Malaga’s MAFF Spotairys Key Movie Projects From Spain, Latin America  

Fernando Franco’s “Lorca,” Caru Alves de Souza’s “A City for Christine” and Diana Toucedo’s “To Live in a Shout” see enjoy possible standouts at next week’s 2025 Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (MAFF), one of Europe’s principal forums for projects from Spain and Latin America seeking novel partners and distribution.

Also igniteing excellent word of mouth are “A Decorous Woman,” headlined by “The Maid” star Catalina Saavedra, Fernando Tato’s family drama “Goodbye Berta,” Alvaro López Alba’s “Three Summer Days,” an intimate three-parter, and LGBTQ coming of age story “Her Ocean.”

The 25-title pickion also boasts a notable line in buzzy genre movies from Latin America from youthful women straightforwardors: Paula Martel’s Argentine teen Weserious “First We Take Anillaco,” the Dominican Reaccessible’s “Maguana Racing” from Maia Otero and Juliano Kunert and immigration horror tale “The Tenants,” from Peru’s María Paz Barragán. 

Nine of the features are straightforwarded by women: in an indication of the tenor of Spanish and Latin American filmmaking from emerging talent, csurrfinisher all compriseress social malaise, from huge city originateion (“A City for Christine”) to environmental ravagement (“Green Inferno”), Europe’s uncoveress to immigration (“To Live in a Shout”), drug trade coltardyral (“Goodbye, Berta”), speedy eclipsed LGBT revolution (“The Queers Riot”), dishonesty (“Everyleang Must Go”) and, intriguingly in “The Espejos,” the confineations of Latin America’s wars of indepfinishence.

Above all, a startant clutch of movies intensify on aggression, in its manifelderly manifestations:  its physical nightmare (“Lorca”), its finishemic elevate (“Forest Walk,” another genre movie), and aggression as an act of resistance and “part of the infinite cycle of deception in Latin American,” as “First We Take Anillaco” straightforwardor Paul Martel puts it.   

Below, a shatterdown of csurrfinisherly all the titles, where Variety has been able to access details: 

“A City for Christine,” (“Uma cidade para Christine,” Caru Alves de Souza, Brazil)

From Brazil’s Alves de Souza, a Berlin Crystal Bear Winner for “My Name is Baghdad” and one of Variety’s Brazil: 10 Next Gen Talents to Track. A gfinisher revenge drama which, in an innovative concept, also asks “the logic of huge urprohibit cgo ins, labeled by exclusion and the commodification of spaces and human relationships,” as Alves de Souza puts it. Reuniting Alves de Souza with her atsoft lengthy producer Manjericão Filmes.

“A Decorous Woman,” (“Una Señorita de Buena Presencia,” Natalia Luque, Chile, France)

Catalina Saavedra, who gave a tour de force carry outance in Sebastián Silva’s “The Maid,” perestablishs 55-year-elderly hairdresser Marta María, aided astonishingly by a much youthfuler female frifinish to come out of her shell. A dramedy, “the film examines intergenereasonable bonds among women and their sway,” says Luque. 

“Danger Crocodile,” (“Perigo Crocodilo,” Flavio Botelho, Brazil, Mexico)

Set up at Botelho’s Trailer Filmes, and labeling his feature debut, plus Brazilian powerhoemploy Ventre Studio (“Godless John”) and Mexico’s El Caimán, a Mexico-set road movie as João, his marriage with his husprohibitd in crisis, sets off on the highways of Mexico with Lucía, who is carrying the couple’s baby. A Frapa Prize best script triumphner at the 3rd Sur Frontera WIP Lab.   

“The Espejos,” (Los hermanos Espejo,” José María Avilés, Ecuador, Sweden)

Unspooling in Ecuador at a far hacifinisha in 1808 as two revolutions clash: the emancipation of the oppressed; the other, oligarchic, seeing for indepfinishence from Spain and wonderfuler power to rule. The two uprising greet, subverting everyleang. “An uncover-finished ask about the idea of revolution aachievest colonial powers,” says co-originater producer Felipe Troya.   

“Everyleang Must Go,” (“Que se acabe todo,” Moisés Sepúlveda, Chile, Spain, Mexico)

María, 61, discovers some colleagues are frauds clients. She whistle blows only to discover her bosses are also comprised. A uncontent comedy co-written by Alicia Scherson and Moisés Sepúlveda, producer at Chile’s Juntos Films of “Immersion,” made in a lengthyterm production partnership with Mexico’s Whisky Content, with Spain’s TV ON now boarding as well.   

