Conecta Fiction & Entertainment Hands Out $115,000 Prizes As Spanish Confab Kicks Off
A duo of scripted projects has landed €100,000 ($115,000) each at Conecta Fiction & Entertainment.
The international content event began last night in the against the dramatic surroundings of the mountainous Spanish city Cuenca, with Patricia Franco, Regional Minister of Economy, Business and Employment of Castilla-La Mancha, using a speech to announce the winning projects of the third Castilla-La Mancha Feature Films and Series Competition.
More from Deadline
Robin Wright Says AI Is Coming For Industry Jobs & Recalls Battle For Equal Pay On 'House Of Cards': "It Was Difficult"
Getting Emotional With Holmes: 'Sherlock & Daughter' Creator On His Take On The Iconic Sleuth
Mariel Molino & Austin Stowell On Their Hopes For 'NCIS: Origins', The Big Season 1 Scenes & Who Should Play The Older Lala
In the regional category, Piedra, Papel o Tijera (Rock, Paper, Scissors), which comes from Toledan production company Altamira Entertainment, won out. The series stars the likes of Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, José Coronado, Irene Escolar and Chino Darín.
In the national category award went to La Celestina, a modern take on the 1499 book by Fernando de Rojas. Directed by Tina Olivares, it stars the likes of Esmeralda Pimentel and Juana Acosta.
A total of 19 projects were submitted for the awards.
The awards were the first news out of the ninth edition of Conecta, which began as a scripted-only event but has in recent years expanded to incorporate entertainment. This is the first year it's being held in Cuenca, UNESCO World Heritage Site that is around 170km south-east of Madrid.
The opening ceremony was held at the Church of San Miguel last night, with representatives from Conecta, Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Unifrance, the Institut Français of Spain and the Canadian Embassy in attendance alongside execs, talent and creatives. France and Canada are the countries of focus.
Géraldine Gonard, Director of Conecta, used her welcome speech to pay tribute to the countries, saying they were 'two powerful markets with a highly competitive content industry on the international scene, which will find in Cuenca and Castilla-La Mancha the ideal setting for developing future co-productions and joint projects.'
Best of Deadline
'Bachelor in Paradise' Cast Announcement: See Who Is Headed To The Beach For Season 10
2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘The Traitors' U.K. Contestant and Reality TV Marketer on How Unscripted Hits Can Stand Out
In an age where everything shines, how do you make something truly sparkle? That question was the starting point of a marketing-centric reality TV keynote on Thursday, the final day of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment in Cuenca, Spain. Charlotte Berman, business director at U.K. agency Red Bee Creative, was the speaker who stepped up to discuss the topic, bringing along a surprising bit of real-life experience. After all, she was a contestant on the third season of the U.K. version of the global hit format The Traitors. More from The Hollywood Reporter Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to U.K. Assault Charge Why Rachel Zegler Has London Raving - and Ranting - About Her 'Evita' Stage-to-Street Performance Trump, and His Long Shadow, Draw References at Conecta in Spain Despite Focus on Business at Hand Showing TV spots from the likes of Love Island in the U.K., Survivor in the U.S., Bake Off Italia, The Voice U.K., X Factor in Norway, and The Celebrity Traitors, coming to the BBC in the fall, she shared some tips for marketing departments. Berman explained that creative cast reveals and launch spots are key to building excitement among fans of reality franchises. She also highlighted the importance of iconic brand properties, which she described as 'recognizable iconography.' As strong examples, she mentioned the chairs featured in The Voice or the outfits, shields, settings and torches of The Traitors, which give the show a consistent 'dark and mysterious' feel, she said. This makes the show immediately recognizable, the expert emphasized. The expert suggested that dating and relationship shows these days often lack this distinctive look and feel. Showing a graphic with images of various shows, she said: 'They've all got good-looking groups of people clustered together with palm trees and maybe a heart. And if not, then [there is a] purple background. I don't really know why, but they all look the same.' Berman called out one show that feels different. 'If one of these titles had to stand out because of its consistent use of brand codes, it would be The Bachelor,' she said. 'Crucially, they have this commitment to the roses, which are everywhere in The Bachelor. It's really, really consistent.' Berman also highlighted how gamification has become more and more important in reality show marketing. 