Catalan films and talent, including Eva Libertad’s feature Deaf, are making an impact throughout Berlinale 2025.
Panorama entry Deaf is leading the Catalan charge at this year’s Berlinale, with a slew of films from the region making an appearance across the different strands.
More than 100 companies and 160 professionals from Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia are attending the European Film Market (EFM), bringing a range of projects that showcase the region’s vibrant and diverse talent base.
Top of the list of must-sees is Eva Libertad’s Deaf, which is making its world premiere in Panorama. The drama about the challenges of motherhood from the perspective of a deaf woman is produced by Distinto Films, A Contracorriente Films and Nexus CreaFilms, and is being sold by Latido Films.
Catalonia is also represented by short film Close To September from Lucía G Romero, which is screening in the Berlinale Shorts competition. It is produced by Escándalo Films, Filmax and ESCAC Films, the production arm of Barcelona’s renowned film school, which has proven to be a hub for emerging talent.
Generation Kplus is also flying the Catalan flag. Competing in the section’s shorts strand is Juanita, directed by Karen Joaquín and Uliane Tatit. Produced by Aguacate & Calabaza Films, the film follows a 12-year-old girl from the Dominican Republic growing up in a town near Barcelona.
Robin Petré’s documentary Only On Earth, about the role of wild horses in fire prevention in southern Galicia, will also premiere in Generation Kplus. Produced by Denmark’s Hansen & Pedersen alongside Barcelona’s Polar Star Films, it is being sold by Austria’s Autlook Filmsales.
Combined effort
Only On Earth illustrates how departments within the Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies (ICEC) work together to produce success stories. “We brought the EAVE Producers Workshop to Barcelona twice,” says Joan Ruiz of ICEC’s international promotional arm Catalan Films.
“During these events, the Danish producers approached us because they were looking for a Spanish producer for the film. We arranged some meetings with Catalan documentary producers in the frame of IDFA Amsterdam. Polar Star connected with them and a deal was secured.”
Now approved as a European co-production, the project was eligible for and won the Eurimages award at Copenhagen’s CPH:FORUM and the IEFTA Docs-in-Progress prize at Cannes’ Marché du Film last year. Autlook Film Sales subsequently joined the project, “strengthening their application for Catalonia’s minority co-production fund,” says Ruiz. “It’s a clear example of our co-operative model and the expert workflow of our companies.”
Catalan projects selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market include Men And Days, produced by Nanouk Films, Eddie Saeta and Local Films. Directed by Arnau Vilaró, who co-wrote Carla Simón’s 2022 Golden Bear winner Alcarràs, the film explores themes of identity, love and belonging in Barcelona in 1992.
Two Catalan titles are part of the Talent Project Market: March 14th, directed by Alberto Gross and produced by Contraria Media, Ayhe Productions and Solita Films, was also selected for the 2024 Berlinale Talents Script Station; the second project, Death At Torrevieja directed by Adriana Arratia, is produced by Maqueta Films and Nakamura Films.
Three Catalan projects are featured in the Berlinale Series Market: Dark Waters, produced by Federation Studios, Federation Spain, Lastor Media and New Media and directed by Víctor Garcia; The Wheel, produced by Mr Miyagi Films and directed by Ángeles Hernández; and Asuntos Internos, produced by Mediacrest in collaboration with RTVE, and directed by Pedro García and Rodrigo Martín.
Meanwhile seven Catalan professionals have been selected for Berlinale Talents, the festival’s talent development programme. They are Gerard Rodríguez (Japonica Films), Araceli Isaac (Maqueta Films), Laura Egidos (Contraria Media), director and screenwriter Juan Sebastián Vásquez, editor Gerard Borràs, costume and art designer Pau Aulí and actress Valèria Sorolla.
Also, producers from four Catalan companies — Aintza Serra (Escándalo Films), Alba Sotorra (Alba Sotorra Productions), Ricard Sales (LaCima Producciones) and Valérie Delpierre (Inicia Films) — are participating in the Spanish Producers Spotlight, where they will introduce their companies’ slates.
Finally, several films with Catalan involvement are screening in the market. These include Daniel Calparsoro’s thriller Mikaela, Javier Ruiz Caldera’s feelgood film Wolfang and Olga Osorio’s romance The Goldsmith’s Secret, all being sold by Film Factory, alongside Laura Casabé’s Sundance entry The Virgin Of The Quarry Lake, Gemma Blasco’s SXSW selection Fury, Shadi Adib’s animated film The Light Of Aisha and Cesc Gay’s comedy My Friend Eva, all being sold by Filmax.
Contact: Joan Ruiz, international promotion
Find out more: catalanfilms.cat
