Barcelona-based Filmax is one of Spain’s leading entertainment companies, with film and TV interests that encompass development, production, distribution, exhibition and international sales.
As a sales agent, Filmax is attending the Malaga Film Festival with Ibon Cormenzana’s competition title Beyond The Summit, as well as The Burning Cold and Mediterráneo, The Law Of The Sea.
The company is led by CEO Carlos Fernández, with producer Laura Fernandéz, head of international Iván Díaz, and sales executive Cristina Carro
How would you describe a Filmax film?
Traditionally Filmax focused on genre films, mainly horror, thrillers and animation. But our slate has become more diverse and now includes dramas, comedies and romantic comedies. The goal is to broaden our offer and have a slate to attract a wide range of buyers.
As a distribution company, we are investing less in buying international titles to bring to Spain. Instead, we are focusing on Spanish films that we can then distribute in the Spanish market and sell internationally.
Are you investing at production stage?
Filmax is also a produciton company so, yes. But we also work with projects developed outside our company in order to secure the rights if we think they have commercial potential.
How healthy is the theatrical pre-sales market for your projects?
We still manage it in some cases. It’s easier for certain genres, like animation and horror. Harder for dramas where you need a bit extra, either the selection of the title at a prestigious festival or the name of a well-known director who has proven successful in the market with their previous work.
Which markets are particularly strong/challenging for your projects?
The main market for our slate is Europe, mainly France, Italy, which has been particularly active lately, and Germany. Latin America and the US come second, although companies in the US are a bit slower when it comes to buying. There are also certain films that work extremely well in Asia and animation is particularly strong in Eastern Europe.
What new markets have emerged for you in recent years?
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a new territory strong enough to compensate for the loss of others, but we are seeing markets that are becoming more and more dynamic, as in the case of Italy. Latin America has also grown considerably and so has China. When it comes to China, if you have content that doesn’t clash with censorship and has potential for theatrical, the business opportunities are much better than they used to be before.
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