Miipcom has announced Spain as the Country of Honour for the forthcoming 40th edition of the International Co-Production & Entertainment Content Market in Cannes (21-24 October 2024).
The recognition comes with Spain seeing a marked rise in scripted and non-scripted productions in recent years by both domestic and global producers, and Spanish content not only consistently ranks amongst the highest viewed worldwide but is also gaining wider recognition and awards internationally.
A series of events at Mipcom will both celebrate Spain’s creative sector and promote international collaboration; events across the week will range from high-profile screenings, the staging of producers’ panels focusing on co-production opportunities, and a Spanish-themed Mipcom opening night party amongst others.
The programme is curated by Mipcom in partnership with ICEX Spain Trade & Investment (public entity of the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business). The mission of ICEX, through its umbrella brand Audiovisual from Spain, is to support the international promotion of content and services offered by Spanish production and distribution companies. The Country of Honour activity forms part of the Spain, Audiovisual Hub of Europe plan, a major five-year €1.6 billion public investment initiative targeting a 30 per cent rise in audiovisual production in the country by 2025 within the framework of the recovery plan, transformation, and resilience funded by NextGenerationUE.
“The Country of Honour is a celebration of a country’s culture and creativity,” said Mipcom Cannes and MIP London director Lucy Smith. “Spain’s historical impact on international television is irrefutable and its prominence on the global stage in recent years is inescapable. It could not be timelier for Spain to be in the spotlight this year and we have some special plans in the works to do so spectacularly.”
ICEX director general for Internationalisation Pablo Conde said: “Supporting the internationalisation of Spanish audiovisual companies has a clear objective for us: to expand the opportunities for producing and distributing their projects abroad. Being the Country of Honor at Mipcom in 2024 will bring the perfect opportunity to celebrate the excellence, creativity, and professionalism of Spain’s content industry.”
The Audiovisual from Spain brand will gain more prominence than ever in the traditional Riviera space of the Palais des Festivals. The Seaview Producers Hub, a space dedicated to sessions and networking meetings focused on co-production agreements, will serve as the stage for the multiple activities scheduled during the week.
The 40th edition will take place in Cannes from 21 to 24 October 2024 with MIPJunior returning to its traditional slot ahead of the market of 19 to 20 October with a pre-opening afternoon on 18 October.