CATALAN! FILMS eMAGAZINE ENGLISH issue 4 by Creative Catalonia

Catalan! films eMagazine

Winter 2012/13 issue 4

CATALONIA, A FILM SET All landscapes at your disposal

Also:

Interview with Elijah Wood Catalan cinema in the world Catalan Film Academy

Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals Passatge de la Banca 1 i 3 E-08002 Barcelona Tel.: +34 933 162 770 internacional.icec@gencat.cat www.gencat.cat/cultura/icec/internacional www.catalanarts.cat Catalan Films & TV Passatge de la Banca 1 i 3 E-08002 Barcelona Tel.: +34 935 524 945 www.catalanfilms.cat catalanfilmstv@gencat.cat Edited by: Utopia Global – utopia@utopiaglobal.com Editor: Jordi Roigé Translations: Judith Anne Smith Images: Quim Vives, Turespaña, BCFC (Joan Perramon), Fausto Producciones and TVC, Imposible Films, Nostromo Pictures and Decine Magazine archive Design: Manuel Cuyàs D.L.: B–32543-2011 Barcelona, December 2012 ISSN: 2014-4415

Cover image: Snowflake, the White Gorilla, image courtesy of Filmax This magazine is published under an AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported Creative Commons license, which allows you to download this work and share it with others as long as you credit the author, but you can’t change it in any way or use them commercially. Read the full license at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Catalan! films eMagazine

Winter 2012/13 issue 4

The digital magazine for the international promotion of the Catalan cinema. Available in English, Catalan and Spanish. Published every four months.

intro

December is here and we are closing up a year full of activity and successes in Catalan filmmaking. Catalan produced films were present at the most prestigious audiovisual events around the country and internationally. From the Oscar速 ceremony in Los Angeles to the festivals in Berlin, Rome, London, and Shanghai, our cinema has reached the best screens around the world, achieving a large number of awards and recognition. The audiovisual industry in Catalonia does not only include our productions; the landscapes of Catalonia have also gone international, thanks to the producers that have decided to make our territory the ideal setting for their films. In this number of Catalan Films eMagazine we take a journey through some of the most outstanding places in cinema from our homeland; the cities, villages, forests, and beaches that have been immortalized on the big screen in internationallyrenowned films. We also have Elijah Wood, with an exceptional testimony. The North American actor came to our country to star in Grand Piano, the latest production by Nostromo Pictures, which Wood was filming in the Parc Audiovisual of Catalonia, directed by Eugenio Mira.

This fall, both Berlin and Cambridge were the stage for showcases of Catalan cinema. Nuria Vidal, film critic, gives us more details about the Katalanische Filmtage (showcase of Catalan and Balearic cinema in Berlin). She coordinated a selection of six films produced in recent years in Catalonia and Majorca. Back home, in January 2013 the names of the films and film professionals nominated for the GaudĂ awards will be announced. These awards are the reference for the industry of our country, organized by the Catalan Film Academy. In this number of the eMagazine we will go through the first five years of life of this institution born with the objective of promoting Catalan cinema and encouraging its prestige in the eyes of the media as well as the general public, and contributing to its international distribution. Finally, we open up this magazine to Catalan producers who have decided to look for partners in the international market with the section Looking for co-production, a showcase of the projects which are getting ready for next year. And, as always, In the Spotlight, a run-though of the latest Catalan productions playing at movie theaters.

CONTENTS

HOT: CATALONIA, A FILM Close up: Elijah Wood 33 CATALONIA: CINEMA THAT IS GROWIN 5 years of the Catalan Film Acad Looking for co-production 60 in the spotlight 80 Upcoming Festivals 112

SET

ING 40 demy 50

*Blancanieves

HOT

CATAL A FILM

All landscapes a

ATALONIA, FILM SET

at your disposal

*El bosc

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In 2011 Catalonia was the region where the most filming was done of all the Spanish territory, with 2,300 productions. In recent years directors such as Woody Allen, J.A. Bayona, Steven Soderbergh, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Agustí Villaronga, Fernando Trueba, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Pedro Almodóvar, Alejando Amenábar, and Isabel Coixet used the territory as a film set. Some of the latest shoots are: BCN 3D by Manuel Huerga, Mindscape by Jorge Dorado, Tres bodas de más by Javier Ruiz Caldera, Ayer no termina nunca by Isabel Coixet, and Grand Piano by Eugenio Mira. David Canto

The Barcelona-Catalunya Film Commission An old tourism slogan said that Catalonia is one of the few places in the world where you can go from skiing to sunbathing on the beach in less than an hour-and-a-half drive. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. In less than 30,000 square kilometers there is mountain, sea with an abrupt coastline and flat, sandy beaches, dry land, vineyards, humid forests, Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches, modernist buildings, and the most current display of architecture. A world-renowned city, Barcelona, and villages sculpted in ancient stone. This makes many filmmakers, Catalan as well as foreigners, consider Catalonia and its capital, Barcelona, an ideal place for filming. These natural and urban sets are completed with first-rate international communication infrastructures and a powerful industrial network of service providers with reputations earned over decades. The Barcelona-Catalunya Film Commission (www.bcncatfilmcommission.com) is responsible for coordinating all these filmings. Constituted by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and the Barcelona City Hall, the Film Commission provides producers from around the world with the information and orientation necessary for locating and filming in Catalonia and Barcelona, contacting service providers, producers, and Catalan professionals, as well as requesting the

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Black Bread

Bruc

permits needed for filming in the city of Barcelona. In the last few years, Catalan institutions have acknowledged that cinema and the audiovisual industry are key to generating wealth in the country, and a superb showcase for tourism, nowadays one of the main exportable activities of Catalan economy. All landscapes available Very successful films with the public, like Black Bread (Pa negre, AgustĂ Villaronga, 2010), representing Spain in the latest edition of the OscarsÂŽ, and Bruc (Daniel Benmayor, 2010), a version of the legend of the drummer boy who drove away the invading Napoleonic troops all by himself, were filmed in the forests and wet areas of central Catalonia and in the Montserrat Massif, an impressive natural sculpture. Isabel Coixet also chose central Catalonia for filming Ayer no termina nunca, which will be released in 2013. The director from Barcelona picked the city of Igualada and the surrounding areas for the range of possibilities it offers, from natural caves and grottoes, to exceptional cemeteries, and establishments and hotels which have stood the test of time. More to the north, in the Garrotxa area, Fernando Trueba found the ideal place for his latest film, The Artist and the Model (El artista y la modelo, 2012). Set in the forties, an artist uses a remote, old country home to do his sculpting with a makeshift

hot CATALONIA, A FILM SET

Ayer no termina nunca

The Artist and the Model

I Want You

Juliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eyes

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Snowflake, the White Gorilla

model. The Oscar-winning director found the perfect house in Olot, a city with a strong pictorial tradition. The hit productions Three Steps Above Heaven (Tres metros sobre el cielo, 2010) and I Want You (Tengo ganas de ti, 2012), directed by Fernando González-Molina and starring Mario Casas and María Valverde, chose locations from different towns on the Costa Brava and Sitges, well-known by international tourism. Barcelona, city of cinema In Barcelona in 2007, Woody Allen began his series of films with cities as co-stars with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. After that he continued with London, Paris, and Rome. Allen showed the city from the point of view of two North American visitors, pointing out the most emblematic elements: Gaudí, popular festivals, the Rambla, etc. On the same line, the real image and animation film, Snowflake, the White Gorilla (Floquet de neu, Andrés Schaer, 2011), is about the arrival of the white gorilla in Barcelona in the sixties. Snowflake has adventures which they take him to the zoo, Park Güell, Parc de la Ciutadella, and Gràcia neighborhood, emblems of the city. A much darker Barcelona and metropolitan area is the setting for Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2010), starring Javier Bardem. Iñárritu visited the city in 2006 and, two days later, he had already decided that he would shoot his new film there.

