Background and Relevance of the Film Industries
The Spanish and Mexican film industries are exploring closer collaboration to bolster co-production projects. Producers from Spain have traveled to Mexico for meetings with their counterparts, focusing on enhancing joint ventures. The horror genre and a well-known cast are key elements in their successful formula.
Key Players and Their Roles
The panel “From Content to Audience: Distribution Routes for Hispano Content in Mexico” took place during the second day of the Spanish Audiovisual Days in Mexico, held at the Centro Cultural España from June 15 to 17. Organized by ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones with support from the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (Imcine) and its equivalent, the National Chamber of Cinematographic Industry (Canacine), the event featured a delegation of Spanish producers aiming to establish connections with Mexican peers to strengthen co-production activities.
Panelists included Luis Vargas, Comscore’s Latin American vice president; Carlos Castillo, Cinépolis Distribution director; Raymundo Díaz, Sony Pictures International consultant; Regina Serratos, Pimienta Films Distribution director; and Mauricio Durán, Canacine president, who served as moderator.
The Size and Potential of Mexican and Spanish Cinema
According to Comscore’s expert, Mexico is the second-largest market for Spanish cinema ticket sales worldwide, following Spain. This makes it the most attractive external market for the Spanish film industry.
Similarly, Spain is the most significant external market for Mexican cinema. Vargas elaborated that the current market comparison between both countries for their own cinematography is roughly three to one, with Spanish films being significantly more popular in their home country.
In 2024, approximately 9.4 million tickets were sold in Mexico for Mexican films, while around 12 million entries were recorded for Spanish cinema in Spain.
However, Vargas noted that 2023 saw an extraordinary success for Spanish cinema, with Pablo Berger’s “Mi amigo el robot” garnering massive worldwide acclaim. In Mexico alone, the film accounted for nearly a quarter of all Spanish cinema ticket sales over the past five years.
Vargas emphasized that the film’s lack of dialogue facilitated its cross-language appeal and broader market penetration.
The Best-Traveling Genre: Horror
Carlos Castillo, Cinépolis Distribution director, agreed that genre selection is crucial for successful film distribution in Mexico. He stated, “The best-traveling genre globally is horror… Supernatural horror, in particular, is the perfect market. Comedies, for example, are too localized.”
Castillo added, “Mexico isn’t as sophisticated in its cinema as we’d like it to be; we’re more popular. If you want to make money, you need to reach the masses, and horror helps with that.”
Regina Serratos, Pimienta Films Distribution director, emphasized the importance of well-known cast members in film success. Raymundo Díaz, a producer, highlighted remakes as another factor contributing to triumphant Spanish cinema.
Díaz pointed out that language similarity doesn’t guarantee success for Spanish films in Mexico, as local content persists across Hispanic countries.
Serratos discussed Mexico’s challenges in cultural circuits, citing a lack of audience design and underutilized theaters outside the Cineteca Nacional.
Vargas concurred, praising the Cineteca Nacional as a prime example of audience construction in Latin America.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the sizes of Mexican and Spanish cinema markets? Mexico is the second-largest market for Spanish cinema, while Spain is the most significant external market for Mexican cinema.
- How do the markets compare for each country’s cinema? The current market comparison is roughly three to one, with Spanish films being more popular in Spain.
- What factors contribute to successful film distribution in Mexico? Genre selection, particularly horror, and casting well-known actors play crucial roles.
- What challenges does Spanish cinema face in the Mexican market? Language similarity doesn’t guarantee success, as local content remains prevalent.
- What are the issues with cultural circuits in Mexico? Lack of audience design and underutilized theaters outside the Cineteca Nacional pose challenges.
