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During a Movistar+ presentation at the historic Telefónica Building on Madrid’s Gran Via this afternoon, renowned writer-director-producer duo Los Javis – Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo – shared early details about their next project, “La bola negra,” a multi-timelined feature about what it is and has meant to be a gay man in Spain throughout the last century.

A day after their series “La Mesías” won the Rose d’Or Award for best mini or limited series at Content Americas, Ambrossi and Calvo – known locally as Los Javis – revealed that they’re in the final stages of putting the project together and will begin shooting later this year. Abrossi and Calvo are writing, directing, and co-producing the feature through their label Suma Content, which is teaming with Movistar+, its production and distribution partner, on “La Mesías.”

“La bola negra” is a “queer revisitation of a part of the history of our country,...

Basada en la novela homónima de Laia Aguilar. © Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures ha lanzado el primer tráiler y póster de Wolfgang (Extraordinario), una feel good movie familiar basada en la novela homónima de Laia Aguilar y dirigida por Javier Ruiz Caldera a partir de un guion de la propia Laia Aguilar, Carmen Marfà, Yago Alonso y Valentina Viso.

Wolfgang, un niño de diez años con un coeficiente intelectual de 152 y trastorno del espectro autista se ve obligado a vivir con su padre Carles, al que nunca ha visto, tras la repentina muerte de su madre. Carles afronta el reto con ganas y voluntad, pero Wolfgang no soporta su desorden ni su desorganización y lo considera un “bajocien” por su falta de intelecto. Así que, a escondidas, Wolfgang planea conseguir su sueño: entrar en la academia de música Grimald de París, donde estudió su madre, y convertirse en el mejor pianista del mundo.

¿Hasta dónde llegarías para ayudar a una amiga? © A Contracorriente Films

Las irresponsables, dirigida por Laura Mañá (El cuerpo en llamas), autora también del guion junto a Marta Buchaca (Litus) y basada en la obra homónima del argentino Javier Daulte, se rueda durante seis semanas en Barcelona y alrededores.

En Las irresponsables, Núria, Lila y Andrea se disponen a pasar un fin de semana juntas, fuera de la ciudad, en una casa inteligente, de lujo y llena de obras de arte que le ha dejado un amigo a Núria. Su grupo de WhatsApp arde repleto de buenas intenciones, pero la realidad es que a las tres les da mucha pereza… Todo cambia cuando una inocente pregunta les empuja a liberarse y dejarse llevar por sus impulsos.

La película está protagonizada por Laia Marull (La Mesías), Betsy Túrnez (El 47) y Àgata Roca (Un nuevo amanecer). Completan el reparto Jordi Sánchez...

The Seville European Film Festival kicks off tonight in the Andalusian capital city. So, we’ve scoured this year’s program to pick ten titles that show off the selection’s breadth and quality.

“The Girl With the Needle” Magnus von Horn (Denmark)

Denmark’s submission to the International Feature race unspools in the years after World War II and follows Karoline, an out-of-work young pregnant woman who meets Dagmar, a woman who runs a clandestine adoption agency. Karoline works as a wet nurse for the agency before learning the shocking truth about the organization. An “extraordinary and upsetting film,” according to its glowing Variety review.

“Flow” Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia)

One of the year’s best-received animated features and Latvia’s Oscars submission, “Flow” heads to Seville as one of the strongest indie contenders for an animated feature nomination. In the wordless film, a small group of animals on a...

Conoce todos los detalles de la adaptación de la novela homónima de Laia Aguilar para Universal Pictures. © Universal Pictures

Comienza el rodaje de “Wolfgang (Extraordinario)”, una feel good movie familiar basada en la novela homónima de Laia Aguilar.

Wolfgang, un niño de diez años con un coeficiente intelectual de 152 y trastorno del espectro autista se ve obligado a vivir con su padre Carles, al que nunca ha visto, tras la repentina muerte de su madre. Carles afronta el reto con ganas y voluntad, pero Wolfgang no soporta su desorden ni su desorganización y lo considera un “bajocien” por su falta de intelecto. Así que, a escondidas, Wolfgang planea conseguir su sueño: entrar en la academia de música Grimald de París, donde estudió su madre, y convertirse en el mejor pianista del mundo. Cuando Carles lo descubre, debe decidir entre su gran oportunidad como actor o convertirse en el padre que un chico como Wolfgang necesita.

El 2023 toca a su fin, y la plataforma española presenta su iVoox Rewind con los audios y listas más populares en España y Latinoamérica de 2023. Además, por primera vez los oyentes pueden echar la vista atrás y sorprenderse con el tiempo que han pasado escuchando durante el año, y como venía siendo habitual en ediciones anteriores también ofrecen un resumen personalizado para creadores con los hitos de su podcast.

El podcast se sigue consolidando como alternativa de aprendizaje y entretenimiento para cada vez más gente, y 2023 ha sido un gran año para el podcasting donde iVoox acumula más de 800M de escuchas, más de 17M de episodios publicados y más de 330.000 nuevos podcasts, de los cuales 115.000 son en español.

Por su parte, los oyentes han interactuado con sus podcasts favoritos con más de 7M de comentarios, más de 4M de me gusta, 7,6M de suscripciones, más de 500.000 listas seguidas y...

