This century, Catalonia has emerged as a region with a rich filmmaking tradition, supported by public investment in local artists and production companies. This commitment to nurturing talent and fostering growth has led to significant developments in the region’s industry, culminating in a contemporary state of affairs that sees Catalonia involved in every part of the 2025 Berlin Film Festival, where Spain is the honorary EFM Country in Focus.
Four Catalan productions have been selected for the festival’s official program, highlighting the region’s creative prowess. Eva Libertad’s debut feature, “Deaf,” based on the director’s Goya-nominated short of the same name, will premiere in the Panorama section, while Lucía G. Romero’s “Close to September” will screen in the Berlinale Shorts section. Two Catalan films play in Generation Kplus: Robin Petré’s “Only On Earth” and Karen Joaquín and Uliane Tatit’s “Juanita.”
Catalonia’s presence similarly extends to the Berlinale Series Market, where three shows will be spotlighted: “Dark Waters” by Víctor Garcia, “The Wheel” by Ángeles Hernández and “Internal Affairs” by Pedro García and Rodrigo Martín. The Berlinale Talents program, dedicated to nurturing emerging talent, features seven Catalan professionals this year, providing a platform for them to connect, learn and collaborate with industry peers from around the world.
“Alcarrás” screenwriter Arnau Vilaró’s highly anticipated debut “Men and Days” will be presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. The film, a collaboration between Nanouk Films, Eddie Saeta and Local Films, delves into themes of identity, love and belonging, set against the backdrop of Barcelona in 1992.
Catalan Films, the region’s promotional body, will have a strong presence at the European Film Market with a dedicated stand at the Gropius Bau. This stand will serve as a hub for more than 90 Catalan companies and 160 professionals attending the market. The EFM is a crucial space for networking, business development and showcasing the latest in Catalan audiovisual production.
At this year’s EFM Startups, Catalan company Gretico will present its DCS project, a low-cost device that uses streaming technology to deliver projection material to areas without equipped cinemas. The initiative aims to make films accessible to a wider audience.
The Spanish Producers Spotlight, part of the Country in Focus initiative, will feature four Catalan labels: Escándalo Films, Alba Sotorra Productions, LaCima Producciones and Inicia Films. Each company will present its latest projects and productions, showcasing the diversity and often new talent within the Catalan audiovisual industry.
Spanish sales companies will host a dozen market screenings for Catalan films, headlined by “Deaf” (Latido Films). Other standouts include Laura Casabe’s horror-laced teen love story “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” (Filmax) and Olga Osorio’s romantic period drama “The Goldsmith’s Secret” (Film Factory).
The Catalan involvement at the Berlinale 2025 and the European Film Market underscores the region’s commitment to fostering creativity, innovation and, perhaps most of all, international collaboration. It also shows just how important Berlin and the EFM have become for Catalan companies.
“Last year, Berlin was the best market for us,” says Ivan Diaz, Head of Sales at Barcelona-based sales company Filmax. “Traditionally, that’s not been the case, but in 2024, Berlin was incredibly strong, and the feeling now, based on many conversations, is that the EFM will continue to be more and more relevant in terms of sales.”
It must be pointed out that while Catalonia will be nearly omnipresent at this year’s Berlinale, there are no Catalan films in the festival’s main competition. That is perhaps shocking, given that Carla Simon’s “Alcarràs” won the Golden Bear in 2022 and Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s “20,000 Species of Bees” won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance (Sofía Otero), the Guild Film Prize and the Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award 2023. It’s too early to call it a trend, but local professionals have expressed concern about the Berlin Festival’s perceived disinterest in Catalan films regarding the big competition categories.
For Catalonia to be considered a truly global player, the region must be integrated into the larger international ecosystem. Five years ago, Catalonia expanded its financing structures to facilitate that ambition by launching the Minority Co-Production Fund. This initiative has proven to be a success story, providing financing to films with at least one Catalan minority co-producer. The fund, which initially had a budget of €1.5 million ($1.6 million) to support up to five high-end films annually, has seen its total funding rise to €2 million ($2.2 million) annually.
The foresight and ambition to strengthen local government initiatives and back home-grown organizations have led to a well-educated and trained base of industry workers in the region that holds massive appeal for potential foreign partners. Institutions like Catalan Films and the Catalonia Film Commission play a crucial role in promoting and internationalizing the region’s film production and help find investments and showcase the region’s service companies, contributing to the industry’s overall growth.