hot CATALONIA, A FILM SET

The Barcelona that the star of Haywire (Steven Soderbergh, 2011) races around at top speed is much more ordinary, with locations in the city center. This is also true for some parts of the award-winning drama by Alejando Amenábar, The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro, 2004). Rodrigo Cortés filmed Red Lights (2012) in different neighborhoods of Barcelona and surrounding citieswith Cillian Murphy, Robert de Niro, and Sigourney Weaver in the cast. Cortés also filmed his award-winning Buried (2010) in Barcelona, starring Ryan Reynolds, which had only one claustrophobic location: the inside of a coffin. Tom Tykwer turned Barcelona into the set for his period film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), the adaptation of the novel by Patrick Süskind, filming in the historic city center. A very special case is the Indian film You Don’t Get Life a Second Time (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2011), which won the majority of awards in its country and was a huge success at the box office. It is the story of three Indian friends who travel to Spain, with filming on the Costa Brava and in other towns outside Catalonia, like Bunyol and Pamplona. Benedictine architecture of the monastery in Santes Creus, near Tarragona, and the city of Girona were the natural set for the Spanish-French coproduction The Monk (2011), by Dominik Moll, with Sergi López. Blancanieves, the silent film in black

Biutiful

Haywire

hot CATALONIA, A FILM SET

Buried

Red Lights

Perfume:The Story of a Murderer

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Get Life a Second Time)

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The Monk

Blancanieves

and white by Pablo Berger, which will represent Spain at the Oscars® this 2013, was also filmed in towns near Barcelona, as well as Madrid. Catalonia and fantastic cinema One of the ways for young Catalan filmmakers to present themselves is through fantasy films. Jaume Balagueró, Guillem Morales, and the Pastor brothers are a few examples of this genre. Balagueró has filmed all around Catalonia (Fragile, The Nameless), but he has centered his filming locations in Barcelona: in the historic city center for Darkness and the Eixample district for the saga which began with Paco Plaza in 2007, [REC]. The successful director has filmed his latest films in small spaces, flats of the Eixample district of Barcelona, which give him the structure needed for his thrillers. A typical block of flats of the square neighborhood of the Catalan capital’s center is practically the only set for the two first films of [REC] and also for Balagueró’s latest, Sleep Tight (Mientras Duermes, 2011), which has interior scenes filmed at the Parc Audiovisual in Terrassa as well. Production companies like Filmax and Rodar y Rodar, which produced J.A. Bayona’s first film, The Orphanage (El Orfanato, 2007), were key to the consolidation of the genre. Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has also played an important role in publicizing Catalan productions

[REC3]

Sleep Tight

Quim Vives

hot CATALONIA, A FILM SET

The Wild Children

El bosc

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BCN 3D

Segon origen

and talents. In its latest edition, cinema fans had the chance to see movies like Painless (Insensibles), by Juan Carlos Medina, El bosc, by Ă&#x201C;scar Aibar, and The Body (El cuerpo), by Oriol Paulo, which inaugurated the festival. Barcelona in 3D Manuel Huerga will surely be the one to portray Barcelona the most thoroughly in the documentary Barcelona 3D. In only one sequence shot the spectator will cross streets, squares, markets, parks, and emblematic buildings on special days and events, cultural and civic celebrations, and even a match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Apocalyptic images and incredible destruction will occupy a large part of the most ambitious productions of next year. Veteran Bigas Luna will also depict a demolished Barcelona in 3D in Second Origin (Segon Origin). Based on the book Second Origin Typescript (El mecanoscrit del segon origen), by Manuel de Pedrolo, a classic and compulsory reading in Catalan schools, this film will have a key scene in the FC Barcelona stadium, which will be destroyed. The director from Barcelona will also film in Lleida and Tarragona, for the most part. This 2013 we will see Barcelona destroyed again in The Last Days, the second full-length film by David and Ă lex Pastor, also from Barcelona, and filmed in different Catalan towns.

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The Body

The Pelayos

The Parc Audiovisual of Catalonia A place with many shoots is the Parc Audiovisual of Catalonia, one of the most outstanding industrial complexes of audiovisual production in the south of Europe. It is located in Terrassa, 35 kilometers from Barcelona. One of the latest productions shot there was Grand Piano, by Eugenio Mira, starring Elijah Wood. Another, The Body (El cuerpo, Oriol Paulo, 2012), which premieres this December with José Coronado and Belén Rueda, opened the festival in Sitges Film Festival last October. Other productions have passed through the complex in Terrassa, like The Machinist (Brad Anderson, 2004), starring Christian Bale, Julia’s Eyes (Los ojos de Julia, Guillem Morales, 2010), and The Pelayos (Eduard Cortés, 2012). Mindscape (Jorge Dorado) just wrapped filming there. It is the first film by Ombra Films, the production company of Jaume Collet-Serra, the Catalan director based in the United States. ■

Industry, Talent, Landscape, Facilities... In Catalonia, all these elements come together to make your production possible.

Watch the video

A SELECTION OF THE BEST CATALAN SHORT FILMS

SHORT_CAT.indd 1

13/11/2012 10:35:46

Close up

Elijah

lijah Wood

Close up Interview with Elijah Wood Starring in Grand Piano, by Eugenio Mira

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have completely fallen in love with Barcelonaâ&#x20AC;? Grand Piano is the new film by Eugenio Mira (The Birthday, 2004 and Agnosia, 2010). It tells the story of a piano virtuoso who suffers from stage fright and must perform the best concert of his life to save himself and his wife. American actor Elijah Wood, known worldwide for his presence in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, plays the main role in this film shot at Parc Audiovisual of Catalonia in Terrassa, Barcelona, Chicago, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

David Canto

Close up

Elijah, how did you come to be in this project? As a matter of fact, I met the director, Eugenio Mira, a few years ago in a film festival in Austin, Texas. We’d been friends for a while and when I got the script for Grand Piano and I saw that he would be the director, I was excited about the THERE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY FEELING idea of working with him.

OF FAMILY AND SUPPORT ON THE SET. OUTSIDE THE USA IT’S EASIER TO FEEL THE PASSION OF THE WHOLE GROUP

How was the experience of filming in Catalonia for the first time? It’s been incredible. The whole team has a very high level and they are interested in the global project beyond their jobs. The way they treat others... There is a feeling of family and support on the set that is extraordinary. Just being in Barcelona has been marvelous. It’s the first time that I’ve spent a long time here and filming here has been a gift to get to know the city. But I am embarrassed about not learning any of the language after two months here. Do you believe that Barcelona and Catalonia have something special to offer to the film industry, in respect to locations and professionals? In the last 5 or 10 years, Spain has been put on the map and has demonstrated that it is a viable place for filming. It has been incredible to see how in the last few years directors have appeared and fantastic films have been made here. And it hasn’t stopped. It is a wonderful place to make films. What differences are there between your experience here and participating in large productions like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? The dimensions are very different. Productions like The Lord of the

Grand Piano

Close up

Rings or The Hobbit are greater in dimensions than the majority of films, they’re not very common. But I also have to say that the New Zealand team is a lot like the Grand Piano team in its way of working. I’m not saying that it cannot be found in the United States, but abroad, in smaller productions, it is easier to feel the passion of the whole group. You’ve spent two months filming in Terrassa, in the Parc Audiovisual. How was the experience? It was really good. It was my home for five or six weeks. An incredible set was built there which is the center stage of the movie, a big part of the theater, very nice, much better than I had imagined it. The areas are very big and the facilities are very good. It is a very comfortable place to make a film. A little far from Barcelona, though. This summer you performed as a DJ in Barcelona. Is this common when you film abroad? I do this often, it’s a hobby I have. I love music and I collect records. Before leaving home, thinking that I would be away for two months, I grabbed a case of 45 rpm records in case I had the opportunity to perform, and I finally did. You have really enjoyed the cultural life of the city, going to concerts. And even a football match... Yes, it was the first time I’d gone to a football match in Spain and it was incredible. I also went to the Wilco concert and I was at the premiere of Blancanieves with the live orchestra at the Liceu, which was extraordinary. What did it mean to you to receive the Time Machine Award at the Sitges Film Festival?