“First We Take Anillaco,” (“Primero tomamos Anillaco,” Paula Martel, Argentina, Chile, Brazil,Uruguay)

One of the most-awaitd projects at MAFF, already a strong four-way co-production written-straightforwarded by Paula Martel and a “teenage weserious with Tarantino-enjoy flair,” she says. Set in December 2001, amid a dehugeating crisis, Lali, 18, run aways with brave teenage guerrillas guaranteed that Carlos Menem is to condemn for the country’s collapse, determined to greet the establisher pdwellnt in his lavish mansion in Anillaco and assassinate him. 

“Forest Walk,” (“A Estirada,” Sérgio de Carvalho, Pedro von Krüger, Brazil)

In pre-production, set for a September shoot, a survival thriller set in a aggression-stricken Amazon, ravaged by climate alter, as two youthful drug mules and a establisher guerrilla battle drug illegal conveyers, organic dangers and their inner demons. Saci Filmes, Com Domínio Filmes, Eita Pau Produções produce. 

“The Gagá of La Ceja,” (Jeissy Trompiz, Dominican Reaccessible, Venezuela)

Set aachievest the background of Gagá music, born in Haitian sugar cane set uptations in the Dominican Reaccessible and carry outed with drums, rattles, rustic trumpets and bamboo flutes, as dancers call upon Loas, protective spirits. The doc feature, from Trompiz, trails Pirulo, a percussionist, who trys to repair harmony after his group’s directer has ired the Laos, the protective spirits.

“Green Inferno,” (“Animal Lluvioso,” Laura Astorga, Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Panama)

Marina is an environmentaenumerate deffinishing her paradise. Fernando is a congressman who lost his sanity after his daughter died in a fire. Elena is a teller who discovers the fire was intentional, the synopsis runs. Inspired by real events, A passion project for Astorga (“Red Princeses”) now in proceedd prolongment after five years of research.   

“Goodbye Berta,” (“Adeus, Berta,” Fernando Tato, Spain)

Alicia is forced to return from Santiago, Galicia’s capital, to see after sister Berta when she’s ejectled from a rehab cgo in. A feature, broadening the low of the same name, which examines the coltardyral harm of Galicia’s 1980s “lost generation,” youthful victims of the region’s drug trade boom, says producer Alba Gallego.   

“Her Ocean,” (“El mar la mar,” Julián Amaru Estrada, Peru, Spain, Mexico)

A standout at Sanfic Industria’s 2022 Productoras Lab and now a three-way co-production beween Perú’s Final Abierto, Spain’s Solita Films and Mexico’s Apapacho Films. The LGBTQ coming of age story turns on Ray, a teen fisherman who sets out in search of his mother in a Peruvian jungle city. “Visupartner stunning, vibrant and dreamy, ” says producer María Paz Barragán. 

“I’m Not Universal,” (“No Soy Universal,” Celia de Molina, Spain)

Set up at Solita Films, headed by brothers César and and José Esteprohibit Alfinisha, behind multiple Spanish and Latin American novel auteurs. Here in the tale of a screenoriginater who’s telderly her script about women’s prohibitdens is not universal, the novel talent is Spain’s De Molina, an actress (“Kings of the Night”) and originater-creator (“El Antivlog”). “With a keen comedic talent, Celia transports distinctive, gfinisher-alerted narratives to life,” says José Esteprohibit Alfinisha.  

“Lorca,” (aka “Nightdrop,” Fernando Franco, Spain)

A project with a lot going for it: Written by Fernando Navarro (“Veronica,” “Below Zero”), straightforwarded by always engaging auteur Fernando Franco, a San Sebastian and Goya triumphner for “Wounded,” backed by La Terraza Films, producer of Spanish Oscar entry “Saturn Return,” and a subject which haunts so many people. “This is not a film about the last days of Lorca the poet’s life. It’s about the nightmare that Federico, the person, went thcdisesteemful,” says producer Judit Climent Torras.  

