Variety polls five Spanish film toppers

Experts answer 10 key questions facing industry

By RODOLFO FERNANDEZ ALONSO

Joaquin Padro

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is Spanish cinema’s biggest competitive advantage?

2. And disadvantage?

3. What will be 2008’s key event for Spanish film?

4. What key measure should the

government adopt?

5. How is Spanish cinema changing?

6. Talented new director?

7. Up-and-coming actor?

8. Up-and-coming actress?

9. Two Spanish films you’ve liked

over the past year.

10. What will you be doing at Cannes?

ALVARO AUGUSTIN

head of Telecinco Cinema

1. The talent of directors, technicians, actors. Their capacity to, at times, create wonderful films.

2. The lack of a serious industrial structure to package films; Spanish films' frequent disconnect with local audiences; and the impunity with which pirates are destroying the industry.

3. The year kicked off strongly with Alex de la Iglesia's "The Oxford Murders." Big directors like Amenabar, Almodovar and Agustin Diaz Yanes are also shooting. We'll have the release of Spanish films by Woody Allen and Steven Soderbergh. An interesting year.

4. Simply treating the industry as such, as an industry: Giving it real support without overobsessing about the modification of laws, as though the problems were only of a legislative nature.

5. There's a new generation of filmmakers who are showing that the Spanish cinema can not only triumph in Spain, but also travel well and triumph abroad.

6. Gabe Ibanez ("Hierro"), Alauda Ruiz de Azua ("Lo importante")

7. Alberto Ammann ("Plan America")

8. Adriana Ugarte ("Doghead")

9. "The Orphanage" and "The Oxford Murders"

10.. What can one do at Cannes?

FERNANDO BOVAIRA

producer, MOD Prods.

1. The large talent and growing mestizaje (cross-currents with Latin America).

2. The dearth of screenwriters and a lack of diversity in the types of films made.

3. The release of Jose Luis Cuerda's "Los girasoles ciegos."

4. The creation of an umbrella agency for the promotion of Spanish cinema abroad, along the lines of Unifrance.

5. The gradual increase in the number of ambitious, commercial projects.

6. Jorge Sanchez Cabezudo ("The Night of the Sunflowers")

7. Raul Arevalo ("DarkBlueAlmostBlack")

8. n/a

9. "Mataharis" and "The Orphanage"

10.. Take informal meetings.

JOSE MANUEL LORENZO

producer, Boomerang

1. Its talent in general -- screenwriters, directors, technicians, actors and actresses.

2. The lack of an industrial fabric, and its inability to connect automatically with its own audience.

3. The new Film Law that will come into effect, as well as corporate tax breaks for film investment.

4. The measure I would like is see is just too unpopular: the screening of all films in their original version, with subtitles, rather than being dubbed.

5. n/a

6. Juan Antonio Bayona ("The Orphanage")

7. Raul Arevalo

8. Marta Etura ("DarkBlueAlmostBlack")

9. "The 1. Roses" and "Who's Next"

10.. Not going.

JOAQUIN PADRO

producer, Rodar y Rodar

1. The growing demand for talent at an international level.

2. Its overdependence on subsidies.

3. The shoot of "Julia's Eyes."

4. Give real advantages to producers and help to create a real industrial fabric.

5. In the new talents emerging in every facet of the industry.

6. Guillem Morales ("The Uninvited Guest")

7. n/a

8. Belen Rueda ("The Orphanage")

9. "The Orphanage"

10.. Selling my new projects ...

TEDDY VILLALBA

head of Antena 3.Films

1. State aid

2. The bad image of the brand known as "Spanish cinema"

3. Higher box office receipts

4. Making sure it connects to Spanish audiences.

5. It isn't.

6. Javier Gutierrez ("Before the Fall")

7. Raul Arevalo

8. Manuela Velasco ("REC")

9. "Seven Billiards Tables" and "The Oxford Murders"

10.. Making a lot of sales.