23/11/2021 - The latest films by Alberto Rodríguez, Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Lucía Alemany are among those set to benefit from grants provided by the Spanish Ministry of Culture

DoP Álex Catalán, director Alberto Rodríguez and actors Javier Gutiérrez and Miguel Herrán on the set of Modelo 77 (© Julio Vergne/Atípica Films/Movistar Plus+)

In late October, the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport announced its proposed financial support package for 2021 through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA). Of the 70 applications received, just 45 were successful (40 fiction films, four animated films and one documentary). The pool included 33 international coproductions — 31 with Spain as the majority partner and two where Spanish production companies played a secondary role. Selected projects will receive a share of €47 million; that’s a €7-million increase on last year. This funding is part of the pot made available for Programme 330A, Spain’s Recovery and Resilience Plan for culture.

The beneficiaries vary in terms of budget. For fiction films, the combined total is €3,599,463,71, whereas the four animated films will require €5,452,165,25 between them and the sole documentary €1,686,823. If we look only at projects directed by women, which account for half of the 14 fiction films selected, their combined budgets come to €2,932, 011. Two of the four animated films have female directors, with budgets amounting to €5,843,330, as does the selected documentary.

The successful titles are: Modelo 77 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by Alberto Rodríguez and produced by Atípica Films, which will receive a grant of €1,400,000 — the same amount secured by the musical Voy a pasármelo bien, written and directed by David Serrano (We Need to Talk [+see also:
trailer
film profile]); A todo tren 2 and Padre no hay más que uno 3 [+see also:
trailer
film profile], two franchises that have been runaway successes in Spain, both directed by Santiago Segura; the comedy Mari(dos) [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Lucía Alemany’s sophomore film following The Innocence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucía Alemany
film profile]; Casi familia, by Álvaro Fernández Armero; 3D animation A Smartphone Story, directed by José Ignacio la Casa García; and The Good Boss [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], by Fernando León de Aranoa (already released and set to represent Spain at next year’s Oscars).

The following projects will each receive a grant of €1 million: The Beasts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile], current project of the super-prolific Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Piggy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlota Pereda
film profile], the first full-length feature from Carlota Martínez Pereda, adapted from her award-winning and disturbing short film of the same name; The Cuckoo's Curse [+see also:
trailer
film profile], by Mar Targarona; Cuidado con lo que deseas [+see also:
trailer
film profile], by Fernando Colomo (already on general release in Spain); Chinas [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by Arantxa Echevarría, poised for the 3 December release of La familia perfecta [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; Loli Tormenta, a dramedy by Agustí Villaronga; Te estoy amando locamente [+see also:
trailer
film profile], written and directed by Alejandro Marín; Alguien que cuide de mí [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the directorial début of writer (and occasional actress) Elvira Lindo, written in partnership with Daniela Fejerman and backed by Tornasol; El no cumpleaños de Ava, directed by Elena Ruiz Guitart and based on an outline by David Matamoros and Ángeles Hernández (Isaac [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ángeles Hernández and David…
film profile]); and Llenos de gracia [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by Roberto Carlos Sánchez Bueso and produced in association with Mod Producciones.

Asedio [+see also:
trailer
film profile], just wrapped, directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas and produced by Apache Films (more news on that soon) will also receive support of €1m, along with several others including Pájaros [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], by Pau Durà, El maestro que prometió el mar, by Patricia Font; Alimañas, a dark comedy directed by Pep Anton Gómez; Venus [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] from Jaume Balagueró (the latest chapter in The Fear Collection — read more here); Mamacruz [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (La Claqueta), by Patricia Ortega; From the Shadows [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Félix Viscarret
film profile], by Félix Viscarret; the comedy El favor, by Juana Macías (Zeta Cinema); and Haunted Heart, a thriller directed and produced by Fernando Trueba.

To see the full list of applicants and selected films (in Spanish), click here.

(Translated from Spanish by Ruth Grant)