Filming has just kicked off in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for Malos sueños (lit. "Bad Dreams"), a horror flick directed by Elio Quiroga. The film stems from an original story by Antonio Trashorras (The Devil's Backbone), written by him together with the filmmaker, and marks his long-awaited return to genre filmmaking, as we wander into a building with a cursed past in a movie that blends psychological horror, supernatural suspense and emotional drama.

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Its cast is led by Kimberley Tell (seen in features such as 1x2, and in the series Ena. La Reina Victoria Eugenia and Hierro) and Andrés Velencoso (Mother's Love, La lista de los deseos, The End). She plays Ana, a writer who travels to a building in Las Palmas in search of inspiration, while the Catalonian actor portrays her ex, a key figure in the quest for answers that spurs the protagonist on.

With nods to horror classics such as Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man, Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby, Mikael Håfström's 1408 and the cinema of Japanese filmmaker Hideo Nakata, Malos sueños opts for an oppressive atmosphere and will, the producers hint, constitute Quiroga's best work on the big screen: “Elio is a hidden master of Spanish horror; this story will confirm that and reassert him as a key auteur in our industry,” says Isaac Torras, executive producer for Womack Studios.

Quiroga is a true benchmark in Spanish genre cinema thanks to titles such as Fotos (a film that won Best Screenplay and a Special Jury Mention at Sitges in 1996, and was even praised by Quentin Tarantino), The Dark Hour and The Beckoning. Together with Ray Loriga, he penned the screenplay for The Absent by Daniel Calparsoro. He has made his mark in the short form with the animated piece Home Delivery: Servicio a domicilio, an adaptation of a story by Stephen King presented by Guillermo del Toro and featuring music by REM, which was in competition in the official sections of 100 festivals; the animation My Name Is María, shortlisted for the Academy Awards in 2011; and the documentary short El último minutero, nominated for a Goya Award after premiering at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Otherwise, Quiroga has the animated film Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope, co-directed with Beñat Beitia and based on the graphic novel Winnipeg, el barco de Neruda by Laura Martel (a co-writer of the film alongside the directors), awaiting release (scheduled for 10 July in Spain). It was one of the Ibero-American productions that formed part of Animation! WIPs by Annecy at Ventana Sur, in December 2025.

Malos sueños is being produced by José Carlos Conde, Isaac Torras and Silvia Sánchez for Womack Studios, together with Joaquim and Marina Padró for Rodar y Rodar.