It was an honor. For years I have gone to the Fantastic Fest in Austin, which is based on the Sitges festival. When I learned about it, I wanted to go to the Sitges Film Festival. And watching the tribute video that they showed just before In the last 5 or 10 years, Spain has giving me the award, with all been put on the map and has my performances in genre demonstrated that it is a viable films, I realized that I have place for filming done a lot! (He laughs.) Will you come back to Barcelona to film soon? Would you like to produce a Catalan or Spanish genre film? I would love to. I have met a lot of people, and I think that now I have lots of friends here. I would love to come back and it would be really good to be on the other side and produce something here. And your stay in Barcelona and Catalonia? When you make a film, even if you’re there for a long time, you tend to spend the most part of your time on the set and you tend to be in the same places, and yes, you do get to know the city, but not always, because you’re very focused on the world of the film that you are creating. But I think that in the last two months I have gotten to know Barcelona and I have completely fallen in love with it. The people, the architecture, the food, the Gràcia neighborhood (one of my favorites). I love the city. It’s wonderful.

CATALAN CINEMA IN THE WORLD

CATALONIA: CINEMA THAT IS GROWING

*The Night Elvis Died

CATALAN CINEMA IN THE WORLD

Catalan filmmaking is experiencing one of the greatest moments of its history. Proof to this is the recent success of movies with strong participation of Catalan professionals, such as The Impossible (Lo imposible), by Juan Antonio Bayona or Tad, the Lost Explorer (Las aventuras de Tadeo Jones), by Enrique Gato, and the decision last year by the Spanish Film Academy to select a film entirely in the Catalan language for the OscarsÂŽ (Black Bread (Pa Negre), by AgustĂ Villaronga), and the number of professionals in the sector who have been educated in local schools in Catalonia, like ESCAC, CECC, and many others, now working for the most prestigious film studios. Two clear examples of the international interest in Catalan cinema are the showcase of Catalan and Balearic cinema in Berlin and the Catalan film series in Cambridge. Alfons Gorina

SHOWCASE in Berlin The Katalanische Filmtage (showcase of Catalan and Balearic cinema in Berlin), organized by the Institut Ramon Llull, responsible for promoting the Catalan culture and language outside the country, was held with the goal of presenting the creations of recent years. Nuria Vidal, delegate of the Berlin film festival in Spain until the year 2011, was in charge of coordinating and selecting the six films invited to the exhibition, held at the Arsenal in Berlin, which is the film archive of the German capital. Films selected

Blog, by Elena Trapé. Masks (Màscares), by Elisabet Cabeza and Esteve Riambau. The Perfect Stranger (El perfecte desconegut) by Toni Bestard. The Mosquito Net (La Mosquitera) by Agustí Vila. Sleep Tight (Mientras Duermes), by Jaume Balagueró. Guest, by José Luís Guerín.

CATALAN CINEMA IN THE WORLD

interview with NURIA VIDAL Coordinator of the showcase

IN MOMENTS OF CRISIS, SMALL CINEMATOGRAPHIES BECOME STRONGER

What were the criteria for selecting the films for the Berlin showcase? The films had to be representative of Catalan film tradition and culture, but not necessarily recently released; we wanted them to be from the last year and a half or two, maximum, but above all to be adaptable to the themes that we wished to pose in the debates. We also wanted them to be important films that had not been to large festivals, thus attracting attention to them while avoiding productions that had already been seen. The showcase dealt with the importance of the film schools in Catalonia. The screening of the film Blog introduced the debate about the importance of education and the fundamental role of film schools. In this case, the debate was especially focused on the school ESCAC of Catalonia, which has become a reference for the outside world in means

of cinema education. Many great film talents are coming from there, like Juan Antonio Bayona and the Pastor brothers (Carriers). There had to be a documentary. The showcase included Masks (Màscares), by Elisabet Cabeza and Esteve Riambau and Guest, by José Luís Guerín. Nowadays creative documentaries in Catalonia are very important. For this reason, the tendency has been during the last few years to make documentaries where you don’t know what is true and what isn’t. The showcase in Berlin also considered Majorcan cinema with the showing of The Perfect Stranger (El Perfecte desconegut) by Toni Bestard. We had to show cinema made in the Balearic Islands, also a part of the showcase. The film is about the mystery that arises from the arrival of a strange character interpreted by Colm Meaney to the island of Majorca. It is a good example of integration and the wish to learn about that which comes from abroad. The debate centered on ideas for a new way of producing, and apart from the director, the German producer, Peter Rommel, was also invited.

The Mosquito Net (La Mosquitera) by Agustí Vila, is one of the most unclassifiable films of recent Catalan filmmaking. The film is about the life of a dysfunctional family, but it is their impossible dialogs and the great interpretations of actors and actresses like Eduard Fernández and Emma Suárez, that give real meaning to the movie. It is necessary to show that in Catalonia there is also an auteur cinema that is peculiar and different, but at the same time interesting and fun. The debate, then, was centered on the new channels of distribution and alternative circuits. Agustí Vila was accompanied by Vincenzo Bugno, director of the World Cinema Fund of the Berlin film festival.

CATALAN CINEMA IN THE WORLD

The Perfect Stranger

Sleep Tight

Commercial cinema arrived at the Berlin showcase at the hand of Jaume Balagueró and his acclaimed, Gaudí and Goya award-winning Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes). To talk about commercial cinema, powerful cinema, which is still auteur filmmaking but with a public vocation, Jaume Balagueró’s filmmaking is the most adequate. Sleep Tight (Mientras Duermes), serves to start a debate on the importance of commercial cinema and genre filmmaking. Accompanying Jaume Balagueró was Martin Hamdorf, a local journalist and close follower of Catalan filmmaking. What conclusions can you draw from the Berlin showcase? One is always afraid of the public’s reaction when a showcase like this is organized for the first time. But the response was very positive because the movie directors as well as the speakers contributed a lot. And all the sessions were full, people were even left outside in some of them. The showcase is a way to make Catalan cinema known and recognized, and also to discuss the times we are going through. What do you think of Catalan filmmaking? There is more and more interest in Catalan filmmaking, because in this crisis we are going through, small cinematographies become stronger; this has always happened. And if we look closely at Catalan cinema, there is a wide range of very interesting productions. ■ Alfons Gorina

CATALAN CINEMA IN THE WORLD

Cambridge Film Festival The Cambridge Film Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals of the United Kingdom. It has been held since 1977 and has recognized Catalan filmmaking now for the first time, dedicating a section to Catalan Cinema last September. Ramon Lamarca, coordinator of the showcase, points out the importance of the success of Black Bread (Pa negre), by Agustí Villaronga, in catching the attention of the Cambridge organizers. The films did not need to be recent. There were 20 years of difference between Warsaw Bridge (El Pont de Varsòvia), by Pere Portabella (1990) and Black Bread (2010). “The main criteria when selecting films is for them to be Catalan from a cultural point of view” according to Lamarca. BRITISH INTEREST IN CATALONIA-SPAIN RELATIONS “All the films attracted a large number of spectators. It is the first time that a series is dedicated to Catalan cinema and I hope it is not the last,” says Ramon Lamarca. The proposal consisted of presenting all the films in their context, and thereby explaining the cultural and political reality of Catalonia. “Besides,” Lamarca goes on to explain, “if a helping hand was needed in this sense, the most ideal person was there to complete the task: Isona Passola. The presentation with the producer of Black Bread (Pa negre) had a large audience and we talked a lot about Catalonia and its relationship with Spain.” She is also the director and producer of the documentary Catalonia-Spain (Cataluña-Espanya, 2009).

