Ibermedia backs seven European co-production projects

by Sergio Ríos Pérez

15/07/2010 - A total of 43 co-production projects, including five presented by production companies from Spain and two from Portugal, have been selected by the Ibermedia Programme Committee as part of its first funding announcement for 2010. Besides the co-production funding line, which includes the greatest number of titles, 48 proposals have been chosen, of which 29 in the category of development, eight in delivery and 11 in training.

The selection includes seven European projects, presented by Spanish or Portuguese companies in collaboration with each other or with a South American country. On the Spanish side are Alejandro Brugués’s Juan of the Dead (co-produced by La Zanfoña Producciones and Cuba); Blackthorn (see news), helmed by screenwriter-director Mateo Gil, who has co-written all of Alejandro Amenábar’s works (co-produced by Aiete Ariane Films and Bolivia, where it was shot); Miguel Cohan’s Criminal (produced by Gerardo Herrero – The Secret In Their Eyes [trailer] – for Castafiore Films in co-production with Argentina); Trisha Ziff’s The Mexican Suitcase (co-produced by Mallerich Films and Mexico); and Cine al Fin (co-produced by director Ventura Pons’ company, Els Films de la Rambla, and Argentina).

On the Portuguese side are Margarita Leitão’s Design Atrás das Grades (co-produced by Ukbar Filmes and Galician company Tic Tac Producciones); and Manoel de Oliveira’s The Strange Case of Angelica [trailer] (see news, co-produced by Filmes do Tejo with Catalan company Eddie Saeta).

Moreover, 14 projects presented by other countries will get backing from Spanish companies. Imval Madrid, Aquelarre and Alter Ego Films are co-producing Argentinean films Mujer Conejo (“Rabbit Woman”), Todo Lo Que Necesitas es Amor (“All You Need Is Love”) and El Violín de Bepo (“Bepo’s Violin”), respectively. Tic Tac Producciones is behind Argentinean titles Tata Cedrón and El Crítico (“The Critic”), Guatemalan film Polvo (“Dust”) and Portuguese work Design Atrás das Grades.

Brazilian film Girimunho and Portuguese title The Strange Case of Angelica are co-produced by Eddie Saeta; Peruvian film Los Sonidos Profundos (“Deep Sounds”) and Mexican work Silencio Rodamos en Atroz by La Zanfoña; Peruvian film El Vientre (“The Womb”) by Explora Films; Puerto Rican project Las Carpetas (“The Files”) by El Viaje Producciones; and Venezuelan film Una Hora Menos en Canarias [trailer, film focus] (“One Less Hour in the Canaries”) by Dexiderius.

(Translated from Spanish)