Based in 1953, purchased by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one in all its largest true-blue unbiased studios in Spain, concerned in movie and TV pro- duction, and film distribution, worldwide movie and TV gross sales and exhibition.

Based in 1953, purchased by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one in all its largest true-blue unbiased studios in Spain, concerned in movie and TV manufacturing, and film distribution, worldwide movie and TV gross sales and exhibition.

The way it acquired there’s one other query. “At Filmax, we’ve all the time guess on inventive expertise. In Spain, there’s all the time been inventive abilities which have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax government producer. “Filmax has identified learn how to discover expertise in all elements of movie manufacturing: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and administrators.”

Jaume Balagueró’s “Anonymous” gave Filmax its first expertise of fulsome worldwide pre-sales at 1999’s Mifed, serving to to usher in a golden age of Spanish auteur style that resonates to this present day.

A director on “Polseres Vermelles,” the unique Catalan model of “The Purple Band Society” and Filmax’s largest TV fiction format hit, Pau Freixas has gone on to showrun many of the firm’s largest TV collection, equivalent to 2017’s “I Know Who You Are,” a criminal offense thriller with a premium edge made for Mediaset España.

One other key, Filmax president Carlos Fernández says, has been “diversification in tasks and territories.”

The corporate Julio Fernández purchased was a distribution home, a Paramount library film distributor within the Nineteen Sixties. Underneath him, Filmax shortly moved from residence video and TV gross sales into theatrical distribution, buoyed by the early outcomes on “The Fourth Consul,” after which from 2000 into full-force movie manufacturing with the Improbable Manufacturing unit, partnering with Brian Yuzna. A daring try to duplicate the shlock and arch consciousness of 1985’s “Re-Animator” in films made in English in Spain mixing worldwide and Spanish actors, it yielded moments of real horror, equivalent to Stuart Gordon’s “Dagon,”

Fernández then launched Filmax Animation, primarily based out of his native Galicia, leading to 2004’s “El Cid: The Legend” and 2006’s “The Bushy Tooth Fairy,” each animated image Goya winners. Filmax Tv was one other addition.

In 2001, Filmax opened the 15-plex Cines Gran Vía Filmax in Barcelona, the one Spanish multiplex with three 4DX theaters. “Our hallmark down the years has been to form a enterprise technique the place we’re current in all the method of a piece’s creation, from concept growth, by means of manufacturing, distribution to exhibition, with out forgetting worldwide gross sales,” says Carlos Fernández.

“Our DNA is to supply a full service to our audiovisual tasks,” Laura Fernández provides.

A few of Filmax’s largest successes had come from bringing the world to Spain to then re-export overseas, equivalent to with Brad Anderson and an emaciated Christian Bale on “The Machinist,” which has achieved cult standing.

Filmax’s Spanish tasks  – equivalent to 2007’s [“REC”], from Balagueró and Paco Plaza, a theatrical chart topper in France, bought worldwide, producing a U.S. remake, “Quarantine” – have all the time been made with one eye on worldwide. “Our tasks have Spanish roots, however are for the entire world,” says Carlos Fernández.

As soon as identified for its style and animation, Filmax has diversified in movie varieties. Its Cannes slate, for instance, options “The Chapel,” the second function from “Piggy” director Carlota Pereda, and “Co-Husbands,” the sophomore outing of “The Innocence” director Lucia Alemany, which is a broad viewers comedy.

“A Filmax decalog would all the time soak up a broad imaginative and prescient of enterprise, relations, betting on information expertise and discovering tales that enamour, whether or not business or auteurist,”  Laura Fernández says.

Filmax’s seventieth anniversary celebrations, she provides, will climax with a celebration at September’s San Sebastián Pageant, “to rejoice life, cinema and nice tales.

Filmax Timeline, 1953-2023

1953

Filmax is launched, embarking on a journey to change into one in all Spain’s high unbiased studios. It started life distributing Hollywood films beginning effectively with John Huston’s “Moulin Rouge.”