SELECTED FILMS

Barcelona (a Map) (Barcelona (un mapa)), by Ventura Pons (2007) Thanks for the Tip (Gràcies per la propina), by Francesc Bellmunt (1997) Warsaw Bridge (El pont de Varsòvia), by Pere Portabella (1990) Black Bread (Pa negre), by Agustí Villaronga (2010) V.O.S, by Cesc Gay (2009) The Night Elvis Died (La nit que va morir l’Elvis), by Oriol Ferrer (2010) The Body in the Woods (Un cos al bosc), de Joaquim Jordà (1996)

gaudĂ AWARDS

5 years of the Catalan Film Academy

Film

gaudĂ AWARDS

Can filmmaking have its own personality and be recognized without its own academy? This is the question that Catalan filmmakers asked themselves five years ago, and which culminated with a clear answer: Catalonia must have its own film academy. And so it was created. Jordi RoigĂŠ Member of the Catalan Academy

Film production in Catalonia has a long tradition, and has always been, along with Madrid, one of the driving forces behind cinema in Spain. However, the distance from the center of political decision and from the Spanish television industry, and the existence of its own language and culture, have made Catalan filmmaking weave a well-defined personality. This identity has a lot to do with this artistic and industrial tradition, and with the continued politics of the Catalan Government, through Televisi贸 de Catalunya and the Ministry of Culture, to support filmmaking over the last 30 years. Once the academy was created, the other important institutional element was the approval of the Catalan Law of Cinema from the Parliament of Catalonia, a legislation born with a headstrong charge but with great difficulties to be applied in reality, especially in the current context of the economic crisis. The public expression of Nearly half of the Spanish film the academy are the Gaud铆 production comes from Catalonia or has the participation of Catalan Awards, of which this year the fifth edition will be held. companies and professionals The Catalan population has already clearly recognized these awards and gives them the credit they deserve. Judging by the list of winners, we must conclude that they have a strong influence on the Goya Awards from the Spanish Academy, which are given out a few weeks later. This should not surprise us if we keep in mind that nearly half of the Spanish film production comes from Catalonia or has the participation in part of Catalan companies and professionals. The Catalan Film Academy was also born with the clear desire to internationalize Catalan filmmaking, recognize it, and create the Catalan film brand. And of course, in the future, to receive international recognition as does filmmaking from any other place.

gaudí AWARDS

Goals of the Academy Promote Catalan cinema and give it prestige in the media and with the public in general; contribute to the internationalization of Catalan cinema; encourage innovation and continuous education among the Catalan professionals of the entire sector, promoting discussion forums and debates; support young talent; capitalize the potential of Catalan cinema; present the Gaudí Awards and grant them the seal of approval and prestige that other European and international awards have.

A beginning marked by success The first years of the Catalan Film Academy were linked to the intense growth of the country’s film production, and the recognition that it obtained was directly proportional to the Catalan sector in the national and international markets. The noteworthy presence of Catalan cinematography in the movie theaters of the country in the last decade has contributed to defining the role of the Catalan Film Academy, which is none other than to bring together the professionals and the movie goers. As to the distribution and promotion of the films and the professionals of Catalan cinema, the Catalan Film Academy annually organizes the Gaudí Awards, the origin of which are the Barcelona Awards which began in 2002 from the Film Directors’ Association of Catalonia. The first edition of the Gaudí Awards was held in 2009. The Gaudí Awards, which are usually held in the month of February, and the Summer Catalan Film Festival, which is held in June, are the two main annual events of the Catalan Film Academy. It is also in charge of organizing, publicizing, and participating in other institutional and promotional activities to encourage alliances in the sector (networking and exchanges with other academies and associations), and potentiate and consolidate the international prestige

gaudí AWARDS

of our cinema (to validate the Catalan Film Academy and obtain international recognition of its awards). Since April 2011, and with a new head office, the Catalan Film Academy has hosted all the publicizing and promotional events which have driven the sector forward. It has organized and participated in roundtable discussions, debates, Year after year, the Gaudí Awards presentations, tributes, have gained recognition and inaugurations. It has joined mediatic relevance, not only in the network of academies Catalonia but in all of Spain and has promoted all types of national exchanges (with other academies: Spanish, Galician, Balearic, etc.) and international academies, such as the European Film Academy, strengthening existing ties and establishing new ones.

The Gaudí Awards The academy chose the name and figure from one of the most internationally renowned Catalan artists: the architect Antoni Gaudí. The statue is a reproduction of one of the famous chimneys of Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera, in the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona. Year after year, the Gaudí Awards have gained recognition and mediatic relevance, not only in Catalonia but in all of Spain. The most important feat was the success of Black Bread (Pa negre), by Agustí Villaronga. In the third edition, in 2011, it won 13 of the 15 Gaudí Awards in competition. A few weeks later it won 9 Goya Awards from the Spanish Academy, and headed toward the Oscars, representing Spain. It was the first time that the Spanish Academy had chosen a film in the Catalan language to make the jump to the American academy.

gaudí AWARDS

GAUDÍ AWARD WINNERS I GAUDÍ AWARDS (2009) Best Catalan Language Film

Birdsong (El cant dels ocells), directed by Albert Serra Best Non-Catalan Language Film

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, by Woody Allen Best Directing

Albert Serra, for Birdsong (El cant dels ocells) Best Actor

Jordi Dauder, for Azaña Best Actress

Anna Lizarán, for Strangers (Forasters) II GAUDÍ AWARDS (2010) Best Catalan Language Film

Three Days with the Family (Tres dies amb la família), directed by Mar Coll Best Non-Catalan Language Film

The Condemned (Los condenados), by Isaki Lacuesta Best Directing

Mar Coll, for Three Days with the Family (Tres dies amb la família) Best Actor

Àlex Brendemühl, for The Two Lives of Andrés Rabadán (Les dues vides d’Andrés Rabadán) Best Actress

Nausicaa Bonnin, for Three Days with the Family (Tres dies amb la família)

III GAUDÍ AWARDS (2011) Best Catalan Language Film

Black Bread (Pa Negre), directed by Agustí Villaronga Best Non-Catalan Language Film

Buried, by Rodrigo Cortés Best Directing

Agustí Villaronga, for Black Bread (Pa Negre) Best Actor

Eduard Fernández, for The Mosquito Net (La Mosquitera) Best Actress

Nora Navas, for Black Bread (Pa Negre) IV GAUDÍ AWARDS (2012) Best Catalan Language Film

Eva, by Kike Maíllo Best Non-Catalan Language Film

Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes), by Jaume Balagueró Best Directing

Jaume Balagueró, for Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes) Best Actor

Luis Tosar, for Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes) Best Actress

Verónica Echegui, for Kathmandu Lullaby (Katmandú)

Looking fo co-produc

or ction

*The Pelayos

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

A Wrong Family Affair Roser Aguilar Juanjo Moscardó not confirmed Gaia Audiovisuals S.L Fiction, dramedy 20-50 Spanish 90min 35mm 1,800,000 Euros