“Telefónica has been leading by innovation,” says Omdia’s María Rua Aguete of Movistar Plus’ parent, one of Europe’s biggest telecoms.

In June, Telefónica launched the Experience Design Lab, a Madrid-based innovation center that includes a gaming room with the latest Ar and VR technology and games. Its Lacabina, a permanent exhibition, allows visitors to experience first hand latest advances in 5G, IoT, big data, cloud, edge, AI and cyber security. It has signed payment carrier systems with Facebook, Google and Microsoft for sub-scribers in Latin America.

Its investment in less traditional format TV dramas aligns with this innovation, Rua Aguete says.

Unlike many incumbents, Movistar Plus has stuck with sports, led by the purchase of La Liga and Champions League soccer rights through 2026-27.

In July, Movistar Plus relaunched a new souped-up version of its basic tier as an Ott for clients of any telco service in Spain.

“Modestly speaking, we’ve tried to create a culture at Movistar Plus+ which attracts talent. We have a lot of respect for what creators want to tell and believe in them,” Domingo Corral, Movistar Plus+ director of fiction and entertainment, has said.

One case in point is Berto Romero, whose latest series, “The Other Side” (“El otro lado”), world premieres at Spain’s San Sebastian Festival on Sunday.

Romero broke out with star turns on Andreu Buenafuente’s “Buenafuente” and “Leit Motiv,” two late-night mainstays on Movistar Plus+ produced by El Terrat, owned by The Mediapro Studio from 2019. Over 2018-19, his first fiction series, the Terrat-produced “Look What You’ve Done,” a fresh comedic take on the tribulations of parenting, ran for three seasons on Movistar Plus+. Now “The Other Side” weighs in as a step-up in ambition for Romero.

The comedy remains. In early scenes, Nacho Nieto (Romero), once...

In a milestone move, HBO Max will bow on June 18 in Spain and Latin America a weekly Max Original TV format version of “Nadie Sabe Nada” (“Nobody Knows Anything”), a hit comedy improv format starring Andreu Buenafuente and Berto Romero, two of Spain’s best known and admired figures on its late-night talk show scene.

HBO Max has previously announced the adaptation of the reality dating competition and Max Original “FBoy Island” in Spain, Netherlands and Sweden. But “Nadie Sabe Nada” will be its first Spanish Max Original entertainment show to premiere in Spain.

Buenafuente broke out in Spain bowing in 2005 on broadcast network Antena 3 the David Letterman-ish “Buenafuente,” a late night talk show which gently-ribbed some of Spain’s still sacred cows after 28 years of democracy.

“Nadie Sabe Nada” maintains Buenafuente’s hallmark bemusement and keen sense of irony, but simply has Buenafuente and Romero sitting at...

The 11th edition of the festival, held in Mallorca from July 26 to August 1, will premiere Leos Carax ‘Annette’ in Spain

Judi Dench and Stephen Frears will be the guests of honour at this year’s Atlantida Mallorca Film Fest (Amff), run by Spanish SVoD platform Filmin with the Mallorca Film Commission. It is running as a physical, mainly outdoor, event from July 26 to August 1.

The UK’s Dench and Frears, who worked together on Victoria & Abdul and Philomena, are both set to attend and will participate in a live masterclass on July 31. They will each receive the festival’s Masters Of Cinema award.

For decades, local fiction dominated free-to-air primetime over much of Europe. Many big U.S. water cooler titles like “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” made the running on pay TV.

That old order is now more challenged than ever as Movistar Plus, Spain’s leading pay TV operator, underscored on Tuesday, announcing the top 5 series across its pay TV and SVOD platform in Spain in 2020. All shows are Spanish and Movistar Plus originals.

Topping the list is Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “Antidisturbios” (Riot Police), which was a big hit with critics and audiences at September’s San Sebastian Festival. The series also proved the most addictive hit on Movistar Plus with almost nine out of 10 viewers finishing the title. It’s now tracking to become the most watched Movistar Plus original series ever.

Elsewhere, Movistar Plus’ first series out of the gate after Covid-19 clampdown, and moved forward to an April bow,...

Madrid — Following months of reported negotiations, The Mediapro Studio, the production-distribution powerhouse launched by Spain’s Mediapro Group this March, has acquired Andreu Buenafuente’s Barcelona-based El Terrat, Spain’s premier comedy brand.

No price was given for the acquisition, which involves 100% of El Terrat shares.

El Terrat founder owner and “Late Motiv” host Andreu Buenafuente will continue to head up El Terrat under Tms ownership, with Agustí Esteve remaining as executive director.

For The Mediapro Studio, the purchase represents its latest milestone talent deal, its having already incorporated creatives such as “Homeland” executive producer Ran Tellem, Argentine film-director.turned TV show runner Daniel Burman (“Lost Embrace”) and “The Department of Time” co-creator Javier Olivares.

The deal gives The Mediapro Studio access to Spain’s biggest comedy force in terms of profile, talent, and production capacity. Comedy creatives at El Terrat include Andreu Buenafuente himself, the embodiment of late-night humor for upscale Spaniards,...