Conecta Fiction & Entertainment will host its 10th edition in Magaluf Mallorca to mark the International Content Forum’s first anniversary and its first landing in Spain’s Balearic Islands.
Announced at a press conference in Calvia, Mallorca last week, the 2026 edition (rebranded this year as Connector Magaluf Mallorca) will be held from May 25th to 28th at the Melia Calvia Beach Hotel with a wide-ranging program including industry panels, workshops, screenings, matching sessions and a private executive meet-up.
The program tackles head-on the business issues facing the content industry today, from AI and vertical microdramas to IP management, funding, commissioners, formats and the creator economy.
Conecta Magaluf-Mallorca forms part of Event Conecta, Inside Content’s platform for international industry gatherings that connect creativity, business and technology in Europe and the Americas.
The 10th edition brings together producers, distributors, commissioners, investors, broadcasters, streamers, digital creators and market analysts at a time when the industry is seeking new production models, clearer funding routes and stronger international partnerships.
“We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in a special way, with nearly 100 speakers and more than 40 activities,” said Conecta Director Géraldine Gonnard, introducing the program.
The edition focuses on “all the key players shaping our industry, from creators to distributors, including commissioners, investors, producers and digital content creators, and let’s not forget the media, whose work is essential to all of us,” she added.
One of the main showcases of the conference will be the special public screening of the Movistar Plus+ original series “Many People Need to Die” (“Setiene que morir mucha gente”) produced by Corte y Confección de Películas and Living Producciones. The series, based on the novel of the same name by Victoria Martín, stars Anna Castillo, Macarena Garcia, and Laura Weissmar.
The series, which was recently selected for the 2026 Cannes series and has garnered many fans, is scheduled to premiere on Movistar Plus+ on May 21st before being screened at Connector on May 27th at Peguera Auditorium.
AI and microdrama take center stage
Potentially the toughest debate on the program may be about the trial on AI and vertical microdrama, held on May 27 as a mock trial led by Omdia analyst Maria Rua Agte. This session will examine the impact of AI on production, ethics, and creative work, as well as the rise of vertical microdrama as a mobile-first format.
The mock trial format asks whether microdramas represent a natural shift in viewing habits or a break with traditional media models, with audiences taking on the roles of both jurors and stakeholders.
This discussion will be combined with a hands-on AI workshop on May 26th, where creator Paco Torres will produce a full vertical series of episodes in front of attendees using only artificial intelligence models. This session is designed to demonstrate in real time how generation tools are integrated into production workflows.
Market intelligence will also be part of the program. PlumResearch’s Jonathan Broughton will lead “Focus on Fiction: What’s Next?” Meanwhile, The Wit’s Caroline Servy offers a parallel analysis of entertainment, offering a global analysis of scripted and unscripted demand.
Closed-door access, commissioners and formats
Conecta also focuses on curated access. An invitation-only session, Conecta Summit brings together 20 international senior executives from studios, streamers, production companies, and major technology companies in a private, off-the-record environment.
Rather than traditional panels, the summit is conceived as a direct peer-to-peer exchange aimed at paving the way for future international cooperation.
The Connector Creative Lab operates as an international think tank for events, and its conclusions are reflected in the Connector Mallorca Report, a strategic document setting out recommendations for the media sector.
Regarding Commissioners’ priorities, confirmed participants include Morad Koufane of France Télévisions, Alberto Fernández of RTVE Play, Michele Zatta of RAI, and Ludovica Fonda of Mediaset Group, who will be featured in “Focus on Commissioners”. For producers, this session will provide first-hand insight into what major European buyers are looking for.
The presence of entertainment formats will be strong. “Formats: Reviving, Sustaining and Launching” brings together Andre Renaud of Warner Bros. Discovery and Nick Smith of All3Media International to examine how large international groups shape project development and intellectual property management.
This corporate view will be countered in ‘Independent Producers: Who’s Still Standing?’, in which Avi Armoza of Armoza Formats, Miroslav Radojevic of Global Agency and Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne of Primitives discuss how independents compete in a market marked by mergers and acquisitions.
A further session, “Creators vs. Broadcasters: Who Owns the Future of Entertainment?”, will explore the relationship between linear players and digital-first talent. Sebastian van Barneveld of Talpa Studios, María Arroyo of Seven.One Studios International and Catherine Alvaresse of Banijay France are among the speakers.
Another financing workshop with Luis Piñas from Bankinter, Alexandra Lebret from AXIO Capital and Sebastián Vibes from Green Screen will discuss financial structures for audiovisual projects.
Emerging talent will also continue to be part of the fabric of the event. The second edition of Pitch Talent, hosted by screenwriting labs IsLABentura Canarias, CIMA Impulsa and DAMA Ayuda, will feature the participation of Mallorcan screenwriter and director Ferran Bex, who will introduce emerging screenwriters and creators selected by each lab.
The event will also feature a breakfast meeting with the Spanish Television Academy, which specializes in original sports-themed content, hosted by sports journalist Matias Prats Chacón and featuring IB3’s Marta García, You First Gersh’s Javier Martínez and Movistar Plus+’s Juan Andrés García “Bropi.”
Promoting the culture of Magaluf
The Magaluf setting is part of this year’s edition. Local and regional authorities have positioned Connector’s move to Calvia as part of a broader effort to reposition Magaluf through the culture, sport and film industries, adding specialized and cultural events to a destination long associated with seasonal tourism.
Jaume Bauza, Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport for the Balearic Islands, said that by sponsoring events like Connector, the island could be positioned as a “benchmark for creative industries on an international scale”, while linking culture, technology and high-quality tourism all year round.
Calvia Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual envisioned the Connector as part of Magaluf’s broader shift towards film, literature, music and culture, alongside initiatives such as “Calvia, Plateau de Cine”.
For Connector, the Magaluf Mallorca edition marks a milestone year and a new test of its role as a working forum for the international content business.
To celebrate the Forum’s 10th anniversary, the Connector also pays tribute to Variety magazine’s International Features Editor John Hopewell. Gonnard described Hopewell as “a great journalist and international figure in professional journalism” and paid tribute to him in a program that brings the press into the same professional conversations as buyers, producers, commissioners and creators.