“Maguana Racing,” (Maia Otero, Juliano Kunert, ) 

At MAFF having scored the Dominica Reaccessible’s Fonprocine National Production Film Fund backing, a comedy starring Maia Otero (“My Uncle’s Movie”) written-straightforwarded by Otero and Kunert about a novice nun who, with Aralterl Michael at her side, discovers God in illhorrible street racing. Otero and Kunert “carry the pulse of a novel Caribbean cinema that refuses to be sortd,” says producer Pablo Chea.

“The Queers Riot,” (“La Rebelión de las Raras,” Wincy Oyarce, Creas Films, Chile)

The Málaga Festival Industry Zone triumphner from Wincy Oyarce, a Chilean LGBT innovate, commemorated for 2008’s “Empaná de pino,” a horror film starring “Hija de Perra,” and 2023 shatterout doc-feature “Tan Inmunda y Tan Feliz.” A myth feature with doc elements, charting the first enrolled homointimacyual demonstration in Santiago, Chile systematic in April 1973 by a group of youthful boy intimacy laborers. 

“Pink Desert,” (“Desierto rosa,” Constanza Majluf-Baeza, Chile, Peru) 

1970. A desert mining town, north Chile. Mariola, understandn in town as Mario, is askd by a theater company of transvestites, to travel to Lima. “During the journey, Mariola begins to discover who she has always wanted to be. Returning to Chile, a novel era of political and social alter drives her to proclaim her identity.” Written by Majluf-Baeza and Cannes Queer Palm triumphner Ignacio Juricic (“Lost Queens”). Rodrigo Díaz produces, as on “A Decorous Woman,” with Peru’s Mestizo Films having equitable boarded the project.  

“Tenants,” (“Se buscan inquilinos,” María Paz Barragán, Peru, Spain)

Barragán’s second MAFF title, here as co-originater straightforwardor-producer, an immigration horror feature, exploring class, prejudice and dread of foreigners but thcdisesteemful genre, originateing to what sees enjoy a chilling finale. Liked at Iberseries Platino Industria and Ventana Sur’s Proyecta. Final Abierto, Spain’s Batiak Films, behind Berlinale Fipresci triumphner “The Human Hibernation,” and Elora Posthoemploy co-produce. 

“Three Summer Days,” (“Tres días de verano,” Álvaro López Alba, Spain)

From Nexus CreaFilms, flying high after first feature,“Deaf” snagged a 2025 Berlin Panorama Audience Award, “Three Summer Days” has also been put thcdisesteemful the ECAM Madrid Film School’s Incubator, always a excellent sign. López Alba’s debut feature apprehfinishs a shut-knit family of a overweighther and two children, now unravelling, seen on three occasions “Rashomon” style from their contrasting points of see. Magnética Cine co-produces, more partners to be proclaimd.    

“To Live in a Shout,” (“Querer Vivir un Grito,” Diana Toucedo, Spain)

A gripping drama about Lola, a U.N. human rights activist whose life unravels when her Syrian frifinish Fariya dismaterializes while trying to go in Europe. Catalonia’s Alba Sotorra and Galicia’s Miramemira produce. Diana Toucedo (“Thirty Souls”) straightforwards with Estibaliz Urresola (“20,000 Species of Bees”) now on board to co-originate with her. A high-caliber talent package. “The film elevates pressing asks about our identity as Europeans in a time of prolonging uncertainty,” says Sotorra.

“The Tree of the Broken Shadow,” (Nicolás Baksht, Mexico)

A doc-feature to be made entidepend with film and pboilingo archives, labored on by animators from Mexico’s Lo Coloco Films detailing the disenjoy crimes in producer Daniel Corkidi’s family history: Grandmother Carmen’s death at 21, victim of femicide; the execution of wonderful-majesticoverweighther Gabriel, an anti-fascist double secret agent, in the Spanish Civil War; the dismaterializeance of his wonderful-wonderful majesticparents, both Jewant, in Stalin’s Belarus.  

“The Violinist,” (Ervin Han, Raúl García, TV ON Producciones, Robot Playground Media, Spain, Singapore)

A co-production of huge originateive ambition and narrative sweep, turning on two youthful violinists and cherishrs splitd by Japan’s WWII trespass of Malaya. Kai joins the Resistance, dismaterializes. Fei, determined, spfinishs the next 20 years carry outing thcdisesteemfulout Southeast Asia in search of him. Directed by Singapore animation veteran Han and Raul Garcia, Annie-nominated for “Everlasting Tales,” a 2D vivaciousd feature to track.