The Deputy Minister of Culture Highlights the Local Industry as a Key Factor in Attracting Major International Productions
Today marked the celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of the declaration of the audiovisual industry as a strategic sector for the Canary Islands.
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, presided over the event on 28 May, commemorating fifteen years since the audiovisual industry was officially recognised as a strategic sector for the archipelago. The gathering, which focused on reviewing achievements and discussing future challenges, brought together a broad representation of the industry, including professional associations, production companies, public institutions, training centres and other audiovisual stakeholders, such as festival and market organisers.
Clavijo highlighted the Government’s “strong commitment to an audiovisual policy that supports our talent, our filmmakers and all the professions directly and indirectly linked to the audiovisual ecosystem.”
The President reviewed the milestones that have transformed the Canary Islands into an attractive destination for audiovisual productions. A key turning point came in 2009, when Warner Bros. filmed Clash of the Titans in Tenerife, the first major American blockbuster to be shot in the Canary Islands in almost six decades.
“From that moment on, the Government took the sector’s potential very seriously, although we had already recognised its value years earlier,” Clavijo recalled. Public-private collaboration and the creation of Canary Islands Film, the regional department and brand dedicated to promoting the audiovisual industry, played a crucial role in this success.
Canary Islands Film has worked closely with the Presidency of the Government, the Canary Islands Treasury, the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), PROEXCA, the Film Commissions of the seven island councils and the private sector. Other significant achievements include the creation of the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, the expansion of training opportunities, support for festivals and markets, investment in supercomputing technology, technological innovation and the development of sound stages for indoor productions.
“All of this work has enabled us to move forward, streamline processes and become more competitive,” Clavijo emphasised. Tax incentives have provided the Canary Islands with a competitive advantage over other territories, alongside its climate, diverse locations, safety, excellent connectivity and highly skilled local industry.
The Deputy Minister of Culture and Cultural Heritage, Horacio Umpiérrez, stated that “a local industry that has steadily grown and consolidated over the years has been the real driving force behind the interest shown by major international production companies in the Canary Islands.”
Both Clavijo and Umpiérrez expressed their gratitude to the production companies, filmmakers and professional organisations that continued developing the sector long before the audiovisual industry was recognised as a strategic sector.
The event also featured contributions from Jaime Romero, representing the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, and María Méndez, General Administrator of Canary Islands Radio and Television (RTVC). Méndez highlighted RTVC’s role as “an essential instrument for promoting the production of cultural and audiovisual content, as established by the legislation governing the broadcaster’s public service remit.”
Romero praised the strength and competitiveness generated through strategic support, tax incentives and the growth of the local industry. He stressed the importance of harnessing the energy and creativity of younger generations “to continue moving forward and improve even further.”
Representatives from professional associations such as CIMA, Plataforma de la Tele and PROFILM attended the event, alongside delegates from festivals, markets, animation studios and public and private training institutions. Representatives from the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development, PROEXCA, the ZEC, island councils, Film Commissions, Canary Islands Radio and Television and the Canary Islands Parliament were also present.
15 Years of Cinema
The positive impact of these fifteen years as a strategic sector is reflected in the figures. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of live-action productions filmed in the Canary Islands more than doubled, increasing from 61 to 130 productions, while animation productions quadrupled, rising from 8 in 2018 to 34 in 2022. Although activity slowed slightly in 2023, recovery is expected throughout 2024.
In economic terms, film production generated €35 million in 2017. By 2022, this figure had increased more than sixfold, exceeding €223 million. The audiovisual industry directly employed more than 15,000 professionals in 2022 and has experienced exponential growth across all sectors.
Major international studios and platforms, including Netflix, Apple, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Disney, Amazon and HBO, have filmed or produced content in the Canary Islands in recent years. In animation, the sector has grown from just two studios employing 29 people to twelve studios employing more than 800 professionals in only eight years.
Future Challenges
Clavijo underlined the need for greater investment in training and increased funding for production and development grants. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to streamlining administrative procedures, defending the Canary Islands’ tax framework as an outermost region of the European Union, and ensuring the protection of the natural environment.