27/04/2006

After the Market Screenings and the Art TV markets, organised last March alongside the Malaga Spanish Film Festival (see news), the Mercadoc and the TV Market officially opened their edition of 2006 yesterday afternoon. Both markets will run through April 29.

Specialising in the production of documentaries focused on European and Latin-American themes, the Mercadoc this year increased its number of participants and productions: 384 documentaries – including 280 news productions from 21 countries – will be the object of attention for a total 101 buyers from 32 countries.

As one of the most powerful and emerging markets for the Chinese, Mercadoc dedicated a part of its opening today to "Documentaries on Chinese Television", an initiative that gave 18 buyers from the major China's TV channels present in Malaga the chance to give a presentation on the opportunities of exporting to the Chinese market. The Asian focus was afterwards followed by an Andalusian one, with the screening of some of the most acclaimed documentaries produced in Andalusia, including the Croma-produced Al Sur del Sur and Ayahuasca y Polen, backed by Yagé Producciones.

The "pitching session" will also take place today, at which 12 projects from Spain, Holland, Israel, the Dominican Republic, Ireland and Argentina will be publicly presented to a panel of Commissioning Editors.

Simultaneously, TV Market will promote and support the marketing of Spanish fiction and animation audiovisual product to representatives from Europe's main broadcasters.