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Running March 10-19, and now hosting the Spanish Screenings, the Malaga Film Festival is now firmly established as Spain’s biggest movie event in the early part of the year. Strategically positioned fairly sharp on the heels of the Berlinale, the Spanish event offers top Spanish titles at the German festival the chance to consolidate their reputations while often producing new discoveries, especially from first-time directors.

Many titles, from a Spanish film industry whose younger directors are highly social conscience and favor art-house, are issue driven.

“There’s a search for identity, whether a young trans girl’s exploration of gender identity or young leads to understand the world they live in, or the search for love and a sense pf strangeness, of being a stranger to oneself,” Juan Antonio Vigar, Málaga Film Festival director said of this year’s main Competition. Following, a brief breakdown of its titles.

“20,000 Species of Bees,...

The festival opens on March 10 and will include super-sized industry progrramme Mafiz.

The 26th edition of the Malaga Film Festival kicks off today, giving the Spanish and international industry the chance to discover the latest films and talent emerging from the local and Latin America landscapes.

Twenty films will screen in the main competition. They include new films from returning Malaga filmmaker Elena Trapé, who won the best film and best director award in 2018 for The Distances. She’s in competition with a drama called The Enchanced, starring Laia Costa, about a young mother who has recently separated and is missing her young daughter.

Spain boasts a bullish presence at the Berlinale. Following, short profiles of its features that have made the festival cut and a selection of top titles being moved at the European Film Market:

20,000 Species Of Bees

Director: Estíbaliz Urresola

Spain’s Berlin competition player is from Urresola, director of Cannes Critics’ Week short “Chords.” Film takes place in a Basque Country village and is a celebration of female sexual diversity. Catalonia’s Inicia Films (“La Maternal”) produces with Gariza Films (“Nora”).

Sales: Luxbox

21 PARAÍSO

Director: Nestor Ruiz Medina

A couple in love grapples with the realities of making a living through OnlyFans. Set in an Andalusian idyll, a rich portrait of the challenges of love. Screened at Seville and Tallinn.

Sales: Begin Again Films.

Anqa

Director: Helin Celik

A Forum doc feature from Vienna-based Kurd Celik, the films tells the harrowing story of three Jordanian women, survivors of male near-fatal violence.

In a sign of a new ebullience in Spain’s film industry, Spain’s Elamedia Estudios, founded by Roberto Butragueño is launching Sideral, an integrated production-distribution-sales label which makes its debut presenting at the Berlinale Co-Production Market the feature project “Cheaper Than Stealing.”

Titles Sideral handles either in international sales, production or distribution take in “In the Sultan’s Bedchamber,” from San Sebastian best director winner Javier Rebollo (“Woman Without Piano”), a Sideral production; “The Fantastic Golem,” Affairs” from hot Spanish duo Burning Percebes, which it sells abroad, and “I Have Electric Dreams,” Costa Rican Valerie Maurel’s Locarno best director, actor and actress winner.

Underscoring its status as a new force on Spain’s movie scene, Sideral has confirmed 22 production, distribution or sales titles.

“From several years back, Elamedia has been backing many titles. Now we’re ramping up production and domestic distribution and want to create a brand which is identifiable,...

Recently, CBS released the new, official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Under The Dome" episode 7 of season 2. The episode is entitled, "Going Home," and it sounds like things will get quite intriguing as Dale Barbie discovers a new world while in the weird tunnels, and more. In the new, 7th episode press release: Barbie will discover a new world when he descends further into the mysterious tunnel. Press release number 2: When Barbie descends into the unknown abyss in the mysterious tunnel to look for Sam, he will discover a world that is familiar but filled with unanswered questions. Actor ,Brett Cullen, guest stars as Don Barbara who is Barbie's father. Guest stars will feature: Brett Cullen (Don Barbara), Christopher Matthew Cook (Rick), Fernando Martinez (Miguel) Brian Distance (Guard), Kendrick N. Cross (Orderly), Susan Williams (Receptionist), Eric Benson (Thug #2) and Nicholas M. Hayner (Thug #3). The episode was written by Peter Calloway...