The event was presided by the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, accompanied by  the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Carmen Páez;  Councillor for Culture and Historical Heritage of Málaga City Council, Mariana Pineda; Deputy Director General for Promotion at the ICAA, Fernando Bigeriego; Director General for the Organisation of Digitalisation and Audiovisual Communication Services of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, Carla Redondo; Director of Creative Industries at ICEX, Luis Mayoral; and Festival Director, Juan Antonio Vigar.
 
Vigar began the round of speeches by highlighting the work of MAFIZ in diagnosing ‘the future of an industry in constant revolution’.
 
Luis Mayoral went on to say that ‘promoting Spanish talent is very necessary, which is why ICEX helps to create stories that are essential for our cinema’.
 
For her part, Carla Redondo highlighted that “Spain is the second largest European country in terms of audiovisual production. It is the vehicle that unites us and projects us onto the global stage.”
 
Carmen Páez then took to the stage to present the new Trends programme, which is “intended to pave the way for new forms of storytelling and nurture emerging talent.
 
Francisco de la Torre brought the event to a close, emphasising the international dimension of the competition and welcoming the 1,566 professionals from 53 countries who will be taking part in activities in the industry area.
 
In front of more than 300 guests, the mayor raised a toast to cinema in spanish, with the Mediterranean as a witness. The audience applauded the success of this edition and the future of audiovisual production.
A MAFIZ full of novelties
 
From 9 to 13 March, MAFIZ will be the showcase for Ibero-American and Spanish film talent, with a revamped programme that offers the perfect ecosystem for new projects and films to increase their international projection.
 
With this objective in mind, Andalucía International Audiovisual Networking has been created, a new programme designed to promote the Andalusian audiovisual sector aimed at business development, financing and expansion into global markets in which 30 companies will have the opportunity to present their business projects to 21 international investors.

Spanish Screenings Content expands its horizon with the creation of Trends, a section dedicated to the promotion of animation, series and music. With a programme of screenings, round tables, training and live concerts, this space seeks to navigate the confluences between culture, technology and innovation in search of the future of these sectors.
 
Young talent also finds its place in the eighth edition of Málaga Talent and Hack Mafiz Málaga. These training campuses will offer 20 young people from different nationalities the opportunity to continue learning how to tell stories with the depth of film and the power of digital technology from the hands of renowned professionals.
 
Another initiative aimed at emerging creators is Málaga Short Corner, which is celebrating its fourth edition. For the first time, the RTVE Talent Award for Best Short Film Project will be presented in the Málaga Short Corner section, with a €15,000 prize, reinforcing its commitment to promoting and supporting emerging audiovisual creation.