Conecta Fiction, Spain’s still expanding Europe-Latin American TV Forum, revealed the finalists for five of its six pitching categories at an opening online session of its 2021 4th edition.
Running June 28-3o, the online Conecta Fiction will be followed by a hybrid edition over Sept. 13-17 in Pamplona when the now selected projects will be pitched on site at sessions available online for delegates, especially from Latin America, who will not be able to attend in person.
Few details of projects have been given beyond titles, producers, key creatives and genre. Among series in the key international CoPro and Short-Form categories are titles from top Chilean animation producer Zumbastico Studios (“Paper Port”), Mr. Miyagi Films, co-producer of Netflix smash hit “The Platform,” and Spain’s Aqui y Alli Films, the company behind the the acclaimed “Life and Nothing More” and San Sebastian Golden Shell winner “Magical Girl.”
Also in the cut are Revolution and Ireland’s Subotica (“The Other Lamb”), Chile’s María Elena Wood, producer of pioneering premium Chilean series “Ramona,” “Mary & Mike” and “Dignity”; and what looks like an intriguing France-Spain co-pro twinning two Mediawan companies and Spain’s Mediacrest, winning of a TVE Development Award at 2020’s Conecta Fiction for “Demokracia.”
This year’s Pitch Short-Form Series also features “Kicked Out,” one of the earliest TV projects from Mexico’s Arte Mecánica.
Conecta Fiction also looks likely to capture and channel the energies from Spain’s burgeoning regional TV revolution, seen ever more graphically in the Basque Country, whose Filmax-sold “Mouths of Sand” was a standout at May’s Virtual L.A. Screenings.
The Basque Country is now teaming with neighboring Navarre and France’s Nouvelle Aquitaine to prize and power a new category, EuroRegion NAEN, as the three territories aim to create series especially close to their local viewers but with production values and universal sentiments which allow them to travel abroad.
Mouths of Sand
Credit: Txintxua Films
At Monday’s virtual opening ceremony, Navarre president María Chivite reaffirmed the region’s support for its film and TV sectors, which she called “necessary, booming and with a great future.”
Conecta Fiction also announced the first Spain Film Commission Award, to be given to shows from the Co-Pro or Short-Form sections best showcasing Spain’s locations.
“Conecta Fiction is a qualified forum to highlight the current state of production of series, miniseries and docu-fiction in Spain,” said Carlos Rosado, president of the Spain Film Commission.
“For the Spain Film Commission, it is valuable to award those productions that best promote the territory as a destination for audiovisual productions and shoots,” he added.
A brief break-down of pitch projects in three categories:
Pitch Co-Production Series
“Antonio” (Chile)
Zumbastico Studios
Enrique León
Sci-fi, YA drama
“Black Times” (France)
Perpetual Soup
Jeremy Sahel
Historical, mystery drama
“Santafé Camping” (“Camping Santafé,” Spain)
Mr. Miyagi Films
Ángeles Hernández
Thriller, fantasy drama
“Costa” (United Kingdom)
BlackBox Multimedia
Jackson Gregory
Crime, romance drama
“404 Error” (“Error 404,” Portugal)
Santa Rita Filmes
Margarida Gramaxo
Sci-fi, mystery dramedy
“Hunting Evil” (Spain)
Aqui y Alli Films
Pedro Hernández Santos, María Beltrán
Thriller, historical drama
“The Stolen Kids” (“Niños de Contrabando,” Chile)
María Wood Productions
Maria Elena Wood
Thriller, family drama
“Forget My Name” (“Olvida Mi Nombre,” Spain)
Avi Films
Jesica Aran
Political, thriller drama
“The O’Neill” (Ireland)
Revolution, Subotica
Jack Armstrong
Historical, political drama
“Life” (“Vida,” Spain)
Mediacrest Entertainment, White Lion Films. Mediwan Spain
Emma García
Thriller, police drama
Pitch Short-Form Series
“Totem 2040” (Spain)
Random Films
Eulogio Romero Lacalle
Thriller, sci-fi drama
“The Beach House” (“Una Casa En La Playa,” Spain)
Mediacrest Entertainment
Emma García
Horror, YA drama
“Smaver” (Spain)
Smaver Microfilms Studio
David Durán
Sci-fi, thriller dramedy
“Harrogate Detective Agency” (“Agencia de Detectives Harrogate,” Spain)
Fuera de Series Producciones
Juan Galonce López
Family, mystery comedy
“Kicked Out” (Mexico)
Arte Mecánica Producciones
Jacopo Fontana
Action, social dramedy
Pitch Fundación SGAE
“Wannabe” (Spain)
Tatiana Chisleanschi, Noelia Bodas
Comedy, mini-drama
“OK, Boomer” (“Todo Mal,” Spain)
Fernando Erre, Manuel Martínez
Comedy
“Raval” (Spain)
Víctor Alonso-Berbel, Jan Matheu
Thriller, police drama
“Harem, Land of Goddesses” (“Harem, Tierra de Diosas,” Spain)
Marieta Petchanska
Sci-fi, dystopian drama
“Caregivers” (“Cuidadoras,” Spain)
Sara Cano, Paula Fabra
Bright, magical realism drama
“Queen of Sport” (“Deporte Reina,” Spain)
Teresa Bellón, César F. Calvillo
Comedy