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Despite even more outlets, thanks to the arrival of global streaming giants, Spanish sales agents and producers are caught in a current double-bind.

Sales to Netflix are diminishing, as it drives more into original production, but bullish theatrical distribution at home and abroad remains restricted to high-profile auteurs, big-budget productions or breakout titles.

In international, “a culture of fear has set in: independent distributors fear that smaller films don’t have a theatrical public,” says Antonio Saura of Spanish sales shingle Latido.

Both overseas and in Spain’s market, “average, mid-range movies no longer work,” says Mercedes Gamero of production house Atresmedia Cine. “Either you have real auteur-driven movies or big blockbusters.”

There’s an onus on originality. “It’s no longer about budgets but titles that impact, have something special,” whether that’s the cast or an novel concept or idea, says Iván Díaz at production and sales shingle Filmax.

Filmax, one of Spain’s top production-distribution-sales companies, has run up spirited presales on “Turu, the Wacky Hen,” its banner toon title for 2019. It’s a signal that independent animated features are in demand for underserved family audiences,

Based on the character from a famous song for multiple generations in the Latin world, “Turu” has closed pacts with Total Film Content (Cis), Fox Vision (former Yugoslavia), Siyah Beyaz Film (Turkey), Empire Film, Lightning McQueen (Vietnam), