The Seville European Film Festival will once again become a meeting point for the audiovisual industry through its professional program FRAME Sevilla. From November 7 to 14, various spaces across the city —including NH Plaza de Armas, Odeón Plaza de Armas, PLATEA, CICUS, Cartuja Center, and Torre Sevilla— will host over 30 activities, including round tables, masterclasses, pitching sessions, workshops, and networking events.
Producers, distributors, exhibitors, sales agents, funding institutions, filmmakers, and public representatives from both national and international spheres will take part, with special attention given to Andalusian and local industry professionals.
As a space for those who not only watch but also make cinema, the program will revolve around key aspects of the film and audiovisual industry such as screenwriting, literary adaptation, financing, production, exhibition, marketing, and innovation. Over a hundred professionals will come together to exchange experiences, knowledge, best practices, case studies, and success stories.
Workshops on Visual Writing and Comedy
Among the professional training activities are “Writing in Images” and “GUASA”, to be held at the Cultural Initiatives Center of the University of Seville (CICUS).
The first workshop, developed in collaboration with Fundación SGAE, will be led by acclaimed filmmaker Pablo Berger. This intensive program will combine theoretical sessions and practical exercises focused on the visual storytelling techniques behind Berger’s celebrated works ‘Blancanieves’ and ‘Robot Dreams’, winner of two Goya Awards and Best European Animated Feature. Participants will be guided through the creation of a short film script without dialogue or voice-over.
The GUASA Comedy Writing Workshop aims to discover and support emerging Andalusian screenwriters and comedians working in one of Spain’s most popular genres. Led by Fernando Hernández Barral, co-writer of ‘Matusalén’, and mentored by the creative team of the series ‘Sin gluten’, participants will develop a short comedic sketch to be presented in a final session during the Festival.
This initiative is part of CreANDo, a pioneering program promoted by the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Culture and Sport through the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions, in collaboration with the film festivals of Seville, Málaga, and Huelva.
The training offer will also include INK Motion, a day dedicated to literary adaptation for the screen in partnership with Global Publishing Summit (GPS). The event will feature the participation of Emmy-winning screenwriter Alberto “Albatros” González, member of the ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ Writers Room, and Colombian director Sergio Dow, alongside a discussion panel and a pitching session presenting ten literary adaptation projects.
Additionally, in collaboration with ACA and DAMA, FRAME will host screenwriting and directing encounters led by Seville-born filmmaker Jorge Naranjo, as well as the presentation of the study “The Screenwriting Profession in Spain”, in collaboration with the ALMA screenwriters’ union.
Film Exhibition in Europe, Danish Production Models, and Borderless Financing
The Festival will also inaugurate the first edition of the European Film Exhibition Conference, a space to debate four major themes leading to the publication of a sector report. Topics will include the role of cinemas as vital spaces for social cohesion, the future of European theaters amid changing cultural habits, the contribution of young audiences to cinema, and the evolution of audience engagement.
Reflecting this year’s opening film, ‘The Last Viking’, and the multiple award-winning ‘The Girl with the Needle’, which triumphed at the 2024 edition, FRAME Sevilla will host A Look at Denmark, organized in collaboration with the Danish Film Institute and the Embassy of Denmark in Spain. The sessions will explore the Nordic country’s funding and production models, as well as the co-production experience of director Magnus von Horn.
For the third consecutive year, FRAME will present its popular “El Parné / Show Me the Money” sessions, offering professionals direct insight into current audiovisual financing strategies.
New Ways of Making Cinema
FRAME Sevilla will dedicate part of its program to exploring new forms of film production, with a focus on technology, postproduction, and sustainability.
Technical sessions will cover topics such as immersive cinema, visual effects (VFX), postproduction, and sustainable shooting models, featuring professionals like Braís Revaldería —two-time Emmy Award winner for HBO’s ‘Westworld’ and the program ‘Recipe for Change: Standing Up to Antisemitism’, as well as a Cannes Lions Gold winner— María Fernanda Ordóñez, producer of ‘Fillos do vento: A rapa’, and immersive film specialist Marcin J. Sobczak.
The event will also present the Sevilla Content City project, promoted by Secuoya and Sevilla Film and Events, and will include a joint session with Netflix focused on innovation and sustainability in audiovisual production.
Sustainability in the Industry
The program will also address the sector’s commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as Cinenido, which promotes work-life balance in the film industry; Asaenes, which raises awareness about mental health through cinema; and Festival Foco, dedicated to audiovisual education for young audiences.
Several activities will also promote gender equity, including Women in Focus, organized with the Andalusian Association of Women in the Audiovisual Media (AAMMA). The session will feature a morning panel on music and authorship rights with SGAE specialists, and an afternoon talk with Rocío Mesa and Paloma Peñarubia, director and composer of ‘Secaderos’, on the creative process behind its soundtrack.
Additionally, there will be a round table with the Equality Observatory of RTVE and AAMMA, a screening of ‘No estás loca. La verdad sobre la violencia vicaria’ by María Bestar, and a debate on diversity and inclusion in cinema organized with the Andalusian Filmmakers Association (ACA).
A Future-Oriented Framework
The new edition of Future Frames, a European Film Promotion program organized in collaboration with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme, and Allwyn, reinforces Seville’s commitment to discovering emerging European voices.
This year’s selection features four young filmmakers from Finland, Belgium, Ireland, and Spain, each offering a distinct perspective on the future of European cinema: ‘Fish River Anthology’, an animated reflection on mortality through the eyes of seafood in a fish shop; ‘Karaokiss’, a musical take on love anxiety; ‘We Beg to Differ’, a look into the underground world of illegal racing; and ‘Dissecció d'una incoherència en crisi’, a dissection of ego and envy.
Where Sevilla Meets Europe
FRAME Sevilla will serve not only as a space for reflection and learning but also as an active hub for professional exchange. Throughout the week, networking sessions, cocktails, coffee breaks, and happy hours will encourage informal encounters between producers, filmmakers, distributors, and industry agents.
Among the highlights is the Screen Tourism Conference, launching on November 11, organized by Seville Film and Events in collaboration with The Travelling Set. Aimed at institutions and the press, the conference will explore the potential of screen tourism as a bridge between culture, heritage, and cinema, promoting Seville through its film locations and the stories told there. The sessions will present data on its impact, showcase the new Lorens platform, and conclude with a guided tour through Seville that illustrates how audiovisual storytelling can drive cultural and tourism promotion.
These encounters will foster new partnerships, project exchanges, and cross-border collaborations in a creative, dynamic environment. Seville thus consolidates its position as a key connection point between Andalusian talent and the European audiovisual industry, where the city and cinema meet each November to imagine their shared future.
