MERCI Valladolid confirms the growing number of independent and auteur films in Spain

• The second edition of the MERCI Independent Film Market will screen twenty upcoming independent and auteur films for exhibitors, television channels and platforms to encourage their distribution.

Valladolid, 25 October 2024. For the second year running, the Valladolid International Film Festival (SEMINCI) is hosting the MERCI Valladolid Independent Film Market, an initiative co-organised with the Association of Independent Film Distributors (ADICINE), which brings together some fifteen of Spain’s leading distribution companies. With the aim of bringing the most outstanding titles from Spanish independent distributors to exhibitors, television channels and platforms, as well as facilitating and boosting relations between audiovisual industry professionals, around 140 professionals are meeting this year in Valladolid from 23 to 25 October to see 22 titles that will be released at the end of 2024 and in 2025.

At the opening of MERCI, the representatives of the distributors, Enrique Costa, Lara Pérez Caminha and Olimpia Pont Cháfer, wanted to send out a message of optimism to counteract the poor figures for cinema attendance that the sector is experiencing this year in Spain. Although the market has fallen by 4% since the previous period (October 2023-October 2024), ADICINE, and independent and auteur films, have therefore gained presence in the box office. ‘We make better premieres that generate more admissions,’ they assured. ‘At ADICINE we have heeded the comments of many of you: release less and release better,’ they added. And they were pleased that the films are not concentrated in a specific period, but are distributed throughout the year and by more companies.

ADICINE members’ takings have increased by 15 million euros and have added two million spectators. Turnover has increased by 28%, from 39 to 51 million euros, almost 8 million admissions, with almost 30 fewer films released.

Spanish independent films also posted good figures, according to ADICINE. While in the 2022-23 period, five films were among the 20 most-seen films, in 2023-2024, the impact and box office of these new Spanish films has increased, with a rise to seven films among the most-seen.

Fewer viewers, more original version

David Rodríguez Sánchez-Redondo and Joaquín Vegas, from Comscore, presented the confirmation of the drop in cinema-goers. According to their data, the market has fallen in number of spectators by 12% compared to last year, which amounts to 31% compared to the period before the reference pandemic of 2017-2019, which was the best three-year period in the history of cinema in Spain. The figures are similar to those of other countries, including the United States, with an overall average drop of between 18 and 21%. However, audience attendance at original version screenings has increased, reaching a 9% share in 2024, one point more than in 2023 and 4 points more than before the pandemic.

Comscore’s findings also show a rise in audience preference for romantic comedies, as well as animation. In contrast, dramatic films from independent distributors have lost up to 12% of their distribution share, while family films and blockbusters are on the rise. Women are the majority of cinema-goers and their information channel is the press in 25% of cases. Although social media channels are the most used among younger audiences and the most commercial titles, posters and trailers in cinemas have not ceased to be influential.

MERCI Award
In order to relate low attendance figures for cinemas in Spain to the good health of independent cinema, MERCI organised a round table discussion entitled ‘Policies and new formulas for boosting audiences in cinemas and beyond’. Rocío Juanes de Toledo, Secretary General of the ICAA; Gervasio Iglesias, Deputy Director of the Film Department at TVE; Milagros Mayi, Director of the Acquisitions Department at RTVE; Juan Antonio Mayoral, President of NAECE; Javier Pachón, Vice-President of PROMIO; Álvaro Positivo, President of FECE; Lara Pérez Camiña and Enrique Costa, Presidents of ADICINE, and

One of the participants at this round table, Milagros Mayi, received the MERCI 2024 award from the hands of José Luis Cienfuegos, director of Seminci, in recognition of the work she has done over her long professional career to help promote and disseminate independent cinema and, in particular, her commitment to the presence of independent cinema on TVE.

Press contact:

983 42 64 60

prensa@seminci.com

www.seminci.com/