The Where Talent Ignites campaign, spearheaded by Audiovisual From Spain, ICEX’s international brand for promoting the Spanish audiovisual sector, has taken a new step forward at the Cannes Film Festival with the world premiere of three short films connecting cinema, fashion, music, design and animation to showcase the vitality of Spanish creative talent on Sunday 17 May. The pieces, titled Flamenco, La Llama and La Tarara, bring together some of the leading voices in contemporary Spanish creation, from Carla Simón and Rocío Molina to Jaime Hayon, Bárbara Lennie, Ingrid García-Jonsson and Niño de Elche.

The initiative stems from a clear ambition: to show that the Spanish audiovisual industry does not exist in isolation, but rather in constant dialogue with other artistic disciplines. As the campaign’s official statement explains, the three works aim to project “a cross-disciplinary Spanish creative ecosystem” capable of connecting tradition and contemporaneity while generating international impact. ICEX CEO Elisa Carbonell also stressed that Spain is experiencing “an exceptional moment” thanks to its strong presence at international festivals and markets, and defended the importance of continuing to support initiatives that give Spanish talent greater international visibility.

Each of the pieces explores a different creative territory. Flamenco, directed by Carla Simón (selected in Cannes’ competition last year with Romería), revisits the flamenco imaginary through a contemporary and emotional lens, while La Llama, created by Turbo (Pau López and Gerardo del Hierro), constructs an animated journey through contemporary Spanish design. Meanwhile, Nicolás Méndez’s La Tarara blends fashion and cinematic storytelling in a visually symbolic offering. During interviews conducted at Cannes, several participants emphasised the collective and cross-disciplinary dimension of the project.

In Flamenco, Carla Simón found an unusual space for creative freedom within an institutional commission. The director explained that she approached the short “just like one of my own films”, as the project allowed her to freely explore themes running throughout her filmography: inheritance, memory and reconciliation with one’s origins. The filmmaker also admitted that the shoot became a genuine creative laboratory for the flamenco musical feature film she is currently developing. Dancer Rocío Molina, who toplines the short, also defended the need for flamenco to continue evolving and engaging in dialogue with other artistic disciplines. According to her, the great challenge facing contemporary flamenco is overcoming internal resistance to change: “We can continue loving and respecting a tradition, but we also need to remain part of the contemporary world.”

Model and producer Eugenia Silva, who appears in La Tarara, explained that she was especially excited to be part of “a project that clearly brings together design, fashion, cinema and audiovisual content”. She also highlighted the need to strengthen the international projection of Spanish creativity: “We have no reason to envy any other country. The talent is there, undeniably. What matters is learning how to showcase it properly.”

The idea of collaboration also emerged in the words of La Llama directors Pau López and Gerardo del Hierro. The pair described the short as a collective work created alongside more than 30 artists and animators. “Collaboration is not theory, but a physical reality where everyone contributes their share of the whole,” said Del Hierro, while López explained that they wanted to create “a visual catalogue of Spanish design”. Both also insisted that the project reflects the current moment of cultural euphoria that Spain is experiencing, thanks both to talent and to growing institutional support. Ingrid García-Jonsson likewise highlighted the experimental freedom offered by this kind of hybrid format. The actress pointed out that the short film allows cinema, music videos, fashion and advertising to blend without the usual pressures of a traditional production. “Igniting that spark also means trying new things and mixing elements that, at first glance, you might not think would work together,” she stated.

Following their Cannes premiere, the three works will continue their international journey as part of the Where Talent Ignites campaign and will soon screen at the Muestra de Cine Español de México. All three pieces are already available on the campaign’s website.