MAFF, the Co-production Forum of MAFIZ, the industry area of the 26^th Málaga Film Festival, which is presently unspooling in the Andalusian city (and is set to wrap on 17 March), was originally designed to be a space for communication between Latin American and European production companies. Its primary aim is to foster projects’ artistic growth, increase their network of contacts and improve their chances of finding funding, in particular favouring the selection of first and second works. MAFF’s intention is to be a key partner in developing an Ibero-American film industry boasting content that raises social awareness, makes viewers think, and generates inclusive and collaborative societies. In particular, this is thanks to the Social MAFF and MAFF Women Screen Industry sections, which were created at the last edition and emerged as the result of a cooperation agreement between the Málaga Film Festival and the Andalusian Association of Women in Audiovisual Media (AAMMA), the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA) and Mujeres en VO.

Some of MAFF’s other objectives are to be a benchmark platform for communication and networking, where fund managers can come together and familiarise themselves with projects in development, at their earliest stages; to promote innovation in business and production models for feature films with potential for international co-production, with a view to facilitating their subsequent distribution and marketing; to provide creative, economic and financial consultancy in order to generate viable, high-quality audiovisual projects that will find it easier to access the global market; and to include the audiovisual industry’s newest players in its platform and create content that is more appropriate for new audiences, viewers that form part of an audiovisual activity that is constantly growing.

For the 2023 edition, applications were sent in for 109 projects, and the 22 that were ultimately selected, hailing from 13 countries, are listed at the end of this article. They will be duking it out for the following prizes: the Bolivia Lab Industry Award, enabling participation in the production lab set to be held in July this year in Santa Cruz, Bolivia; the BDC Co-production Award, consisting of consultancy, various services and management during the development and the shoot for the project, plus sound, image and lab post-production services, and first refusal on Mexican distribution during the development, funding and shooting of the project; the Cántico Producciones Awards, comprising ten minutes of original music for a fiction or documentary project, preferably from Central America or the Caribbean, worth €6,400, and a second prize consisting of up to two minutes of original music and audio post-production for a trailer or teaser for a fiction or documentary project; the ECAM Award, enabling participation in a development programme linked to La Incubadora, which will take place in autumn 2023; Films to Festivals, a Full Distribution Award valued at $2,500, comprising the development and execution of a distribution strategy for the winning work; Acorde/Music Library, which consists of three awards that will be given out to three films (a Latin American one, an Ibero-American one and another one in the Women Screen Industry section), to the tune of €300, as well as a flat fee for production valued at €295; the SANFIC, Santiago International Film Festival Award, offering the chance to take part in the production lab that will unspool in August this year in Santiago, Chile; and the Elamedia – Sideral Award, bestowing upon a film a prize consisting of the sum of €10,000 in the guise of a minimum guarantee for its international distribution.

Here is the full list of selected projects:

4EBER - Ximena Valdivia Salas
Producer: Illari Orccottoma Mendoza (Montaña Rosa Films) (Peru/Mexico)

A Onça - Emanuel Labor
Producer: Bruno Torres (Fuskazul - Cardume Curtas) (Brazil)

Aline – Marcela Lordy
Producer: Rafael Sampaio (Klaxon Cultura Audiovisual) (Brazil/Peru)

Brutus - Marcelo Toledo
Producer: Patrick de Jongh (Artefício Filmes) (Brazil)

Cae el sol - Aeden O’Connor Agurcia
Producer: Ana Isabel Martins Palacios (Pulsar Cine) (Honduras/Mexico/Guatemala/Norway)

Cuerpo celeste - Nayra Ilic
Producers: Dominga Ortúzar (Oro Films), Dispàrte (Chile/Italy)

El mal del siglo - Nicolás Suárez
Producer: Mariana Luconi (Protón Cine) (Argentina)

En otro mundo - Manolo Munguia
Producer: GHOSTDOG SL (Spain)

If You Wish to Make an Apple Pie - Nagore Eceiza
Producer: Izaskun Arandia (Izar Films) (Spain)

La misteriosa mirada del flamenco - Diego Céspedes
Producer: Rampante (Chile/France/Mexico/Spain)

Surfing for Seniors - Ananké Pereira
Producer: Francisca Barraza (Funky Films) (Chile)

Toda una vida - Ariel Gutiérrez
Producers: Víctor Léycegui (Servicios y Productos Culturales S de RL de CV), Nobody, Zoología Fantástica (Mexico)

MAFF Social project

Madres de octubre - Cristian Lagos Soto
Producer: Maximiliano Bolados (Naira Films) (Chile/France)

MAFF Women Screen Industry projects

Aida - Alejandra Gómez
Producer: Jorge Constantino (Conteo Regresivo Films) (Peru)

El claro de las luciérnagas - Ana Ortiz
Producer: Sergi Moreno (White Leaf Producciones, SL) (Spain)

Tal vez - Arima León
Producer: Daute Campos (Naif Films/Amissus Producciones/La Casa de los Enigmas, SL) (Spain)

Partnership projects

Cinemundi

Borda do Mundo - Jo Serfaty
Producer: Clarissa Guarilha (Arissas) (Brazil)

Directorate of Audiovisual, Sound Production and New Media at the Peruvian Ministry of Culture (DAFO)

La otra orilla - Francesca Canepa Sarmiento
Producers: Enid Marie Campos León, Francesca Canepa Sarmiento (SPLITFILMS SAC) (Peru)

Gloria - Sairah Josefina Choque Condori
Producer: Fátima Quiro Ccari (LLAMKAQ WARMI CINE) (Peru) 

Misión Kipi - Sonaly Tuesta, Walter Jesús Velasquez Godoy
Producer: Sonaly Tuesta (AYNI Producciones) (Peru)

Bolivia Lab

Moxos - Marilina Calós
Producer: Soledad San Julián (Senderos Films) (Argentina)

Sanfic Lab (Santiago de Chile International Film Festival)

Pies de tierra - Leyzer Chiquin
Producer: Cuenca Studios (Guatemala)