Synopsis: Carmen, a 55-year-old housewife, is suffering from a mid-life crisis. She feels unloved and neglected, old, and believes her life has been wasted. Her husband, Andres, adds to her misery by being emotionally unavailable and not interested in any attempts at consolation. Their close friends, Nuria and Paco, suffered a similar crisis and resolved it through infidelity. Nuria’s love affair has improved the sexual and emotional relationship with her husband. Looking for Contact:

We are looking for a co-production between Germany and Argentina due to story content and cast. CARLES PASTOR cpastor.gaia@gmail.com +34 93 185 45 48 +34 607 302 403

Title Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Bat Pat Roberto Pavanello Animation Series Atlantyca Entertainment, Imira Entertainment, Inspidea Adventure 6+ English 11 minutes 52 episodes 5,234,359 Euros

Synopsis Bat Pat, The Creepy Sitcom follows the spooky and comical animated adventures of Bat Pat and his friends, Martin, Leo and Rebecca Silver, the intrepid supernatural investigators of Fogville. Their small town seems to be the veritable magnet of all things weird - ghosts, mummies, witches, monsters, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. Bat Pat and his friends will unravel the mysteries of creatures that lurk, haunt and shriek in the dark corners of their town. Looking for Contact

Co-production Christophe Goldberger cgoldberger@imiraentertainment.com

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Written by Dialogue coaching Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Exhibition Budget

Drive Me Home (Las chicas de medianoche) Nacho Cabana Story by Nacho Cabana & Karina Tiznado Nacho Cabana Karina Tiznado Uno En Lo Uno (Mexico) Nacho Cabana (Catalonia, Spain) Girly movie in motion Women between 18 & 40 years old. Curious Men. Spanish 85 minutes Digital with Arri Alexa. Dcp and 35mm 450,000 Euros (below the line)

Synopsis “In the largest city of the world, you need to have someone who drives you home.” A film about two women who are seeking love in the least likely place to find it: the Mexico City nightlife. DRIVE ME HOME is located entirely on buses, “peseros,” subway trains, trams, taxis, etc. ESTELA (30) is at her car in the parking lot of a nightclub when she is approached by a frightened OLGA (30) who is fleeing from her boyfriend EFREN who goes after her in a dangerous mood. Looking for Contact

Co-production, post-production facilities, distribution Nacho Cabana (Spain) 00 34 619 315 680. nachocabana@yahoo.es Juan Hernandez (Mexico) escribirajuan@gmail.com

Title Director Screenplay Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

FILLY Toni García Screen 21 Screen 21, Dracco Animated TV Series 5-10 English, German Spanish 26x26’ TV Series, 26x26’ 4,500,000 Euros

Synopsis The Mystic Forest, the Lake of Dreams, the Crystal Cave, the Rainbow Bridges… Funtasia is such a fun and exciting place to be, not only for Rose, but for all the Fillies coming from the different corners of Filly World. They all come to the Magic Princess Academy to study and learn how to use the Magic Mirrors, but more importantly, to discover that friendship is also true magic. Looking for Contact

Co-production partners Carlos Biern (k-lo@brb.es)

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

INVIZIMALS™ Screen 21 Screen 21 Screen 21, Sony Computer Entertainment Animated TV Series 6-10 English, Spanish, Catalan 26x26’ The first augmented animated TV Series, 26x26’ 4,500,000 Euros

Synopsis What if I told you a scientist called Keni Nakamura has discovered invisible creatures living all around us? What if I told you he has discovered a gate to travel from our world to theirs? And what if I told you we are embarking on a quest to unravel the mysteries of the Invizimals’ world? Wanna join our team? Meet us after class. We are the Alliance of Invizimal Hunters, and we could really use your help! Looking for Contact

Co-production partners Carlos Biern (k-lo@brb.es)

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Lucky Fred 2 Season Myriam Ballesteros Txema Ocio, David Bunje, Nick Stanton, Evan Gore, Heather Lombard Animation Series Sergi Reitg, Imira Entertainment, TelevisiĂł de Catalunya, Rai Fiction Comedy/Adventure 6-12 English 12 minutes 52 episodes 5,200,000 Euros

Synopsis Lucky Fred follows the comical adventures of Fred, an ordinary 13-year-old boy who accidentally became the owner of a super-powered, shape-shifting robot who can turn into any object Fred can dream of with a simple voice command. Fred, Friday and Brains are a trio of loyal friends who have fun together, go through middle school together, and save the planet together. While Fred and Friday are always finding the fun in everyday life, Brains strives to keep her identity secret and the aliensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bottoms kicked. Looking for Contact

Co-production Christophe Goldberger cgoldberger@imiraentertainment.com

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

MICA Laura Tey Laura Tey Screen 21, Plural Entertainment, Santillana Animated TV Series Preschool English, Spanish, Catalan 52x7’ TV Series, 52x7’ 2,300,000 Euros

Synopsis Mica is a happy, inquisitive, outgoing, 6-year-old girl. Mica believes life is full of challenges, and not problems, so she deals with everthing in an imaginative way with buckets of enthusiasm... and her two best friends, Daniel and Julia. There are always adventures to be had – at school, at home or in the garden. Ah! And besides this, the three children have a tiny big secret: Lio, the charming (and slightly weird) bug who is hidden away in its nest, which is a van in the garden. Looking for Contact

Co-production partners Carlos Biern (k-lo@brb.es)

Title Director Screenplay Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Noise Albert Solé Albert Solé Minimal Films Documentary Urban Female / Male 25-65 years old English, Spanish 55’/80’ HDV-Digital 357,570 Euros (MEDIA single development grant applied for in November 2012)

Synopsis Noise pollution is a major world problem for which we have still not raised enough global awareness. Twenty percent of the world’s population suffers from some form of hearing loss and those affected are becoming increasingly younger. The problem is not just about health, it is also about the environment and, above all, it leads to major social stress. Why do we have this cult for the decibel? This documentary reveals the keys to the problem and analyzes some possible solutions. Looking for

Co-production Germany (7%) France (7%) Denmark (7%)

US (7%) Brazil (7%) Japan (7%)

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

On the Threshold of Conscious Carlos Pastor Moreno Carlos Pastor Moreno Various Gaia Audiovisuals S.L Documentary 20-50 Spanish 52min Digital 94,000 Euros

Synopsis In 1992 we were shooting in Peru and decided to consume ayahuasca in the jungle, in a ceremony led by Darikiki Jahuanchi, a medicine man of the Huachipairi region Manu, one of the least accessible areas throughout the Amazon. Once in Spain, concerned by the indigenous beliefs, we contacted Spanish groups who performed these kinds of rituals. An underground cultural revolution has been planned by different types of people: anthropologists, psychologists, addicts, alternatives, hippies, bright and curious. Looking for Contact

We are looking for a co-producer in Peru. Carles Pastor cpastor.gaia@gmail.com +34 93 185 45 48

Title Director Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

One Man Band, the Movie Javier R. CortĂŠs Primitive Films Documentary, Musical International music lovers and collectors, 25-45 years old English, French, Italian, Spanish 90min (festival version) / 2 x 42min (TV version) HD 250,000 Euros

Synopsis All around the world, perhaps for centuries, eccentric characters have decided to set up a music band, but without the band, beating different instruments at the same time in every nook and cranny of any city, demonstrating vast musical knowledge, but in a very personal way. One Man Band, the Movie, is a trip in search of the origin and reasons behind this music and to experience it through its main figures. Looking for Contact

International co-production Aritz CirbiĂĄn aritz@primitivefilms.es

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Optimism Before The End (El optimismo antes del fin) Claudio Zulian Claudio Zulian & Pilar S谩ez Lacave Acteon, SCCL Documentary Ages over 30. Middle & upper class. Educated. Spanish, English, French, Catalan 60 minutes HD 250,000.00 Euros

