In solely two years, ECAM Forum, the boutique post-Cannes co-production market in Madrid, has sealed its status as a must-attend occasion for worldwide gamers monitoring down Spain’s wealth of expertise, co-production alternatives and the following pageant hits – from Spain and past.
Certainly, out of 16 works in progress pitched in 2024 and 2025, 13 landed at top-tier festivals comparable to “Milk Teeth” by Mihai Mincan (Venice 2025), “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes” by Gabriel Azorín (Venice Giornate degli Autori, NYFF 2025), and “Balearic” by Ion de Sosa (Locarno 2025, BFI London).
Unspooling June Sep 11, the third version can be as curated in tasks pitched and capped at 800 accredited professionals, “to keep the spirit of the event,” stated Rafael Alberola, head of trade at Madrid’s prestigious ECAM movie college.
Amongst prime banners in attendance are Mubi, HBO Max Spain, Palme d’Or producers Les Movies Pelleas (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Eye Eye Photos (“Sentimental Value,” “Fjord”), programmers from Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance Toronto and Rotterdam, gross sales outfits comparable to Goodfellas, Charades, Le Pacte, Totem, Pyramide and first-time fund attendees Doha Movie Institute and Prada Movie Fund.
At press time all of the 25 movies within the two predominant pitch sections- – Final Push’ for titles in put up, and ‘Films to Come’ for titles in pre-production – have been accessible for world distribution.
Scorching works in progress searching for gross sales and pageant platform embody “Pehuen’s Birthday in Spain” by Argentinian rising expertise Federico Luis, this yr’s Cannes Pageant quick movie Palme d’Or winner with “The Opponents,” and “Love is the Monster” by Costa Rican Neto Villalobos (“Helmet Heads”) starring Berlinale Silver Bear winner Paulina Garcia “Gloria”).
New this yr on the trade classes are masterclasses with visionary auteur Milagros Mumenthaler, prime Brazilian producer Rodrigo Teixeira of RT Features (“I’m Still Here”, “Paper Tiger”) and a give attention to France, collectively organised with the French Institute in Spain, to strengthen the European audiovisual panorama and ties between the 2 main movie nations.
Forward of ECAM Discussion board, coordinator Alberto Valverde and ECAM head of trade Rafael Alberola unpacked their 2026 program to Selection.
In two years, you’ve managed to ascertain ECAM Discussion board as a must-attend occasion because of the care you set in venture and visitor choice. Cannes Movie Pageant’s director of movie Christian Jeune even advised me final yr : “It’s well organised, with a contagious energy.” How does this third version seem like by way of delegates and firms attending?
Rafa Alberola: Our expertise on the final version with over 800 accredited professionals taught us a helpful lesson, that it was in all probability our restrict. So this yr, regardless of the next demand, we determined to set the cap at that stage to maintain the spirit of the occasion.
Alberto Valverde: Sure. ECAM Discussion board has by no means been conceived as a main market, relatively a boutique tailored occasion meant at first at selling Spanish expertise internationally and attracting worldwide companions, desirous to work with Spain. Out of the 168 trade visitors this yr, 90 are worldwide professionals and about 78 nationwide, and of that complete, round 25 are programmers, 25 are gross sales brokers/distributors and 15 are broadcasters/platforms.
France continues to deliver the strongest delegation, and due to our partnership with the French Institute in Spain, we’ve upped the pinnacle depend from round 25 to 36 and strengthened the attendees in phrases relevance and profile. Exterior of Europe and Latin America our largest co-production companions, we’re overlaying extra territories [25] from the U.S. to the MENA area.
Once more, by way of our focused invites, we wish to strengthen current collaborations, but additionally develop new alliances. As an illustration, we’ve invited from Norway Eye Eye Photos which hasn’t but co-produced with Spain however we imagine would get together with a few of the abilities and firms attending.
One other attention-grabbing development: For our first two editions, corporations would ship junior executives, we’ve seen this yr a rise in CEOs and prime decision-makers. Phrase of mouth is working!
