Iberseries & Platino Industria Pivots to B2B as AI Takes Center Stage

Iberseries & Platino Industria, the Madrid-based conference now in its sixth edition, is shifting its programming toward B2B activities and expects to surpass last year's 2,500 accreditations, co-director Samuel Castro said.

"Over the past few years, we've focused a lot on fairly one-way conversations with speakers talking to an audience but we're now also starting to promote more B2B activities during the event: more business-focused opportunities and more spaces for people to meet and connect," Castro said.

Alongside traditional activities such as the co-production and financing forum, the event has added more pitch sessions, led by the new Euro-Atlantic Series Co-Pro Pitch program, which assembles a cross-section of mainly European TV projects seeking to advance their development.

The confab is also programming meetings with screenwriters in collaboration with the SGAE Foundation, the Spanish collecting society for writers, and DAMA, its counterpart for audiovisual creators. Fourteen screenwriters from Recreas, DAMA's project incubator, will present projects to the industry, selected from nearly 300 submissions of unreleased fiction, documentary and animation works.

"All of this reflects the strategic shift we're making this year. I'd like to say that now that we're in our sixth edition, the event has truly evolved," Castro said.

The event welcomes prominent first-time players including the BBC, Arte, Apple TV+, Telefe Argentina and Colombia's Caracol TV. It expects some 220 buyers and 50 film commissioners. Top-tier buyers include Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video, Netflix, AMC Networks, Atresmedia, Banijay Entertainment, Canal+, Disney, Globo, Mediaset, Movistar Plus+ and ZDF Studios.

AI: a tool, not an end

"With regard to AI, Iberseries & Platino Industria is positioning itself within the broader conversation around regulation and the organizations that represent creators and producers," Castro said, noting that the event signed agreements this year with the SGAE Foundation and DAMA.

"The ability to create stories should always be based on a fully human, author-driven concept and development. AI should be used as a tool, not as an end in itself," he said.

"We're exploring the subject through a new AI Workshop for creators, led by Concepción Diaz, Google's Head of AI Trainings EMEA. The program also includes panels on new AI-driven production models and the regulatory challenges and new narratives emerging from AI," said Juan Alia, co-director of the event, who focuses on cinema while Castro handles series.

This year, "Pelagius," Spain's first feature made with generative AI, world premieres at the event. Produced by Tiki Group, Elefantec Global and Recrea Films, the 97-minute historical epic also features animation, with all voices performed by Asturian actors. Directed and produced by Miguel Asensio Llamas, it follows Asturian clans, led by the titular Pelagius, as they rise against the advancing Umayyad Caliphate.

"What's most interesting about initiatives like 'Pelagius' is the conversation they open up about the future of audiovisual creation. Generative AI is introducing tools that could transform development, production and post-production and we're still very much in an experimental phase," Alia said.

"Microdramas are another example of how viewing habits are changing. Designed for fast, mobile-first consumption, they're gaining particular traction in certain markets," he added. For Alia, the audiovisual business is changing fast, but storytelling remains at its core.

Mexico in focus

Mexican cinema, this year's country of focus, combines creative diversity and production knowhow, backed by strong technical talent and increasingly well-established international links, Alia said.

"That's why Mexico was a natural choice this year. The aim is not only to celebrate its cinema, but to showcase the ecosystem behind it and create opportunities for business, co-production and international reach. Mexico has long been a cultural reference in Latin America; the next step is to make its industrial capacity more visible and better connected to the global market," he said.

Adriana Castillo, general coordinator of Platino Industria, agreed: "Mexico has highly experienced professionals, strong infrastructure, studios, production services, post-production and VFX and a proven ability to work on both national and international productions."

"We want Mexico to be seen not only through its films or its best-known names, but as a place where projects can be developed, partners found and long-term alliances built," Castillo said. "Mexico already has a strong international presence; the goal is to turn that into more projects, more co-productions and lasting relationships."

Reflecting on the industry, Alia struck a measured note: "Getting films and series to their audiences is increasingly difficult in a crowded market, while financing has become more complex. Data is informing decisions, but shouldn't replace creative judgment. The industry must also address sustainability, distribution and technological change, making spaces like Iberseries & Platino Industria vital for connecting markets, talent and projects."

The sixth edition of Iberseries & Platino Industria runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. EGEDA and Fundación Secuoya organize the event, in collaboration with FIPCA, with sponsorship from the Madrid Film Office and Madrid Film Region, among other entities.