Delegation of Culture
y Educación
Palacio de los Condes de Gabia
Plaza de los Girones, 1
18009 Granada (España)
The film commission will attend several documentaries this year and provide technical assistance to 23 other municipalities
The provincial office for cinema and filming “Film in Granada” of the Provincial Council has closed the year 2022 with a “remarkable” balance, according to its managers, both in the reception of projects and in the promotion of the audiovisual sector of Granada. “Film in Granada” attended last year the shooting of two major films of international dimension: “La sociedad de la nieve”, which JA Bayona shot for three months in Sierra Nevada and “Cerrar los ojos”, the expected film of Victor Erice, filmed in Castell de Ferro, Dúrcal and Nigüelas last October.
The first vice-president and provincial deputy for Culture and Historical Memory, Fátima Gómez, on whom the office depends, has assured that “it is great news for the province of Granada, and a real milestone, to have hosted in the same year the shootings of two great directors of Spanish cinema, Erice and Bayona, and, in addition, to have been able to premiere six projects supported by the Provincial Council, among them the films “Secaderos” and “Los constructores de la Alhambra”, which has given us an outstanding presence in the Film Festivals of San Sebastian, Seville and Valladolid. We are also pleased to have expanded our provincial catalog of locations, with the incorporation of new spaces belonging to 25 municipalities in Granada”.
The search for these locations has been carried out at the request of the municipalities, through the Local Agreement program of the Provincial Council 2022/2023. The “Film in Granada” office has provided technical assistance, visiting each municipality, documenting the spaces susceptible of hosting a filming and designing the files of each location, which are now available on its website. The municipalities that have been incorporated into the catalog are Almuñécar, Lentegí, Órgiva, Pampaneira, Bubión, Cúllar, Galera, Huéscar, Freila, Zújar, Cuevas del Campo, Darro, Gorafe, El Valle, Vélez Benaudalla, Purullena, Marchal, Pórtugos, Trevelez, Bérchules, Torvizcón, Cádiar, Ugíjar, Alfacar y Nivar.
In short, Gomez has assessed the year 2022 as “a remarkable year for cinema in Granada” and pointed out that “our province deserves to be a reference in the Andalusian and Spanish audiovisual industry, and for this we must continue fighting to make it a great stage for film, series, television and advertising”.
Two great filmmakers and six premieres from Granada
On the one hand, “Film in Granada” has collaborated during the past year in two major productions of international dimension: “La sociedad de la Nieve” directed by JA Bayona and produced by Netflix, which is based on the novel by Pablo Vierci about the plane crash suffered by the Uruguayan rugby team in Los Andes in 1972. The film was shot in Sierra Nevada between January and April, by a crew of 180 people; and “Cerrar los ojos“, the latest and long-awaited film by Víctor Erice, produced by Tandem Films, Pecado Films and Nautilus and starring Manolo Solo, José Coronado, María León and Ana Torrent. Erice filmed during two weeks in October in various locations in Gualchos-Castell de Ferro, Dúrcal and Nigüelas.
On the other hand, in 2022 six productions supported by Provincial Council, through the Granada Provincial Tourism Board and the Film in Granada office, have been premiered: the feature documentary “The builders of the Alhambra” by Isabel Fernández, about the origins of the Nasrid monument; the film “Secaderos” by Rocío Mesa from Granada, shot in the Vega of Granada, which premiered in San Sebastian and opened the Granada Film Festival; the documentaries by José Sánchez-Montes from Granada “El universo en una caja” about Mariano Fortuny Madrazo and “Cante Jondo, Granada 1922”; the documentary “Val del Omar. Poeta audiovisual” by Jesús Ponce and the film “Frente al silencio” by Emilio R. Barrachina, starring Fuensanta “La Moneta”. In addition, Movistar premiered the second season of the series “La Unidad”, with a plot that had been filmed between Granada and Motril.
In terms of activities, last May “Film in Granada” collaborated with the UGR in the first “Filming Lab” meeting, where filmmaker Icíar Bollaín reviewed her filmography in a lively talk at Condes de Gabia; held in October the II Jornada de Industria, within the Granada Film Festival, with the presence of Bayona’s producer, Sandra Hermida; organized a meeting in November with the film critic Javier Ocaña; and expanded its Professional Guide, which already includes 150 audiovisual technicians from Granada and 60 companies.
New projects and activities for 2023
Among the new projects to be shot in the province of Granada throughout 2023, it is worth mentioning the feature documentary “La voz quebrada”, a film directed by Manuel Menchón, produced by RTVE and Imagine Films. It tells the story of an exciting investigation, between the 1920s and the late 1950s, crucial decades of the twentieth century, which shaped our present. Set in various historical locations in the city of Granada, it will also reflect the natural diversity of the province’s landscapes, as well as its customs and traditions.
In addition, the filming will continue in the Alpujarra of Granada of “Y punto”, the documentary produced by the Granada company Ínsula Sur and directed by Javier Tolentino, which narrates the history and the different expressions of popular poetry between Spain and Latin America, including the trovo alpujarreño.
Among the projects from Granada that are still in pre-production are the documentaries “El silencio de las hormigas” by Francisco Montoro, which won several awards in the Industry area of the last San Sebastian Film Festival, and “Zambra” by José Sánchez-Montes; and the feature films “Tú duro, yo tiempo” by Javier Morales and “Nos queda una canción” by sisters Cristina and María José Martín, produced by Lasdelcine together with Álamo Producciones.
Among the activities planned, “Film in Granada” will continue to collaborate with the University of Granada in the second edition of the “Filming Lab” meeting and will organize new editions of its “Jornada de Industria” and the “Encuentros con” cycle. Finally, it will provide technical assistance to another 23 Granada City Councils, through the Local Agreement, in the search for new filming locations.
