- Elástica Films and Silencio Cinema take home the awards in the second edition of these prizes, which recognise the best distribution strategies and campaigns for the Spanish release of independent feature films.
Following three days of meetings between film industry professionals, including cinema operators, independent distributors and streaming platforms, as part of the 71st edition of SEMINCI, the Independent Film Market – MERCI came to a close at the Cines Broadway in Valladolid.
As part of the closing ceremony, Mariona Viader, co-director of SEMINCI, presented the La Meseta. Distribution Laboratory Awards. She highlighted the increased quality of the projects submitted in this second edition, as well as the richness of the exchanges between filmmakers developing their short films. “We had two objectives with La Meseta: firstly, to support emerging filmmakers’ short films through mentoring, and secondly, to recognise distribution campaigns”, she explained.
The two distribution awards, worth €4,000 and €5,000 respectively, recognise the communication work behind a project and its potential to reach audiences. The awards were presented by representatives of the jury, comprising Maite Conesa (Director of the Filmoteca de Castilla y León), Hans Christian Boese (Piffl Medien) and Raquel Alonso (Marketing Director of Spain Film Commission). Conesa and Boese presented the second prize to La Gradiva, distributed by Elástica Films, and the first prize to Salen las lobas, recognising the campaign led by Silencio Cinema.
La Meseta is SEMINCI’s platform dedicated to supporting film projects and strengthening the development, circulation and professional networking opportunities surrounding independent cinema. Within this framework, SEMINCI held the second edition of the La Meseta Distribution Laboratory, an initiative that recognises the best strategies and campaigns for the Spanish release of independent feature films.
The call for entries is open to joint applications comprising an independent distributor based in Spain and a specialist film press and communications agent or agency. Distributors with their own communications department may also participate, provided they can demonstrate their professional track record.
MERCI closing ceremony
Finally, Olimpia Pont Cháfer and Enrique Costa (President of ADICINE) brought the sixth edition of MERCI to a close, highlighting the growth achieved this year compared with the previous edition and expressing their hope of welcoming everyone back at future events.
“We hope this has been a fruitful space for exchange for all those attending, and that the films showcased here will go on to be screened in cinemas”, Pont concluded.
