Spain's ICAA awards its 2026 selective grants
- A total of 30 million euros has been allocated to 35 feature-length projects (fiction and animation), 23 documentaries and nine experimental projects
The ICAA – the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts,, part of the Spanish Ministry of Culture – has announced the national projects awarded this year’s selective grants. A total of 67 feature films will receive funding amounting to 30 million euros; 35 projects of particular cinematic merit (fiction or animation), 23 non-fiction titles and nine experimental works. This represents a reduction of seven million euros compared to 2025, when 37 million euros were distributed to 98 projects (read more).
As stipulated, at least 40% of the funding has been allocated to projects led by women; between 15% and 25% to documentaries; a minimum of 10% to animation; a minimum of 5% to experimental projects; and the same minimum percentage to minority co-productions with foreign companies. The maximum grant awarded is €800,000 for live-action feature films, €1 million for animated feature, and €300,000 for co-productions with foreign companies in which the Spanish share is a minority stake.
Among the projects of particular cinematic merit that have been awarded funding, several animated films stand out, each receiving €1 million: Hábitat, produced by Cornelius Films; Carmen y la cuchara de palo, a feature-length adaptation of the 2024 short film of the same name directed by Carlos Gómez-Mira Salgado; Nora Eta Anbotoko Dama, directed by Uxue Artetxe; Amalur la profecía, by Myriam Ballesteros (Amalur Profezía, A.I.E.) and Aya en el desierto (Alhena Production, S.L.), directed by Julia Horillo and currently in the work-in-progress phase. Also noteworthy is the 2D animated film A veces silencio, produced by Filmakers Monkeys, S.L. and directed and written by Álvaro Robles, which has been awarded €925,005.95. The project previously won the VFF Co-Production Market Award at the 2024 Berlinale.
In addition, the following feature films have received €800,000: Adiós amor by Zaida Carmona (Girlfriends and Girlfriends), produced by Elastica Films; the fantasy thriller Las faunas, to be directed by Argentine filmmaker Silvina Schnicer (La quinta, screenwriter of Mi bestia); the drama Ayer te querré (Yesterday I Will Love You), Guillermo Benet’s second feature film following Los inocentes (to be produced by Solita Films); La Basarda, Salvador Sunyer's first feature-length fiction film; El gran poder (produced by Jonás Trueba Los Ilusos Films); the comedy-drama Cara de santa, by the duo Anna Martí and Laura Santos (Allegra Films); Lídia de Cadaqués, a historical drama directed by Nur Casadevall (produced by Canada); La Yoli, by Sandra Reina (Inicia Films); La hija bastarda, the feature directorial debut of actress Olivia Delcán, starring Nora Navas and produced by Solita Films; Riure, the debut feature by Catalan director Jordi Boquet (Fasten Seat Belt, S.L.); Desde que tú te has ido, the first feature by María Herrera, nominated for a Goya for the short film El cuento de una noche de verano (Avalon); As defensas, an LGBTQI+ coming-of-age film by Lucía Estévez (Cósmica Producións); and Porto Alegre, the latest film by Álvaro Gago (Matria) (Ringo Media, Sétima).
(Translated from Spanish)
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