Spanish government backs 36 Canary Islands audiovisual projects with over €3 million

Grants from the Directorate General for Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries cover feature films, series and short films in production, minor co‑production and development, selected by expert committees in the 2025 public calls.

All proposals carry the Canary seal or are part of films co‑produced by island companies.

A total of 36 new audiovisual projects—including feature films, series, animation, documentaries and short films with a Canary imprint—will receive support from the Government of the Canary Islands. The selection was made through two public calls organized in 2025 by the Directorate General for Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries, targeting projects in production or minor co‑production, as well as development and short‑film projects. The total investment amounts to €3,329,000.

“The projects receiving subsidies were chosen by three expert committees; the full list is available on www.icdcultural.org (Calls section), the Government of the Canary Islands said in a press release.”

Funding Breakdown

• Production – 9 projects (out of 37 submissions) covering fiction, animation and documentary films. Producers have until 2028 to complete their works and may receive advance payments in installments.
• Minor Co‑Production – 6 projects (out of 10 submissions), encouraging Canary producers to collaborate on large‑scale projects led by companies outside the islands. This marks the third consecutive year of such support.
• Development – 12 projects (out of 60 submissions).
• Short‑Film Production – 9 projects (out of 43 submissions).

Selected Films and Shorts

Feature Films (Production)

• “Especies distintas” – by Especies distintas AIE (Laura Pérez Gómez’s script, part of the 2022 IsLABentura Canarias script lab).
• “El jardín de Té” – by Mantarraya Films, directed by Gonzalo López‑Gallego.
• “La sombra de la arena” – by La Creme Films, directed by Aarón J. Melián.
• “Fiesta negra” – by Hormigas Negras, written and directed by Guillermo Magariños (also part of the 2023 IsLABentura Canarias).

Documentaries (Production)

• “Milagro y miseria” – by El Viaje Producciones, co‑directed by Marina Alberti and José A. Alayón.
• “Regreso al rayo verde” – by Insularia Creadores, directed by Juanma V. Betancort.
• “Herr Franco must go!” – by Miguel G. Morales.

Series (Production)

• “Limbo ville” – created by Israel Hernández (animation).
• “Super Truck” – directed by Rubén Zarauza and Iria G. Caballero, produced by Supertruck Season 1 AIE.

Four of these titles (“Fiesta negra”, “Especies distintas”, “El jardín de té” and “Herr Franco must go!”) also received a Development grant last year.

Minor Co‑Production

• Feature Films:

  • “El día del fin del mundo encontraré tu pasado” – El Viaje Producciones with Chile’s Globo Rojo.
  • “Señoras de la limpieza” – Mararía Films with Portugal’s Uma pedra no sapato.
  • “Caza y pesca” – MGC with Uruguay’s Kiko Vivo Producciones and Argentina’s Pensa&Rocca.
  • “Ya no siento el corazón” – Volcano International Productions with Sweden’s Doppelganger Film.

• Documentaries:

  • “The possibility of man” – Tourmalet Films with the Netherlands’ Worldisuals Film and Stichting ten Zuiden van de Grens.
  • “La mujer del barco” – Ngaro Games La Casa de los Enigmas with Spain’s Burbuja Films and Freews.

Development

• Feature Films: “Tropic”, “La fuga”, “Tierra”, “Seres eléctricos”, “¿Quién es la virgen?”, “Los extraños”, “Arroró (canción de cuna)”.
• Documentaries: “Heurtebise”, “Y punto”, “Ruidos en el agua”.
• Animation: “Cave of dreams”.
• Series (Animation): “Howly wooly”.

Short Films (Production)

• “Cayó la tarde” – Carolina Montesdeoca (Las Hormigas Negras).
• “La teta” – Dailos Vega (La Magua Films).
• “Graniza en Tacoronte” – Airam Rodríguez (La Isla Media).
• “El traductor de pájaros” – David Pantaleón (Los de Lito Films).
• “Barranco” – Pablo Vilas (Volcano International).
• “210” – J. Morala (Ngaro Games La Casa de los Enigmas).
• “Naturaleza cálida” – Joel Cazorla & Chemi Pérez (Cabo Sur Films).
• “Por los pelos” – Jeniffer Castañeda García (Nostrana Films).
• “La maceta” – Octavio Guerra.

Selection Committees

Development

• Douglas Stuart Wilson – independent producer and screenwriter.
• Tània Balló – filmmaker, writer, science communicator and cultural researcher.
• Néstor López Ferreira – director and screenwriter (Spanish‑Portuguese), three‑time Goya Award winner.

Short Films

• Alberto Díaz López – producer at Mordisco Films.
• Carlota Moseguí Gasó – critic for Cinemanía.
• Rodrigo Espinel Martínez – producer at Morena Films.

Production & Minor Co‑Production

• Jaime Maestro Sellés – co‑founder, creative director and producer of La Tribu Animation.
• Gemma Laura Vidal Villasur – external expert for funds such as the MEDIA Creative Europe Programme.
• Diego Alejandro Mas Trelles – Head of Industry and programming committee member of DocsBarcelona, programmer of DocumentaMadrid and festival juror.
• Isona Admetlla Font – coordinator of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund.
• María Isabel Ivars Sancho – sales director at Protagonist PICKS and Library.

These committees evaluated the proposals and determined the allocation of the €3.3 million budget across the 36 selected projects.