“The audiovisual sector has brought us a great deal of joy, and we’ll continue to support it”
– A conversation about the Where Talent Ignites campaign, travelling the world to promote Spanish creativity, its stops in Cannes and Mexico, and the role of the Spanish Film Academy
Following screenings in Cannes and Mexico, the Where Talent Ignites campaign, promoted by Audiovisual From Spain, ICEX’s international brand for the promotion of the Spanish audiovisual sector, arrived last Monday at the headquarters of the Film Academy in Madrid. Comprising three pieces (Flamenco, by Carla Simón; La Llama, by Pau López and Gerard del Hierro, also known as Turbo, and La Tarara, by Nicolás Méndez (read more), the programme is now preparing for its next stop at the Shanghai International Film & TV Market, where it will be screened on 21 June. We spoke with Elisa Carbonell, CEO of ICEX, about the campaign’s objectives.
Cineuropa: If I were reading your acronym for the first time, I’d wonder: what is ICEX?
Elisa Carbonell: At ICEX, we promote the prosperity of the Spanish economy through its internationalisation. It is like a two-way motorway: on the one hand, we support Spanish companies, ecosystems and industries in exporting and expanding internationally; on the other, we attract foreign direct investment, which transforms our economy and creates jobs.
And what about the audiovisual sector?
We help to internationalise the industry by promoting co-productions and participating in film festivals in key markets. We also work to attract film shoots to Spain, which generate business and employment. This is what we do in the audiovisual sector: we position the industry. That’s why it was important, through Audiovisual from Spain, to support and capitalise on the fantastic moment the sector is experiencing. A year and a half ago, we launched the Where Talent Ignites campaign, centred on a short film entitled La causa del accidente que provocó el incendio, which had a tremendous impact, visibility and international recognition. This year, we decided to raise the stakes: instead of one short film, we produced three, and we also incorporated other industries linked to the audiovisual sector, such as music, interior design and fashion.
How were the artists behind these works selected?
We issued a public call for proposals and received projects aimed at promoting Spanish talent internationally, with a strong visual identity. These were then assessed, and the three selected works were chosen. We will present them again at the upcoming San Sebastián Film Festival.
How would you sum up their presence at Cannes and in Mexico?
It has been a year – hopefully not the only one – of a strong Spanish presence at the French film festival. Actresses appearing in one of our short films (Bárbara Lennie, Rossy de Palma, Milena Smit) were also featured in the Official Selection with Bitter Christmas. And Carla Simón chaired both the short film jury and of La Cinef. The impact has been fantastic, and I was interviewed by several international media outlets. In Mexico, there is a strong desire to work closely with Spain again. We want to promote co-productions — it’s a natural market for us. These short films are not an end in themselves; we use them to promote both the audiovisual sector and the industries featured in them, at fashion, homeware and music fairs and festivals.
Is there any interest abroad in Spanish talent?
Admiration. At ICEX, we are conducting an international market study on the positioning and perceived value of the Spain brand, and we’ve concluded that the country is recognised for its quality of life, but even more so its talent. And not only in the creative industries, but also in engineering, the space industry and biotechnology. We are creative and we solve problems. We are trustworthy and committed — and we are recognised for this even more than we realise.
Have we built up a reputation?
Yes. We have a high-quality product and we need to sell it internationally.
What is it about us that makes us special?
Our character. The three short films are different, but they share a common spirit. While the animated film declares, “We don’t need geniuses, we need brave people!”, Flamenco is also an ode to bravery through mastery of traditional technique, breaking the mould. In Spain, we are brave, daring and creative, drawing on our knowledge, and that’s what sets us apart; it gives us an edge in today’s world.
But is it difficult to stand out amid so much visual noise?
We managed it with last year’s short film, and we’re continuing this year with these three. We look for forms of expression that allow us to convey a message – in this case, the excellence of Spain and the creative industry behind it. The audiovisual sector has brought us a great deal of joy, and we’ll continue to support it.
(Translated from Spanish)
