“Filmin has brought the best films of the past and present to thousands of homes. It ensures that people who couldn't go a weekend without seeing a film in the country's cinemas can still have access to those works of art, without missing out on the new ones still being produced. That is why, due to its capacity to link the best cinematographic works to an outreach that also has a democratising pulse, that it deserves to be placed alongside those who have been awarded prizes in previous years: Cahiers du Cinéma, L'Immagine Ritrovata and the San Antonio de los Baños Film and Television School, among others. All our thanks and support in the necessary development of their work,” reads on the website of the 14th Lanzarote Film Festival, which a few days ago awarded this Spanish platform its honorary prize. We spoke with José Antonio de Luna, COO and founder (together with Juan Carlos Tous and Jaume Ripoll) in 2007 of Filmin, a company that has also expanded into production (the series Doctor Portuondo and Self-Defense, among others) and distribution.

Cineuropa: How is VOD looking these days from your perspective, with so many giant rivals?
José Antonio de Luna: It’s a complicated market, but an exciting one. We are in times of great change and evolution and we are fortunate to be able to experience it first-hand. You always learn from your rivals and that helps you to improve. 

Does the infamous platform bubble still exist?
No. It’s true that, with lockdown, all the online services exploded, but I wouldn't call it a bubble. For us, it allowed many people to discover us and most of them are still with us.

Does a platform like Filmin, which is committed to auteur, European and alternative cinema, need support in order to survive and be profitable?
Without the support of the European MEDIA programme we would never have been able to survive and we will never stop thanking them for that. Now we are in a different time and institutional support is important to continue improving, implementing new developments, new technologies and innovating in communication issues.

How is it financed?
Through subscriptions paid by our customers.

You are continuously in laboratories and workshops, where you give awards and acquire broadcasting or distribution rights. Is this the best way to support new talent?
Absolutely. It is one of our obsessions.

What is your editorial line and short- and long-term goals?
It is based on the quality of the titles we offer and our main goal is to make ourselves known to all those people who enjoy good cinema.

You are also involved in distribution. On 1 December you premiered Marc Ferrer's new film, To Laugh, to Sing, Perchance to Cry [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film]. Is it difficult to premiere in a market saturated with almost 20 new releases every weekend?
This is something we do on an ad hoc basis and for very specific projects. It’s very complex, but sometimes it makes sense to us.

Some films, such as the documentary Al margen by Eduardo Casanova, was released straight onto your platform on the 29th, without being shown in cinemas. Why? Were exhibitors scared off? Does this happen often?
The most important thing is that the works reach the audience, and every film is different. In the case of Al margen, a very brave and risky documentary, we are certain that Filmin can do a job that no one else can do. We know it's a big responsibility, but that's what sets us apart from others....

You even have your own festival, the Atlàntida Film Fest, in July, in Mallorca and online. Is it your best calling card, what was the goal and where do you see it going in the future?
Atlàntida was born as a marketing initiative 14 years ago. When we didn't have the means, it was a way to promote ourselves and to show that we wanted to bring different cinema to Spain. Over time it has grown into an event that is becoming bigger and bigger, and has the support of Her Majesty Queen Letizia, something we are very proud of.