Synopsis The documentary Optimism Before The End plunges into the aesthetic features and content of the murals painted by the artist Josep Maria Sert in The Rockefeller Center and the UN Headquarters in Geneva, in order to explore the imaginary and the images of a contradictory era, the beginning of the 20th century. Its resemblance with our current reality, marked also by a severe economic crisis, is obvious. It is a journey through some images that tell us about our fears, our hopes and ourselves. Looking for Contact

International co-production (independent companies & tv) or pre-sale. Either europe or usa. ALADI Zan贸n Acteon laia@acteon.es +34 934 399 007 +34 673 307 290

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Estado de fuga (State of Fugue) Xavier Baig Xavier Baig & H.G. Suñer Sergi López RECvideoproduccions, S.C.P. Psycho-thriller Men & women over 18. Movie-goers, urban, thriller lovers ready to discover that most times what it seems is not what it is. Spanish, Catalan 110 min. HD 4K 700,000.00 Euros

Synopsis Joel is a successful businessman with a lucrative position, an astonishing house and a lovely, pregnant wife. However, one day he is accused of murder and his perfect life (which by the way, he hates) falls apart. He can’t stand the pressure he is under and he suffers an episode of amnesia. Joel runs away from home without knowing who he is or where he comes from. He builds a new self, Daniel, and a brand-new life somewhere else. One day, however, his past encounters him. Looking for Contact

Co-production. Percentage: 10%. Preferred co-production countries: Rest of Spain – France – Belgium – Switzerland – Germany – Italy. Other countries also welcome. helena@recvideoproduccions.com

Looking for co-production La distancia Written and directed by: Sergio Caballero

Produced by: Advanced Music / Sónar Festival / Europamerica Executive producer: Teresa Enrich Photography: Marc Gómez del Moral Montaje: Martí Roca

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

The Distance Sergi Caballero Sergi Caballero Michal Lagosz, Jimson Efrén Añazco, Alberto Martínez Advanced Music S.L. & EuropAmerica S.L. Fiction General public Russian 85 min HD CAM 995,730Euros

Synopsis Vasiliy Lébedev was a young peasant from Crimea who decided to go to Siberia to work in a coal mine. With his sense of opportunity, his lack of scruples, and taking advantage of the end of Perestroika, he quickly landed a position at the helm of one of the most important powerplants in Siberia. After the fall of the old USSR—and thanks to his own cunning—he became the sole owner of the power plant and of one of the largest coal deposits in Russia, amassing an immense fortune. Looking for Contact

All countries with a participation percentage of 20% over the total budget. Television Distribution. EuropAmerica +34 93 445 71 93 produccion@euroamer.es Advanced Music +34 93 320 81 63 geo@sonar.es

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

The Salamander Silvia Munt María Jaén, Eva Mor, Carmen Abarca Nora Navas & French/Swiss casting Copia Cero S.L. Historical biography General public Spanish, Catalan, French, German 90 min. HD for Television 950,000 Euros

Synopsis: Mercè Rododera is an acclaimed writer. Almost retired, she lives near Barcelona, where she is visited by her friend and editor, Joan Sales. It is 1981. The 26th edition of her most famous novel The Time of the Doves is about to be published and the editor asks her to write a prologue. 20 years have gone by since the work was published originally. The writing of the prologue transports her to the final days of writing the novel, her comingof-age work that took her ten years to complete. Looking for Contact

French co-production/Swiss co-production, with a participation percentage of 20% over the total budget. Television Distribution. COPIA CERO info@copia-cero.com +34 934 457 193

Looking for co-production

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format Budget

Tube & Victor Myriam Ballesteros Txema Ocio Animation Series Sergi Reitg, Imira Entertainment Comedy-Terror 6-12 English 12 minutes 52 episodes 5,200,000 Euros

Synopsis TUBE, a driven, competitive teen obsessed with surfing, was living a normal life until his dad married a vampire and the family moved to Halloween Valley, a nightmarish place, home to all kinds of creepy creatures. While Tube is amazed with his new home, and manages to get by at a school full of skeletons, vampires, and zombies, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s developed a weird, yet close, relationship with his new step-brother, VICTOR, a brainy teen monster who loves Scary Science. Looking for Contact

Co-production Christophe Goldberger cgoldberger@imiraentertainment.com

Title Director Screenplay Cast Production Company Genre Target Audience Language Length Format

War Games Alba Sotorra Isa Campo Various Gaia Audiovisuals S.L Documentary 20-50 Spanish/Catalan 52min Digital

Synopsis The camera gives an observational portrait of a family which calls a kind of crisis meeting in the form of a family dinner in order to find a way to deal with Djalalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversial decision to become a soldier of fortune and work with American private military firms. His father and his uncle, who are both Iranian, are vehemently opposed to his decision; however his mother, who is Catalonian, is not. Djalal grew up in a village in Catalonia and was always fascinated with weapons. Looking for Contact

We are looking for a co-producer in Europe. Carles Pastor cpastor.gaia@gmail.com +34 93 185 48 45

ANTENA CATALUNYA

MEDIA, OVER 20 YEARS WITH THE CATALAN AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY ASSISTANCE TO CATALAN PROFESSIONALS TO PREPARE MEDIA APPLICATIONS INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEDIA PROGRAM TRAINING INITIATIVES TO HELP CATALAN PROFESSIONALS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE COMMUNICATION OF ALL OUR ACTIVITIES AND MEDIA NEWS ON: www.antenamediacat.eu youtube.com/AntenaMediaCAT

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MEDIA Antena Catalunya Ptge. de la Banca 1-3, 1a planta 08002 - Barcelona 93 552 49 49/48 media_antena.cultura@gencat.cat

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catalan FILMS ENG.indd 1

ANTENNA MEDIA CATALONIA IS THE INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE MEDIA PROGRAM OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN CATALONIA

ANTENNA MEDIA CATALONIA ORGANISES: CONFERENCE ON APPLIED LAW TO DOCUMENTARY PROFESSIONALS, BY RAMÓN CASAS, professor of civil law at the university of barcelona

DECEMBER 20TH 2012, THURSDAY FROM 16PM TO 19’30PM AULA EUROPA, Passeig de Gràcia 90, BARCELONA ORGANISATION: ANTENNA MEDIA CATALONIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE CELEBRATION ACTIONS OF THE FIRST YEAR OF PRO-DOCS ASSOCIATION.

PROGRAM: Presentation, by Ms. Helena Moreno, director of Antenna MEDIA Catalonia.

● If a person agrees to yield his image rights, can he change his mind afterwards?

Legal issues of special interest for the documentary sector, by Mr. Ramón Casas:

● If a documentary is sold to a TV, who is the owner of the rough material (filmed but not included on the final cut)? Does it belong to the production company, or to the TV?

● What happens when you are filming and there is a song on the radio or the TV on the background? Common problems and rights management of diegetic music and image. ● If you are interviewing a painter in his studio or in a museum, how do you have to manage the rights of these paintings?

What happens if you are filming on the street, and there is a music band covering well known songs? ●

●

Do photographs have rights?

●

How long do the rights last?

If you use as archive footage the images of a trailer, do you have to pay its rights? ●

● Why do we see on international documentaries how they delete the products brands? ●

Do the buildings have image rights?

●

The citation right. How does it work.

● How many seconds of music can you add to your documentary without paying rights? Or do you always have to pay rights?

