic intellectual property development, moderated by producer Sidney Borjas (“Red Queen”). Each workshop will analyze five case studies, with Menendez focusing on intellectual property protection and Borjas focusing on intellectual property development.
The Spanish-language screening tour is sponsored by the Malaga Film Festival, the Spanish Government’s Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, and the European Union’s NextGenerationEU.
The Spanish-language screening will culminate with the presentation of the project at the Malaga Festival’s 2026 Malaga Fund & Coproduction Event (MAFF). Focusing on titles from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, currently gearing up for its ninth edition, has proven to be one of the featured industry events in Malaga. The presentations will be made by Camilo Vázquez, Spain’s ICAA Deputy Director for International Promotion and Relations, Ralph Hayek, Ventana Sur Secretary-General, and Juan Antonio Bigal, Málaga Festival Director.
Cannes Marché du Film – Sponsored by the Cannes Film Festival, Argentina’s film and television agency INCAA and Uruguay’s counterpart ACAU, Ventana Sur will be held from December 1st to 5th. Last year it was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, as part of a plan to alternate venues in both cities.
