News

The "NCIS" universe boasts plenty of characters with a special connection to Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) occupies a special place in his heart. "NCIS: Origins" teases some romance between the pair, and Lala goes above and beyond to prove that she cares about his well-being -- and freedom. That said, the sparks between the pair might no longer fly moving forward, as there is a good chance that Lala is dead following the "NCIS: Origins" season 1 finale.

"NCIS: Origins" takes place in the aftermath of the death of Gibbs' wife and daughter, and it follows the agent as he sets out to take revenge against their killer, Pablo Hernandez (George Paez). His actions have ramifications, though, as the first season's final episode finds the agent under investigation for shooting the cartel boss. Gibbs is the one responsible for pulling the trigger on his family's assailant,...

Boosted by world-class incentives, Spain’s Canary Islands has attracted the shoots of some of the higher-profile movies on earth from “In the Heart of the Sea” to “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Eternals.”

Now, however, a homegrown Canary Islands cinema is bursting onto the scene, a Canary Island New Wave cinema lifting off, hitting festivals and making ever more insistent production news.

If a date can be attributed to the event, it may be March’s Malaga Film Festival.

Already playing Berlin’s Forum, Macu Machín’s “Undergrowth” won ZonaZine, Málaga Festival’s edgier main sidebar.

Two Canary Islands projects were pitched at the Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (Maff): Lucía Pérez’s Locarno hit “Ever & the Sharks” and Víctor Moreno’s anticipated fiction feature debut “The Outside.”

Malaga’s Spanish Screenings featured Canary Island production “I’m Gonna Disappear,” Coré Ruiz’s tale of two estranged brothers. Another Spanish Screenings title,...

In a move to consolidate its bullishly expanding audiovisual industry, Spain’s Canary Islands have just scrapped a prior €50 million ($53.5 million) cap on total annual tax incentives tapped by movies and series shooting in the archipelago.

Announced April 30, the ground-breaking measure was applauded by local industry heavyweights who have been lobbying national and regional authorities, “This couldn’t be better news for the Canarian audiovisual sector, and by extension, for the Spanish audiovisual sector,” said Rubén Zarauza, president of the Audiovisual Cluster of the Canary Islands, and co-head of Amuse Studios, the Spanish branch of France’s Amuse Animation group.

“What we have achieved with this [tax break] cap removal is greater peace of mind for producers and other players in the sector,” Zarauza added.

Pablo Hernández, president of Zec, the Canary Islands’ tax Special Zone, offered to regions on the periphery of the European Union, echoed Zarauza: “The tax credit in...

In the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands is rapidly becoming a global animation force.

“Tara Duncan,” has charmed audiences via the Disney Channel, “Arcane,” which also uses a Canary Islands service studio, is one of the biggest shows on the planet, and the merchandise of “Miraculous Ladybug,” is seen everywhere.

All three hits share a common thread: the unmissable imprint of talent from this dynamic archipelago.

What began with a small community of digital artists and small studios has now burgeoned into an entire ecosystem of homegrown and international talent making some of the biggest and most innovative projects in the world, either as service studios or true-blue producers.

The Canary Islands Special Zone (Zec) has done its part in fostering this creative surge. With its enticing 4% corporate tax rate — one of the lowest in Europe — it’s like an economic pied piper, leading international animation studios...

Bidding to attract some of the biggest movies on earth for far longer shoots, Spain’s Canary Islands has powered up its maximum tax relief available on a single film lensed there to €36 million (38.9 million) per movie. That is one of the highest movie shoot caps in Europe.

In a parallel move, ceilings on fiscal incentives enjoyed by TV productions – whether made for established players or streaming services – have been raised to an extraordinary €18 million (19.4 million) per single episode. There is no limit on the number of episodes which can enjoy this facility.

Rolling off a Canary Island Special Zone (Zec) tax status offered to regions on the periphery of the European Union, the Islands already offered one of the highest deduction rates for film and TV shoots anywhere in the world: 54 for a first €1 million (1.1 million) eligible expenditure and 45 on further spend.

Capped at 50-60 of a total production budget,...