Coffee break Open round of questions from the audience to Mr. Ramón Casas.

s butlletins!

stre of als nodirector iu-te Moreno, Closure,Su bybs Ms.crHelena Antenna MEDIA Catalonia.

cat.eu

MORE INFORMATION ON www.antenamediacat.eu

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09/11/12 12:12

in the spo TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER 81 ANIMALS 82 BLANCANIEVES 86 TO ROME WITH LOVE 90 FÈNIX 11·23 91 PECADOS 96 A GUN IN EACH HAND 100 The body 104 EL BOSC 108

otlight

*Blancanieves

in the spotlight

TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER Original title LAS AVENTURAS DE TADEO JONES Director Enrique Gato Genre ADventure Producers El Toro Pictures, Lightbox Entertainment, Ikiru Films, Telecinco Cinema, Telef贸nica Producciones

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Tad is a construction worker who ever since he was a little boy has dreamed of being an archeologist. A misunderstanding gets him mistaken for a professor and he is sent on an expedition to Peru. There he will try to save a lost, mythical Incan city from an evil corporation of treasure hunters. He is helped by his dog Jeff, professor Sara, a mute parrot, and a very special guide. Enrique Gato directed the first animation short about the adventurer in 2004, based on the comic book Tad Jones and the Secret of Toactlum (Tadeo Jones y el secreto de Toactlum) by Javier Barreira and Gorka Magall贸n. After directing Bicho, he was looking to switch to a project with more action and adventures. He found it in this character who started out

parodying the adventures of Indiana Jones and ended up acquiring his own characteristics, without the whip, gun, and leather jacket. The only thing he kept was the hat. After two successful shorts, the next project was more ambitious, with more resources and in stereoscopic 3D format, which had been developed in the last 8 years. The voices of the Catalan version are done by Oscar Barberan (Tad), Michelle Jenner (Sara), Miguel Ángel Jenner (Kopponen), and José Corbacho (Freddy). Tad, the Lost Explorer is a coproduction of Ikiru Films (Bruc, Biutiful), El Toro Pictures (Lope), Lightbox Entertainment (The Orphanage (El Orfanato), Agnosia), Telecinco Cinema, and Telefónica Producciones. ■

in the spotlight

ANIMALS Director Marçal Forés Genre Drama, Fantasy Producers Escándalo Films, Televisió de Catalunya Cast Oriol Pla, Augustus Prew, Dimitri Leonidas, Roser Tapias, Javi Beltrán, Martin Freeman

website

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A teenager is about to throw the teddy bear that has been with him since he was a little boy, into a lake, tied to a rock. When he goes to do this, he can’t help feeling that rather than throwing away a toy, he’s really about to kill his best friend. Pol, a 17-year-old boy, lives with his brother and studies in a British school. His free time is spent with a classmate, Laia. But he really shares everything with a very special friend, Deerhoof, a teddy bear which he thinks moves and speaks to him in English. The arrival of a new student, the enigmatic Ikari, and some strange events change the life of Pol. Animals confronts the main character with the loss of the child’s world of imagination, innocence, in a transition toward the adult world full of

sensations and desires. All of this in a universe full of current references like comic books, videogames, and music. The cast includes the Catalans Oriol Pla (Any de Gràcia), Roser Tapias (television series Olor de colònia and Bandoleras), and the British Augustus Prew and Dimitri Leonidas. There is also the special participation of British actor Martin Freeman (Bilbo in the trilogy The Hobbit, Watson in the BBC series Sherlock) in the role of a teacher at the school. Animals is part of the Òpera Prima project of Escándalo Films, which encourages the participation of young directors in the audiovisual industry. Previous films were Eva, Blog and Three Days with the Family (Tres dies amb la família). ■

in the spotlight

ANIMALS Locations Barcelona Bellaterra (Universitat AutĂ˛noma de Barcelona) Cabrera de Mar Sant LlorenĂ§ de Morunys Parc del Montseny and Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

Shot in Catalonia

in the spotlight

BLANCANIEVES Director Pablo Berger Genre Drama, Fantasy Producers Arcadia Motion Pictures, Nix Films And Sisifo Films AIE, Mama Films, The Kraken Films, Noodles Production, Ufilms And Ufund Cast Macarena García, Maribel Verdú, Josep M. Piu, Pere Ponce

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Blancanieves is an original version of the popular Brothers Grimm Snow White story, set in the twenties in the south of Spain, filmed in black and white and with intertitles, like the classic silent films. Blancanieves (Snow White) is Carmen (Macarena García), a beautiful, young girl with a childhood tormented by her terrible mother-inlaw, Encarna (Maribel Verdú). Carmen goes on an exciting journey, fleeing from her past and accompanied by her new friends, a group of bullfighting dwarves. The cast also includes Josep Maria Pou (The Sea Inside (Mar adentro), Barcelona (un mapa) (Barcelona (a Map)), Pere Ponce (El bosc; Snowflake, the White Gorilla (Floquet de neu)), Ángela Molina (Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos), Live Flesh (Carne Trémula)), and Inma Cuesta

(Tres bodas de más, Invasor). For Pablo Berger (Torremolinos 73), Blancanieves is a musical, a sensory experience, a jouney in time, and a tribute to cinema. Its intention is to bring out the child that all movie goers have inside and tell them a story with images, full of fantasy, drama, horror, and black humor. The soundtrack was composed by Alfonso Vilallonga, in charge of the music in films like My Life Without Me, Princesas and Transsiberian, with the participation of the singer and composer Silvia Pérez Cruz. Blancanieves is a production by Arcadia Motion Pictures, Nix Films and Sisifo Films AIE with the Spanish Mama Films and The Kraken Films, the French Noodles Production and the Belgian Ufilms and Ufund. ■

in the spotlight

BLANCANIEVES Loctions Barcelona Martorell Matar贸 Sant Esteve Sesrovires Susqueda - El Pasteral Vilanova i la Geltr煤 With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

Shot in Catalonia

in the spotlight

TO ROME WITH LOVE Director Woody Allen Genre Romantic Comedy Producers Medusa Film, Gravier Productions, Perdido Productions, Mediapro Cast Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Alison Pill

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After London, Barcelona, and Paris, Woody Allen has chosen the Eternal City as the location of his new European film. To Rome with Love is a kaleidoscopic comedy divided in chapters played by characters who have adventures which will change their lives. John (Alec Baldwin) is a well-known architect who revisits the neighborhood of Rome where he studied when he was young. There he meets Jack (Jesse Eisenberg), Sally (Greta Gerwig), and Monica (Ellen Page), who will help him relive many memories. At the same time, a retired opera director, Jerry (Woody Allen), flies to Rome with his wife to meet their daughter’s Italian fiancé, and is marvelled when he hears the young man’s father, Giancarlo (interpreted by the famous Italian

tenor Fabio Armiliato), singing in the shower. Leopoldo (Roberto Benigni) goes from being an ordinary man to being a celebrity in one day. Antonio arrives in Rome with his wife and ends up spending the day with a prostitute (PenĂŠlope Cruz). Meanwhile, his wife spends the day with a movie star (Antonio Albanese). The cast includes the return of the directors Woody Allen and Roberto Benigni to acting, which they had not done since Scoop (2006) and The Tiger and the Snow (2005), respectively. To Rome with Love is a coproduction of the Italian Medusa Film and the American Gravier Productions and Perdido Productions, with the support of the Catalan Mediapro. â&#x2013;

in the spotlight

FÈNIX 11·23 Director Joel Joan i Sergi Lara Genre Drama Producers Arriska Films, Benecé Produccions, Televisió de Catalunya SA Cast Nil Cardoner, Rosa Gàmiz, Àlex Casanovas, Pau Poch, Roberto Álamo, Ana Wagener, Lluís Villanueva

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A 14-year-old boy creates a website inspired by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to defend the Catalan language. One night, thirty Spanish military policemen of the anti-terrorist brigade of Madrid burst into his home and acuse him of being a cyber-terrorist. A true story. Èric (Nil Cardoner) is a 14-year-old boy who does things on the Internet to defend the Catalan language. On the Internet and at school he has problems because of this. The real problems come when a chain of supermarkets receives an email from him demanding that they label their products in Catalan and it decides to report Eric for his threats. At the same time Èric starts to go out with Mireia (Mireia Vilapuig), his first girlfriend.

