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Spain’s rich TV show lineup at the Berlin Film Festival also features a screening of Atresmedia’s “Red Flags,” charting the often pained sexual and emotional awakening of four Gen Z teens.

Selected titles at Berlin:

Berlinale Market Selects

“Honor,” (Atresmedia TV, Portocabo)

The Spanish remake of Israeli TV series “Kvodo,” with the often superb Dario Grandinetti (“Talk to Her”) in the Bryan Cranston role of famed Showtime re-do “Your Honor,” as a principled judge attempting to save his son after, in an accidental hit-and-run, he kills the son of a lethal drug kingpin. Portocabo produces with Atresmedia TV in an intense and thought-provoking series,” says Atresmedia’s José Antonio Salso.

“Internal Affairs,” (“Asuntos Internos,” Rtve-Mediacrest)

Following a first women police inspector in Spain, a 1979-set series distinguished by strong thriller propulsion, premium production values and a novel female take on cop thrillers. It also offers a moving vision...

Horror master Álex de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s Pokeepsie Films (“30 Coins“) production company are joining forces with Atresmedia TV to adapt Sanctuary, a dystopian sci-fi podcast series, Variety reports today.

The eight-episode thriller series is directed by “30 Coins” directors Ruiz-Gallardón and Zoe Berriatúa.

In the dystopian thriller, “After a climate disaster, pregnant women live in the Sanctuary, a dome that protects them from pollution. Far from their families and society, they are cared for and at peace. Or so they believe. Pilar’s arrival will reveal the truth.”

Lucía Guerrero stars as Pilar, and Aura Garrido stars opposite as Valle, the engineer tasked with looking after the women.

Alba Ribas, Songa Park, Anna Canepa, Jaime Ordoñez, Melida Molina, Joan Sentís, Borja Luna, Manu Fullola, Juan Viadas, Blanca Velletbó, Melina Matthews, and Godeliv Van Den Brandt round out the cast.

The podcast series was created by Manuel Bartual and Carmen Pacheco.

Wide-eyed expectant mother Pilar takes up residence at an idyllic domed birthing retreat after a climate-fuelled crisis leads to a toxic atmosphere. She is introduced to Valle, the engineer tasked with looking after the women, and comes to senses the serene refuge holds a set of macabre secrets, nothing as it seems.

“Sanctuary” (“Santuario”), the first co-production between Spain’s internationally ambitious Atresmedia TV and Carolina Bang and Alex de la Iglesia at Madrid’s Banijay-backed Pokeepsie Films (“30 Coins”), merges a not-so-implausible, ominous backdrop with strong female leads to showcase the breadth of feminine resolve in the face of clear and present danger, all with a gripping tension.

“Four years ago, we loved the podcast. The story was so powerful and well-crafted that turning it into a series was something that happened very naturally,” Montse García, director of fiction at Atresmedia, told Variety. “We’ve collaborated with the creators...

This story was created in paid partnership with Pokeepsie Films

Pokeepsie Films has cause for celebration. The Madrid-based production outfit has three new premieres on three different streaming platforms this month, an enviable release schedule to be sure. Adding to the mix, the company – launched by real-life partners Álex De la Iglesia, the genre writer-director, and actress-producer Carolina Bang – is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Over the course of the last decade, Pokeepsie has stealthily set itself apart as a unique home for Spanish talent, so much so that they drew backing from multinational Banijay in 2022 to support their ambitious slate of films and series.

“We are immensely proud to conclude our 10th anniversary year with the release of these three premieres,” says Bang, the company’s CEO. “While this was not initially planned, 2024 has provided us with a remarkable close to the year, showcasing our ongoing commitment to innovation...

Five upcoming Spanish TV fiction projects, involving top local production and distribution companies, feature in Coming Next from Spain, a showcase of series unspooling March 19 at Series Mania.

Atresmedia TV’s “Sanctuary,” Movistar+ Plus’ “Fine Arts,” Filmax’s “Dating in Barcelona” Season 2, The Good Mood-Mediawan’s “The Other Life” and Onza Distribution’s “Heartless” will be presented at the event, proving once more that Spanish fiction production is in good health.

Six years after high-end Spanish TV series lifted off on the global market, championed by hit series such as “Money Heist” and “Elite,” Spain has become one of the steadiest suppliers for worldwide platforms.

The successful trend continues as of today, with Mediaset España and Alea Media series “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” whose Seasons 1, 2 and 3 have reached the top 10 of most watched non -English TV fiction shows on Netflix for the period March 4-10, 2024, cumming 41.6 million hours viewed.

Spanish genre master Álex de la Iglesia and Telecinco Cinema, the production arm of broadcast network Mediaset España, are re-teaming for fantasy action-adventure film project “Mandrágora.”