'It's a really important plank in a bridge for a successful reality show. These days, increasingly reality brands are involving their audiences with the ability to play along or experience the game in some way or form. Love Island has had this very successful Hotel Hideaway game. Whenever they launch a new room or villa, it's to mass fanfare. And of course, you can buy the bottles, the suitcases, the phone cases, everything, in the Love Island shop.' The Traitors also has all sorts of games and interactive offerings, including in-person activations, as do other hits. Concluded Berman: 'It's just amazing how much these formats have been gamified. And all of these are just proof that there's this kind of expectation now to create brand verticals for reality TV shows. We need to further amplify that consumer experience.' The session was presented by The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (GEMA), a global non-profit association of marketers and creatives 'united by a shared desire to innovate, captivate, and inspire.' Conecta 2025 saw executives from the likes of Warner Bros. Discovery, Brazil's Globo, Gaumont Television, production giant Banijay, and NBCUniversal Telemundo discuss their programming plans and the state of the TV industry. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Atlético de Madrid launch new membership for fans worldwide...and beyond 🪐
Atlético de Madrid has unveiled the Atleti Red & White Card, a new international membership aimed at fans living abroad who want to stay closely connected with the club – no matter where they are in the world. To get your card go here Advertisement To mark the occasion, the club has launched a bold and imaginative campaign: the symbolic creation of the first-ever official supporters' club… in outer space. Officially recognised by Atlético de Madrid, this unique peña is headquartered in the Ursa Major constellation (coordinates: RA 08h35m43.622 +52°24'59.20'). The honorary president of this cosmic club is none other than Pedro Duque – astronaut and lifelong Atleti fan. Club president Enrique Cerezo officially presented the Space Supporters' Club at an event held at Atlético's headquarters, where Pedro Duque was also in attendance. The initiative reinforces the club's belief that Atlético passion knows no borders – and no planets either. The campaign tagline says it all: 'Wherever you are, you're Atleti.' A Membership that Travels the Galaxy The Atleti Red & White Card costs just €20 per year and offers international fans a range of exclusive benefits, including: Advertisement A gift voucher worth €20 to spend in the official online store. A welcome kit with their first purchase. Automatic entry into a prize draw to win a trip to Madrid and tickets to a match at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. Access to special content, experiences, competitions, and more. The membership pack also includes limited-edition space-themed merchandise, which will be available exclusively for a short period through Atlético de Madrid's online shop. Among the collectables is an official mission patch designed by renowned NASA patch artist Tim Gagnon. To get your card go here Fans can learn more and join the campaign via the official website: The Space Supporters' Club will also feature as part of Atlético de Madrid's global presence during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, engaging both players and fans in a truly interstellar celebration of football fandom. With this initiative, Atlético de Madrid reaffirms its commitment to its global community – demonstrating that true passion for the club is not bound by geography… or even gravity.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Forbes
I Love Spanish Whisky And So Should You. Here's Why.
The official Topaketa festival glass with the Bilbao Guggenheim in the background. You'd be forgiven for not knowing that Bilbao, the Basque region's largest city in Spain, has become an influential whisky hub. Ok, 'influential' may be a stretch, but not if we're considering the evolving world of Spanish whisky. Last weekend, Spanish whisky fans and producers gathered for the second ever Whisky Topaketa festival, which featured a wide variety of whisky producers from across the country (and from neighbouring Portugal) showing off their wares alongside local brand representatives from more well-known international brands. The festival has quickly become an important date in the calendar for Spain's tiny but passionate whisky community. It was eclectic and intimate, featuring a wide variety of tastings, lectures, and classes that gave space for Spanish producers to shine while international brands could introduce themselves to eager Spanish whisky geeks. Now, a personal disclaimer - I was invited as a VIP to the festival, where I ran tastings and gave a lecture on the dangers of cask whisky investment. While this was a fun and fulfilling assignment filled with great company, mischief, tapas, cocktails and of course whisky, I was particularly eager to get involved as four years ago I wrote one of the first pieces covering this new wave Spanish whisky for Whisky Magazine. At that time, my interviews were all done by phone/video, and due to complicated delivery issues I hadn't been able to try the whiskies or spirits from the producers I spoke with. Now, I finally got to meet them face to face as well as the indefatigable Manu Iturregui, festival organiser and owner of the Residence Cafe, one of Spain's best-known whisky bars. A charismatic connector easily identifiable by his majestic mutton chop mustache, he was thrilled that the festival that he and his team put together was strengthening the ties