1956

Filmax introduced “Conflict and Peace,” by King Vidor to Spain.
1961

One other acquisition: Howard Hawks “Hatari,” with John Wayne enjoying “a job with which he’s recognized; the good-natured, however hard-drinking, hot-tempered, huge Irishman who ‘thinks girls are hassle’ in a person’s world.” Selection in mentioned in its evaluate on the time.
1965

Filmax acquired Madrid’s Bengala Movies and distributed a number of titles for Paramount and iconic European auteurs, equivalent to Jean-Luc Godard’s“Pierrot le Fou.”
1968

Filmax abandons its partnership with Paramount, embarking on boundary-pushing European movies, equivalent to German documentary “Helga,” controversial on the time for graphically displaying the story of conception by means of to delivery.
1978

Filmax first transfer into racier fare: “Inés de Villalonga, 1870,” directed by Jesús Balcázar.
1987

Julio Fernández acquires Filmax, setting the stage for an period of progress and innovation within the Spanish movie trade.
1999

Filmax sees vibrant worldwide gross sales on younger director Jaume Balagueró’s “Anonymous” bringing down the flag on a golden age of Spanish auteur style.
2000

Filmax launches the Improbable Manufacturing unit, partnering with Brian Yuzna, a milestone in Spanish style manufacturing.

Oct: Early success for Improbable Manufacturing unit titles: Lionsgate Leisure acquires all North American rights to 4 horror pics: Jack Sholder’s “Arachnid”; “Dagon,” from Stuart Gordon; and two titles from Brian Yuzna: “Faust: Love of the Damned” and “Past Re-Animator.”
2001

Filmax acquires video and DVD rights for almost 100 titles from The Rank Movie Library for distribution in Spain, Latin America and Portugal. The titles included classics equivalent to “The Thirty 9 Steps,” “Blithe Spirit,” and “Temporary Encounter.”

The corporate opened the multiplex Cines Gran Vía Filmax in Barcelona, the one Spanish multiplex which now has three 4DX theaters.
March: Filmax Animation is established, primarily based out of Julio Fernández’s native Galicia, confirming its animation ambitions. The operation is break up into three divisions — manufacturing providers, manufacturing and distribution.
2004

Filmax Animation sees success with “El Cid: The Legend,”, which works on to win a Goya award for finest animated image.

Filmax produces Brad Anderson’s “The Machinist,” a cult basic starring Christian Bale, described by Selection’s Todd McCarthy as “an intense, precision-controlled psychological thriller.”
Feb: Paramount Classics takes U,S., U.Okay., South Africa, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand rights to the pic.
2006

The corporate secures  one other Goya award for finest animated image with Juan Pablo Buscarini’s “The Bushy Tooth Fairy.”
2007

Filmax achieves worldwide success with “[REC],” from Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, which tops charts in France and generates a U.S. remake, “Quarantine.”
2009

Filmax releases “[REC] 2,” a sequel to the unique horror movie that continues its predecessor’s success and strengthens Filmax’s popularity within the style movie market.

2011

“Purple Band Society,” (“Polseres Vermelles,”) is produced by Filmax’s Arca Audiovisual and bows on Catalan pubcaster Televisió de Catalunya. It marks the delivery of what would change into one in all Spain’s hottest fiction codecs.
2012

Filmax continues to construct on the success of “[REC],” with the discharge of “[REC] 3: Genesis.”
2014

Sitges opens with Filmax launch “[REC] 4: Apocalypse,” the ultimate instalment within the “[REC]” collection.
2017

Filmax hits a excessive word in TV fiction format with “I Know Who You Are,” a criminal offense thriller made for Mediaset España, showrun by Pau Freixas. It was highlighted by The Wit at MipTV because the highest-rating TV fiction of 2017.
2020

Filmax releases David Victori’s “Cross the Line,” sustaining its custom of manufacturing high-quality style movies with worldwide enchantment.
2021
Oct: “Mediterráneo: The Regulation of the Sea,”  is picked up by Filmax for worldwide gross sales. It nabs a slew of nominations and wins Goyas and Gaudis.
2023

Filmax declares Carlota Pereda’s “The Chapel,” the Spanish director’s follow-up to “Piggy.” and Paco León starrer “Co-Husbands,” as a part of its Cannes slate, signalling a diversification in movie varieties. The corporate continues to advertise Spanish cinema globally, whereas additionally bringing the world to Spain by means of worldwide co-productions.

Sept: The seventieth anniversary will likely be marked with a celebration on the San Sebastian Pageant.

Timeline compiled by Callum McLennan