09/07/2009

During the first half of 2009, audience figures in Spanish theatres rose by 7.9% over the same period last year, according to statistics published by the FECE (Federation of Spanish Cinemas).

The total number of viewers stood at 48.8m, 3.7m more than in 2008. Box office takings shot up by 13%, from €261 to €296m.

According to the FECE, the key to these good results is “the success of 3D films, the release of a high number of major productions and the enthusiastic reception given to Spanish titles”. Among the latter are Brain Drain [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (the only Spanish production in the top ten, with 1.1m admissions) and Sex, Party and Lies [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (715,697 viewers).

There has been a slightly disappointing performance by Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film, Broken Embraces [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Almodóvar
film profile], which has attracted just over 670,000 cinemagoers, a much lower result than for his previous works (Volver [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agustín Almodóvar
interview: Carmen Maura
interview: Pedro Almodóvar
interview: Pénélope Cruz
film profile], 1.93m; Bad Education [+see also:
trailer
film profile], 1.24m; Talk to Her [+see also:
trailer
film profile], 1.36m; All About My Mother, 2.59m).

(Translated from Spanish)