Extra territories wish to co-produce with Spain, to faucet into abilities and engaging filming incentives
Alberola: Sure. We’ve seen this previously years, by way of ECAM Discussion board and by attending different occasions. All people is taking a look at Spain. Nonetheless, Spain is a nonetheless a bit behind relating to worldwide co-productions. So we’re attempting to speed up Spanish producers’ coaching in worldwide financing and co-production, and bringing the world to ECAM Discussion board.
Valverde: There’s a generational shift in Spanish producers working internationally. We’ve witnessed this since establishing ECAM Discussion board in 2024 and in Cannes this yr. In addition to the three Spanish movies in competitors [Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s “The Black Ball” for which they shared best director; Pedro Almodovar’s “Bitter Christmas,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved”] and Aina Clotet’s Critics’ Week winner “Viva,” there have been many minority co-productions throughout all sections.
As you’re mentioning Cannes, Federico Luis, a Palme d’Or winner together with his quick “For the Opponents” can be pitching his venture in work in progress “Pehuen’s Birthday in Spain”…
Valverde: Sure Luis is a rising expertise. What’s attention-grabbing is that “Pehuen’s Birthday in Spain” marks a radical shift in his profession, a private and delightful essay on his love of filmmaking.
May you drill down on the Discussion board’s 15 Movies to Come tasks in growth and 10 Final Push movies in post-production?
Valverde: This yr’s name for entries drew vital curiosity: 204 tasks have been submitted for Movies to Come and 86 for Final Push. The Movies to Come choice committee included, Facu Leima, head of Rotterdam IFFR professional; Lison Hervé, coordinator of Les Arcs Trade; producers Tatiana Leite, Ariadna Dot and director-producer Samuel Delgado.
The Final Push committee was made up of programmers Violeta Bava, guide for the Venice and New York festivals, Diana Cadavid, from Toronto, Pamela Bienzobas from Locarno and Cédric Succivalliu from Venice Days. It’s an honour to have on board high-profile decision-makers who set the bar actually excessive and in a means determine which movies will mark the approaching pageant calendar.
Alberola: The vast majority of professionals in our choice committee have hands-on expertise within the artwork of creating movies. They know what it takes to supply and to finance a movie, so that they don’t take into account them solely from a curator’s perspective which is essential to us.
Throughout the tasks chosen, what traits have you ever seen by way of tales, genres, gender illustration, most dynamic movie nations?
Valverde: What I’ve discovered very stimulating is filmmakers’ want to seek out the correct type for the correct story, which has resulted in a variety crammed with hybrid presents. Then, there’s a sense of disarray, being out of sync with the world, which maybe displays the chaotic state of the world. There’s additionally a robust give attention to id and complicated household dynamics.
Final yr was a milestone with 70% of movies directed by ladies, the speed is extra 50-60% this yr which remains to be excessive. Gender steadiness is a criterium in our choice because it makes for richer storytelling. As an illustration, we now have the very female-focused “Chentian” by Suha Arraf from Palestine-Germany and “The Garden of Delights” by Brazil’s Rafaela Camelo.
The tasks come from Europe, Latin America, the Center East. However once more, we’re taking a look at the very best tasks, no matter nationality; it’s circumstantial that this yr we now have for instance tasks from Greece or Brazil that weren’t so current previously.
Alberola: I’d like to say the extraordinary presence of thrilling tasks from Latin America, particularly Argentina and Costa Rica. One thing occurring in Latin America, very totally different from what we’re experiencing in Europe. Whereas in Europe, we’re typically missing creativeness, a capability to think about totally different futures, totally different narratives, this isn’t the case with Latin America. This has to do maybe with their political scenario, restraints in creativity, censorship and lack of funding that drive them to assume out of the field.
Rafael, may you spotlight just a few Spanish discoveries, maybe from ECAM’s scorching lab La Incubadora?
Alberola: I can point out “Our Raised Skin” (“Nuestra piel levantada”) by Paolo Natale, an experimental doc about masculinity, male our bodies and consuming dysfunction which is one thing I haven’t seen. There’s “The Unmoving Hands” (“Las manos quietas”) by Victor Diago. At one level our choice committee stated it was too tough; then, exactly for that purpose, they felt: Let’s give it an opportunity. Personally, I’m obsessive about discovering methods to assist movies, seen as tough, attain their viewers.