The poster for Fènix 11·23 includes what philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky said when he learned of the experience that Èric had: “The world must know about Eric’s story.” A story that the directors deem so surrealistic that they needed to do a lot of research and documentation throughout the seven years of script preparation to make it plausible. They assure that they have only shown a small percentage of the entire unbelievable plot. Arriska Films and Benecé Produccions are responsible for the production which was also financed by crowdfunding, achieving a sum of over 56,000 euros this way. ■

in the spotlight

FÈNIX 11·23 Locations Alella Barcelona Blanes Cabrera de Mar Castellbell i el Vilar Gavà La Panadella Lloret de Mar, Sabadell Sant Antoni de Vilamajor With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

Shot in Catalonia

in the spotlight

PECADOS Director Diego Yaker Genre Drama Producers El Destino Films, Alter Ego Films, Ancora Música Cast Pepe Soriano, Carmelo Gómez, Diana Gómez, Mariano Reynaga, Cristina Brondo, Henny Trayles

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trailer

Bepo and Lourdes have known each other since they were little, but they have just discovered that they like each other. They are both 16 years old and they are the only young people in their town. There are only older people, those who did not manage to leave in time, before a semi-precious stone mine closed. The two young people are not aware of a mystery that is hidden in the town chapel and could destroy them. Can love survive taboos, culture, and sin? Pecados (Sins) is a Catalan-Argentine coproduction, with the Catalan actresses Cristina Brondo (Hipnos, The Spanish Apartment (L’Auberge espagnole)) and Diana Gómez (Year of Grace (Any de Gràcia), Eloïse’s Lover (Eloïse)), and the Spanish actor Carmelo Gómez (Running Out of Time (Días contados), Secrets of the Heart (Secretos del corazón)) and the Argentines José Soriano and Mariano Reynaga. Part of the financing of the film was obtained through crowdfunding. ■

in the spotlight

A GUN IN EACH HAND Original title UNA PISTOLA EN CADA MANO Director Cesc Gay Screenplay Cesc Gay Genre Comedy Producers Imposible Films, with the collaboration of Televisió de Catalunya, Canal + and TelevisióN EspaÑola Cast Ricardo Darín, Luis Tosar, Javier Cámera, Eduardo Noriega, Leonor Watling, Candela Peña, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, Eduard Fernández, Jordi Mollà, Clara Segura, Alberto Sanjuan

Website

trailer

A humorous, ironic, and compassionless portrayal of the shortcomings, weaknesses, and other “virtues” of men today: lost, confused, and searching for a new identity. Eight forty-something men, disconcerted and perplexed, find themselves wrapped up in everyday situations which reflect the main conflict: the male identity crisis. Their inability to express what they feel leads them into comical and pathetic situations which leave women astounded. J. (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is depressed even though he has it all and is a case for a psychoanalyst. In contrast, E. (Eduard Fernández)

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has nothing but sleeps like a baby even after returning home to live with his mother and his cat. S. (Javier Cámara) approaches his ex-wife Elena (Clara Segura) in an attempt to get her to come back to him two years later. G. (Ricardo Darín) tries, with the help of tranquillizers, to understand why his wife is having an affair. P. (Eduardo Noriega) tries to seduce his colleague. Maria and Sara (Leonor Watling, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo) exchange their husbands (Jordi Mollà, Alberto Sant Joan) in an attempt to discover each other’s secrets. L. (Luis Tosar) calls his lover by his dog’s name. ■ This ensemble film x-rays the sentimental life of some men... and some

in the spotlight

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Shot in Catalonia

UNA PISTOLA EN CADA MANO Locations Barcelona With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

in the spotlight

THE BODY Original title EL CUERPO Director Oriol Paulo Screenplay Oriol Paulo AND Lara Sendim Genre Thriller Producers Rodar y Rodar, Televisió de Catalunya AND Antena 3 Films Cast José Coronado, Hugo Silva, Belén Rueda, Aura Garrido

Website

Trailer

After running over someone, a security guard at the morgue flees. In the morgue, the police discover that the door of one of the refrigerators is open and a woman’s body has disappeared. The police detective in charge of the investigation has the collaboration of the deceased husband, although the possibility of his being involved is not ruled out. For the screenwriter Oriol Paulo (Julia’s Eyes (Los ojos de Julia)), it is his first time directing. The Body (El cuerpo) inaugurated the last edition of the Sitges festival. ■

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in the spotlight

THE BODY Locations Barcelona Castelldefels El Prat (Aeroport) La Roca del Vallès L’Hospitalet de Llobregat Martorell Sant Joan Despí Terrassa With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

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Shot in Catalonia

in the spotlight

EL BOSC Director Óscar Aibar Screenplay Albert Sánchez Pinyol Producers Fausto Producciones, Noodles Production (France), with the participation of Televisió de Catalunya Cast Maria Molins, Àlex Brendemühl, Pere Ponce, Tom Sizemore

Website

Trailer

In 1936 the Spanish Civil War breaks out and anarchist militia take control in Matarranya. There, Ramon and his wife, Dora, hide an ancestral secret: some mysterious lights which appear next to the forest around their house. According to the family tradition, these lights are a portal to another world from which no one returns. When an anarchist in love with Dora tries to do away with Ramon, he is forced to enter the lights and disappear. Dora resists the war and the harassment from the anarchist with the only help from an international brigade officer, until Ramon reappears from the other world. The movie is set in Matarranya, the place where the story’s author’s ancestors were from. El bosc was presented at the last edition of the Sitges festival. ■

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in the spotlight

EL Bosc Locations AiguamĂşrcia Arnes

With the collaboration of Barcelona/Catalunya film comission

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Shot in Catalonia

Upcoming Festivals

113 New York City, United States 09/12/2012 - 22/12/2012

SPANISH CINEMA NOW

website Park City, Utah, U.S. 17/01/2013 - 27/01/2013

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

website Biarritz, France 22/01/2013 - 27/01/2013

FIPA – FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DES PROGRAMMES AUDIOVISUELS Television

website Rotterdamm, Holland 23/01/2013 - 03/02/2013

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM

website Clermont-Ferrand, France 01/02/2013 - 09/02/2013

Clermont-FERRAND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Short films

website

Upcoming Festivals Berlin, Germany 07/02/2013 - 17/02/2013

BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

website Cartagena de Indias, Colombia 21/02/2013 - 27/02/2013

FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS

website Lleida, Catalonia 28/02/2013 - 03/03/2013

ANIMAC – International Animated Film Festival

website Austin, Texas, U.S. 08/03/2013 - 17/03/2013

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW)

website Toulouse, France 15/03/2013 - 24/03/2013

RENCONTRES CINEMAS D’AMERIQUE LATINE DE TOULOUSE

website

115 Supporting the Catalan Audiovisual Industry Worldwide

We proudly congratulate Catalan Documentaries at 25th IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam u

IDFA Competition for First Appearance / DOC U

LITTLE WORLD Marcel Barrena Corte y Confección de Películas, Umbilical TV, Televisió de Catalunya, TVE

Reﬂecting Images: Panorama

SPRINGTIME Christophe Farnarier Oberon Cinematogràﬁca, Televisió de Catalunya, Wanda Vision

BAJARI: GYPSY BARCELONA Eva Vila Lastor Media, Cromosoma in collaboration with TVE

DocsBarcelona 2013 New Dates! www.catalanﬁlms.cat

29th May - 3rd June www.docsbarcelona.com

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