De la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s Madrid-based outfit Pokeepsie Films will produce “Mandrágora” with powerhouse Telecinco Cinema, the feature marking the high-profile Spanish director’s fifth joint project with the broadcaster.

Set in 17th Century Spain, “Mandrágora” follows Hernán, 15, who unearths a human-shaped root for which he begins to feel an inexplicable attraction. The gruesome death of his parents at the hands of Count of Torresnegras’ troops forces him and his new friend to flee to the nearby woods.

In their depths, along with terrifying monsters and legendary creatures, lives La Bruja, an expert in black magic, who will shelter Hernán and Mandrágora, the root. With the help of Madariaga, a mercenary adventurer, they embark on a mission to end Torresnegras’s reign of terror forever.

Sony Pictures International Productions and Amazon Prime Video have closed a multi-picture deal with celebrated Spanish cineaste Álex de la Iglesia to produce a new horror feature film anthology, “The Fear Collection.”

Put through Pokeepsie Films, De la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s Madrid-based production company, the deal will see De la Iglesia direct and/or produce movies from The Fear Collection, which also take in suspense titles.

Produced in association with Amazon Prime Video, the films will be initially theatrically released by Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia. They will then be made available on Amazon Prime in Spain. Spip will control all distribution rights for each picture outside of Spain.

Though always made under De la iglesia’s creative influence, movies may be directed by other notable filmmakers. Sony announced Thursday that several projects are currently in development for “The Fear Collection,” with established writers and directors such as the...

When Alex accidentally kills his girlfriend and she won't stay dead, their disintegrating co-dependent relationship just gets worse.

A comedy about the problems that develop after a man accidentally kills his girlfriend might sound like the worst kind of apologist ugliness, but Zoe Berriatúa has taken this difficult premise and created a short film that verges on brilliance. Perfectly balanced its sympathies between two troubled characters, it will resonate with anyone who has struggled to keep a relationship alive long after they should have called the morgue.

Pablo...

The 2011 South African HorrorFest has come to an end (it ran 26 October through 4 November), and we have the full list of feature film and short film winners. In addition, the HorrorFest Team has informed us that this year's new additions of the Alternative Market and link-up with the Cape Town Zombie Walk will definitely return in 2012.

2011 South African Horrorfest Feature Film Categories:

Best Feature Film: Malditos Sean! (Cursed Bastards!)

Best Male Lead: Patrick Breen in The Bleeding House

Best Female Lead: Marianne Porter in True Nature

Best Director(s): Fabián Forte and Demián Rugna for Malditos Sean! (Cursed Bastards!)

Best Screenplay: Patrick Steele for True Nature

Best Cinematography: Trevor Calverley for Night Drive

Best Documentary: I Am Nancy

Indie Spirit Award: Skew

Audience Choice - Best Feature Film: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (with Makabra Ensemble live soundtrack)

2011 South African Horrorfest/Shadow Realm Short Film Categories:

Best International Short Film...

One film festival I'm bound and determined to make it to one of these years is the South African HorrorFest, but for now I'll just have to live vicariously through those of you who live close enough to attend. And after taking a look at this year's lineup, I'm pretty sure that if you are in the area, you won't want to miss it!

Growing into the country's ultimate Halloween event covering indie, new and classic movies, short films, music, literature and a range of Halloween festivities, 2011 marks the annual South African HorrorFest's lucky 7th year! It runs 26 October through 4 November.

Almost each of the exciting feature films and short films make their South African theatrical premieres. The Makabra Ensemble will also debut their Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde movie soundtrack performance, live to the screening of this 1920 silent classic.

In addition to the colourful audience Halloween dress-up event linked up with the live soundtrack show,...

Warning: This short film is not for the squeamish. If you happen to be squeamish and you want to test how serious I am about my warning … well, it’s your lunch, not mine. If you think you’re not the squeamish type, then this film will seriously test you. The film is Snip, directed by Julien Zenier. It’s about … well, this is one of those films that’s probably better if you don’t know what it’s about beforehand. But, I’ll just say that it’s a difficult and brutal film and leave it at that.

Back in 2008, the Spooky Movie Film Festival sent me a copy of the film for a review, which I did. As I wrote back then, it was difficult for me to watch the entire film and, really, I didn’t watch it in full again for this post. I think...

So just over two years ago I ran an article about a Spanish short film written and directed by Julien Zenier titled Snip. As it turned out we were the first to do a write up and as the story goes a couple weeks later, because of our article, Snip was invited to its first festival. Thus began a successful festival run as word spread about Zenier`s savage and punishing short film. It is the feel good story of the day!

And now that the festival run has been completed Zenier has made his short film available online and you can watch it after the break. 

Glued to his TV set, a man channel-surfs frenetically, zapping from one stultifying show to the other. As he grows more and more indifferent to the constant stream of violent and crude images, he stands up and engages himself in an unspeakable act of self-liberation.