Valverde: It’s a should to maintain observe of the tasks from La Incubadora, as historical past tells, many find yourself at A-festivals, comparable to Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s “20,000 Species of Bees.” I’d like additionally to choose amongst new discoveries in Final Push, Sebastián Uria together with his Galicia-set “Farewell Rivers” [“Adiós, ríos”] Ana Bovino’s “The Nights” (“Las Noches”) and likewise Marc Ferrer, a cult queer Spanish director prepared to leap to the worldwide stage together with his satirical comedy “Cinemania” By no means thoughts Los Javis – be careful for Marc Ferrer! We will additionally point out extra established names in that part, comparable to Eloy Enciso, Paz Fábrega or Federico Luis who’ve all made their mark internationally.
You even have 12 tasks at Discussion board Shorts and 15 at ECAM Collection Market. What are you able to say about these sections?
Valverde: Anyone scouting new Spanish and worldwide expertise ought to take a look at these sections. On the quick movie program, we’re pleased with our worldwide collaboration with movie faculties La Fémis in France, FAMU within the Czech Republic, HEAD in Switzerland, the festivals Bogoshorts in Colombia, Chileshorts in Chile and Drama Quick Movie Pageant in Greece. On the sequence aspect, we’re happy with our partnerships with Serielizados and Collection Mania.
Alberola: There are 15 tasks at ECAM Collection Market: “Neocurros” chosen collectively with Serielizados, and the remainder from ECAM screenwriting college students. It’s the very best place to search for uncooked screenwriting expertise.
ECAM Discussion board is a key occasion for Madrid as audiovisual hub. Have you ever been in a position to up your funds
Alberola: Our key backers stay the identical: the non-profit cultural group ECAM, the Neighborhood of Madrid, Madrid Metropolis Council who’s lending us the area which is big; Acción Cultural Española, a program from the Ministry which helps the internationalization of Spanish expertise and has barely elevated its monetary backing, and DAMA, the rights assortment company. Then this yr the French Institute in Spain has joined our companions.
May you add just a few phrases on the trade talks, masterclasses and the State of Issues conversations?
Valverde: ECAM Discussion board is a novel area the place concepts cross sections, the place funders, abilities talk about the way forward for unbiased cinema, subsequent to philosophers, photographers, poets and writers.
The masterclasses with the high-profile filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler and producer Rodrigo Teixeira replicate this convergence at ECAM Discussion board of artwork and trade. Deciding on Milagros for the retrospective organised with Filmadrid, was maybe a political assertion on our behalf, to reclaim her cinema and join her work with the primary theme of The State of Issues which is the picture itself and our relationship to it.
Parallel to that, we’re wanting on the central position of the producer in supporting expertise and reinforcing unbiased cinema and Rodrigo Teixeira is a grasp within the subject. Simply take a look at his filmography [from “Paper Tiger,” “Call Me by Your Name” and “Ad Astra,” to “Frances Ha”].
The financing discussion board FINDE, which focuses on the audiovisual financing ecosystem, efficiently launched final yr. What can we count on from this second version?
Alberola: FINDE has two sides – one open to individuals with talks from prime financiers, producers, one closed with non-public conferences. We paid particular consideration to mixing heavyweight financiers with producers of unbiased movies – some riskier than others – to assist them hone their expertise.
Valverde: Final yr we established a blueprint to FINDE and we wish to preserve it. We’re anticipating 20+ finance-focused individuals, from Collectively Fund’s Alexandra Lebret, Arte France’s Rémi Burah, the Doha Movie Institute’s Khalil Benkirane, IPR.VC’s Celine Dornier to key Spanish gamers comparable to Morena Movies’ Pilar Benito, CREA SGR’s Rafael Lambe and Moby Dick Movie Capital’s Jesús Martínez.
Final yr FINDE French participant Marie-Ange Luciani, producer of Justine Triet movies, advised me that the occasion was instrumental in her assembly key traders for her subsequent venture. It’s an actual pleasure to see that ECAM Discussion board, which focuses on rising expertise, additionally impacts folks on the prime of the ladder.
