Cádiz’s South Series Festival Frames Andalusian Creativity and Global Ambitions
As Spain’s film and TV map moves ever more towards decentralisation, Andalusia, long admired by movie makers such as Ridley Scott and David Lean, is experiencing a creative renaissance.Meanwhile, key Spanish players are looking to move ever closer to audiences outside Spain’s two big metropoli of Madrid and Barcelona.
Cádiz’s South Series International Festival is looking to help drive a local build: promoting the best of productions made in Andalusia and upcoming talents and showcasing its facilities for international and national shoots.
South aims to cultivate vibrant, locally rooted content, “demonstrating its intention to help Andalusian projects gain greater relevance,” in festival’s director Carles Montiel words.
Montiel’s remarks frame a twofold ambition: to boost national and international visibility for Andalusian projects and to position Cádiz —and by extension Andalusia— as a versatile, world-ready shoot locale.
South Section: Standout Titles Rooted in Andalusian Creativity
This year’s South section, a South hallmark, once again focuses on stories told from Andalusia and by Andalusian creators. One potential standout title at the sidebar will be Disney+ TV drama “Invisible,” turning on the battle against bullying, a production that teams Seville-based outfit Áralan Films with high-profile Madrid’s production house Morena Films.
Directed and written by Celia de Molina, “El antivlog” is a self-reflexive comedic series produced by LaMamma Producciones and backed by Filmin streaming service. Also at South is Enrique Urbizu-directed series “When No One Sees Us,” created by Daniel Corpas for Zeta Studios and HBO Max, and toplining Maribel Verdú. The thriller series follows the investigation of several crimes that occur during Holy Week in Morón de la Frontera, Seville, linked to the nearby U.S. Air Base.
Delving into local tradition, “La Morenita. Historia gráfica de la Virgen de la Cabeza,” created by Rosa Sánchez and produced by Hurí Televisión, is an emotional and intellectual journey to one of the oldest Marian devotions in Spain, broadcast by regional public operator Canal Sur.
Also part of South is the screening of “Una perra andaluza” Season 2, Pablo Tocino’s low-budget dramedy series that tells the lives of young people who explore their desires, sexuality and limits. The Copodenieve Producciones series will stream on Filmin.
Andalusia South Boost: A Talent Crucible
Upping the ante in its second edition, Andalusia South Boost pitching session will unveil five TV projects in development of Andalusian origin.
Thriller series “The Last Dove” (“La última paloma”), based on same titled novel by Granada-based writer Men Marías is produced by Capitán Araña and Guión Alto, Directed by Polo Menárguez (“El plan,” “El talento,” “Los Farad”), it will be pitched by producer Nacho La Casa and co-writer Luis Lloret in their search for international buyers and co-producers.
In the project series “Correos y Telégrafos,” set in a small town in a forgotten corner of rural Andalusia, a post office collapses into chaos. The mockumentary style-comedy is produced by Rocío Martín and David G. Marcelo at Seville-based La Filmahora. “With the post-office we blend institutional satire with a fresh, unsentimental portrait of rural life in depopulated Spain,” says series creator Jacobo Palomo.
Again produced by LaMamma Producciones, Celia de Molina’s “Postparty” addresses the taboos of motherhood, with autobiographical, irreverent and ironic elements.
A period drama project with a millennial focus, “Justa and Rufina” is developed by Olga Navalón and Candela Cruz, and produced by Azul Roto. The series explores the intergenerational inheritance of fears and disorders through the lives of two young women whose stories intertwine with the account of an incident that occurred in 1935.
Another project series selected for pitching is “El cantante,” created by Jorge Naranjo and produced by Nana Films, based on legendary Spanish singer Miguel Ríos’ memoirs, a journey through the artist’s life and, at the same time, a chronicle of Spain in its transition from dictatorship to democracy through music.
The Comité South Boost is formed by a panel of industry heavyweights: Carlos Rosado, president of Andalucia Film Commission; Manuela Ocón, production director at Movistar Plus+; Alberto Fernández, director of Digital Platforms and Services at RTVE, and Isabel Cabrera, deputy director of Canal Sur.
Coffee Chats and Industry Dialogues
Beyond premieres, the festival facilitates a deeper dive into projects through its “Café con…” segment. This year’s roundtable titled “From Cinema to Series: An Andalusian Opportunity” gathers actor director Alfonso Sánchez (“El mundo es suyo”), screenwriter-director Rafa Cobos (“Marshland,” “The Left-Handed Son,” “Anatomy of a Moment”), actress Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Hermosa juventud,” “Explota, Explota”). It wil be moderated by Enrique Iznaola, vice-president of Andalusia’s Film Academy, bringing together voices that span Andalusia’s creative spectrum.
