Raabta International enters an increasingly crowded global market as the new Spanish international sales organization.
The Madrid-based company was launched with a mission to represent independent productions and documentaries with clear commercial merit, and aims to strengthen the international standing of projects through festival and market exposure and tightly targeted distribution campaigns.
Raabta International is part of Raabta Pictures, the distribution label of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-based Garajonay Producciones, headed by producers Carlota Amor and Juan Carlos Jiménez, and will serve as a pipeline designed to extend the company’s remit from domestic distribution to international sales representation.
Raabta, which acts as a bridge between Spanish and European-based producers and international buyers, will be on the market for the first time at the European Film Market (EFM), which will be held in parallel with the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Then, in March, he will take part in Mafiz, the industry section of the 29th Malaga Film Festival.
Raabta’s arrival comes amid continued strong expansion of Spanish-language content, driven by streamer demand and increased buyer interest in premium fare in local languages. The company is marketing itself as part of its international push, with a focus on helping mid-budget, high-concept titles break through saturated markets and find the right partners across geographies.
Early slate of genres in flux
Raabta’s opening line-up is a blend of food-centric documentaries, horror, and social comedy.
The first non-fiction piece is “Noor: A History of Food,” a documentary centered on three-star Michelin chef Paco Morales, whose menu at his restaurant “Noor” is inspired by the recipes of the 10th-century caliph Abderrahmane III. The project’s access to prominent culinary figures provides a clear marketing hook for international buyers.
On the narrative side, Raabta is introducing David Hebrero’s The House of Atreyus (La Casa de los Monstruos), a horror feature starring Antonio Regines (The Only Father) and Money Heist breakout Jaime Lorente. This package combines prominent Spanish talent with the most profitable genre category in international sales.
Also scheduled is Alberto Utrera’s “Ownerships” (“Nuda propiedad”), a dark comedy about the real estate crisis starring Maxi Iglesias (“Valeria”) and Susana Abaitua (“Los Farados”).
executive leadership
To steer its commercial strategy, Raabta has appointed Yvette de los Santos as head of international sales. De los Santos brings experience in the promotion, distribution and international marketing of Latin American and European independent films.
Her career includes coordinating festivals and industry events, as well as serving as a jury member and panelist at MiradasDoc, Dones Visuals, DOK Leipzig, and the Cannes Short Film Corner.
“We believe that now is the right time to start Raabta International, and we will start with the European Film Market in Berlin, which is one of the strategic markets for the international distribution of Spanish and European films,” said director de los Santos.
“In Berlin, we will be able to present our positioning from the very beginning, test market interest and build important relationships with distributors, programmers and international agents,” she said.
Regarding Raabta’s competitive proposition, De los Santos pointed to its agile operating model and title-by-title execution. “Raabta International was born with a flexible structure that allows us to respond quickly to market needs and work strategically on each title,” he commented.
“We support films with a clear identity and international potential, develop bespoke sales plans and work closely with each project to optimize positioning and performance by region,” she added.