between the industry and consumers: 'We're very happy as last year we had many of our local distilleries that have now come back but we're also seeing more fans get excited. We're seeing more interest - people know about the big producers but are now pleasantly surprised about the number of distilleries here and the quality of what they're making.' Four years ago, I wrote how these new craft producers, all operating at a micro-scale in the shadow of Spain's larger DYC distillery, were trying to find their feet in a challenging whisky market. Since then, this embryonic community of whiskymakers still face the same challenges bedevilling any small spirits producer, but after four years something is becoming clear - some world-class whisky is being made in Spain and it will only get better. It deserves the attention from the wider whisky are Spanish Whisky Distilleries Producing Today? Topaketa's quirky vibe is a wider reflection of where Spanish whisky is currently at - each distillery takes wildly different approaches to their craft. Basque Moonshiners, located an hour's drive from Bilbao, has emerged as an industry leader - its management team were involved in helping organise the festival while its whiskies and spirits brands have established themselves well not only domestically but in export markets too. Co-founder Jose-Luis Navarro is pleased with what he and his team have accomplished: 'I'm so proud of what we're making at the moment, but we are here amongst our peers, and we are just one option of many great ones. It's great to be able to connect with whisky lovers and others involved in our small industry.' Navarro's Agot single malts, made with locally grown barley, are skilled, careful studies of fruity aromas and flavors blending together ex-bourbon casks as well as local Rioja wine casks. Each of its Bikkun brand of blends mixes its whisky from celebrated distilleries from other countries - one is a blend incorporating Islay's Bunnahabhain, another whiskey from Illinois' FEW amongst others. Outside of DYC, Destilerias Liber is Spain's oldest distillery. Founder Fran Peregrina once told me that more than 10 years after he released the first batch of his Embrujo whisky, he revisited that first release and almost cried with shame at its poor quality. This year at the Topaketa I crowded in a meeting room with some of Spain's best whisky noses and palates including many whiskymakers and whisky club organizers as well as Casknolia founder Rafa Cabello, whose casks are in demand with many of Scotch whisky's top blenders. Peregrina asked us to pick our favorite two samples out of four that he served to help determine which one he should potentially release. Then he sat back and let us work. The entire room was blown away by the quality of his samples - rich, bold whiskies full of character. It's clear Peregrina should only be proud of what he is producing these days. When I first interviewed Javier Blanco, founder and master distiller of Picos de Cabariezo in rural Cantabria, he didn't have any whisky available to try except new make spirit which he had started maturing in a variety of sherry casks. Four years later, his single cask releases are some of the best young sherried whiskies I've ever tasted, with a Fino cask a particular highlight amongst standouts. Blanco and his team built their own malting and fermentation equipment themselves as well as other crucial infrastructure, but he credits his kooky alquitara alembic still for the superb spirit that is then further sculpted in his high quality casks. It was his first time at the festival this year: 'I'm a newcomer to the festival and to making whisky. It's been brilliant is to get feedback from fans and industry peers to help understand how we're evolving and what the next steps for us should be.' In Madrid, José Gómez and Ernesto Huete from Sack Man built their own distillery after years of producing their spirit through Liber. Spirit made from the new distillery isn't old enough to be legally called 'whisky' by E.U. law, but a maturing 18-month old spirit was a stellar blend of fruity and mineral notes - the whisky from here is going to be superb. Bonus points also for baking cookies for festival attendees made from their own spent grains, it was the first time I have ever encountered this. These weren't the only highlights. Haran's 12 year old cider cask was phenomenally earthy while the award-winning Siderit are making promising rye whisky. I was also very pleased to discover Portugal's first whisky distillery, Venakki, whose spirits were easygoing yet full of depth. Little wonder a passionate group of whisky fans has built up as a result. Guillermo Palacios and Diego Paredes from Madrid whisky club Whiskeando travelled to Bilbao for the festival and are thrilled to see how their community is growing: 'We're seeing such a positive evolution with how this community - this year we're able to see our pals who we met the festival last year and its been brilliant to meet so many new whisky fans and producers.' says Palacios. 'That feeling of a unified community feels stronger' comments Paredes. 'You feel it across the country, and we're seeing such interesting things happening with different distilleries. There may be a long way to go, but I really think this is becoming something Spain can be proud of.'