In the Industry Talks series, another roundtable —“International Co-productions: Collaborations with Global Studios from Spain” will see international-facing specialists Anxo Rodríguez, Chris Globe, and Marisa Simon-Moore exploring ways forward for Andalusian co-production on the world stage.
Cádiz’s South Series International Festival is looking to help drive a local build: promoting the best of productions made in Andalusia and upcoming talents and showcasing its facilities for international and national shoots.
South aims to cultivate vibrant, locally rooted content, “demonstrating its intention to help Andalusian projects gain greater relevance,” in festival’s director Carles Montiel words.
Montiel’s remarks frame a twofold ambition: to boost national and international visibility for Andalusian projects and to position Cádiz —and by extension Andalusia— as a versatile, world-ready shoot locale.
South Section: Standout Titles Rooted in Andalusian Creativity
This year’s South section, a South hallmark, once again focuses on stories told from Andalusia and by Andalusian creators. One potential standout title at the sidebar will be Disney+ TV drama “Invisible,” turning on the battle against bullying, a production that teams Seville-based outfit Áralan Films with high-profile Madrid’s production house Morena Films.
Directed and written by Celia de Molina, “El antivlog” is a self-reflexive comedic series produced by LaMamma Producciones and backed by Filmin streaming service. Also at South is Enrique Urbizu-directed series “When No One Sees Us,” created by Daniel Corpas for Zeta Studios and HBO Max, and toplining Maribel Verdú. The thriller series follows the investigation of several crimes that occur during Holy Week in Morón de la Frontera, Seville, linked to the nearby U.S. Air Base.
Delving into local tradition, “La Morenita. Historia gráfica de la Virgen de la Cabeza,” created by Rosa Sánchez and produced by Hurí Televisión, is an emotional and intellectual journey to one of the oldest Marian devotions in Spain, broadcast by regional public operator Canal Sur.
Also part of South is the screening of “Una perra andaluza” Season 2, Pablo Tocino’s low-budget dramedy series that tells the lives of young people who explore their desires, sexuality and limits. The Copodenieve Producciones series will stream on Filmin.
Andalusia South Boost: A Talent Crucible
Upping the ante in its second edition, Andalusia South Boost pitching session will unveil five TV projects in development of Andalusian origin.
Thriller series “The Last Dove” (“La última paloma”), based on same titled novel by Granada-based writer Men Marías is produced by Capitán Araña and Guión Alto, Directed by Polo Menárguez (“El plan,” “El talento,” “Los Farad”), it will be pitched by producer Nacho La Casa and co-writer Luis Lloret in their search for international buyers and co-producers.
In the project series “Correos y Telégrafos,” set in a small town in a forgotten corner of rural Andalusia, a post office collapses into chaos. The mockumentary style-comedy is produced by Rocío Martín and David G. Marcelo at Seville-based La Filmahora. “With the post-office we blend institutional satire with a fresh, unsentimental portrait of rural life in depopulated Spain,” says series creator Jacobo Palomo.
Again produced by LaMamma Producciones, Celia de Molina’s “Postparty” addresses the taboos of motherhood, with autobiographical, irreverent and ironic elements.
A period drama project with a millennial focus, “Justa and Rufina” is developed by Olga Navalón and Candela Cruz, and produced by Azul Roto. The series explores the intergenerational inheritance of fears and disorders through the lives of two young women whose stories intertwine with the account of an incident that occurred in 1935.
Another project series selected for pitching is “El cantante,” created by Jorge Naranjo and produced by Nana Films, based on legendary Spanish singer Miguel Ríos’ memoirs, a journey through the artist’s life and, at the same time, a chronicle of Spain in its transition from dictatorship to democracy through music.
The Comité South Boost is formed by a panel of industry heavyweights: Carlos Rosado, president of Andalucia Film Commission; Manuela Ocón, production director at Movistar Plus+; Alberto Fernández, director of Digital Platforms and Services at RTVE, and Isabel Cabrera, deputy director of Canal Sur.
Coffee Chats and Industry Dialogues
Beyond premieres, the festival facilitates a deeper dive into projects through its “Café con…” segment. This year’s roundtable titled “From Cinema to Series: An Andalusian Opportunity” gathers actor director Alfonso Sánchez (“El mundo es suyo”), screenwriter-director Rafa Cobos (“Marshland,” “The Left-Handed Son,” “Anatomy of a Moment”), actress Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Hermosa juventud,” “Explota, Explota”). It wil be moderated by Enrique Iznaola, vice-president of Andalusia’s Film Academy, bringing together voices that span Andalusia’s creative spectrum.
In the Industry Talks series, another roundtable —“International Co-productions: Collaborations with Global Studios from Spain” will see international-facing specialists Anxo Rodríguez, Chris Globe, and Marisa Simon-Moore exploring ways forward for Andalusian co-production on the world stage.