• From 28 to 30 October, Spanish film industry professionals will gather at Cines Broadway in Valladolid to address the challenges facing theatrical distribution and exhibition and showcase upcoming releases.

The MERCI Independent Film Market, jointly organised by the Valladolid International Film Week (SEMINCI) and the Association of Independent Film Distributors (ADICINE), is holding its sixth edition from 28 to 30 October at Cines Broadway. Now established as a key date in the Spanish film industry calendar, this meeting between distributors and exhibitors provides an opportunity for professionals to come together and discover new Spanish and international films scheduled for theatrical release in the coming months.

Mariona Viader, co-director of SEMINCI, officially opened the event alongside Enrique Costa and Lara Pérez Camiña, presidents of ADICINE. She recalled the importance of José Luis Cienfuegos in establishing MERCI and highlighted the market’s vital role within the festival.

“We don’t just want to screen films; we want them to circulate beyond the festival. Distributors, platforms, exhibitors and film libraries are essential to ensuring that auteur cinema reaches audiences beyond festivals,” Viader said, encouraging exhibitors and distributors to connect throughout the MERCI programme. Together with Olimpia Pont Cháfer, SEMINCI’s co-director also thanked all the partners and institutions whose support makes the event possible, including the Ministry of Culture, RENTRAK, ECAM Industria and Sociograph, as well as Cines Broadway in Valladolid, which is hosting the event once again. “We are all, and must all be, transmitters of culture,” she added.

A Year to Celebrate

Enrique Costa and Lara Pérez Camiña welcomed attendees and highlighted the annual growth of both MERCI, which has expanded by 25% since the previous edition, and ADICINE. Their remarks reflected the remarkable figures achieved by Spanish cinema and the strong presence of industry professionals in Valladolid. “We are always proud of the figures, but this year even more so. ADICINE has doubled its presence at the box office,” Pérez Camiña said, adding that films distributed by ADICINE accounted for 50% of all cinema admissions for Spanish films. “Independent Spanish distributors are demonstrating that we can bring any kind of film to audiences,” Costa added, encouraging participants to discuss these figures and their implications throughout the market.

Camilo Vázquez, Deputy Director-General for Promotion and International Relations at the ICAA (Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts), took the opportunity to pay tribute to two figures who have shaped film distribution and exhibition in Spain: José Luis Cienfuegos and Ignasi Camós, former Director-General of the ICAA.

He also sought to reassure those concerned about the future of Spanish cinema, emphasising the quality of professionals working in the film industry and the talent of Spanish filmmakers. “These are two indisputable realities,” Vázquez stated.

Once again, MERCI brings together more than 200 film industry professionals for a series of key events during the 71st edition of the Valladolid International Film Week (SEMINCI), extending the festival’s spaces for networking and discussion about cinema to distributors and exhibitors.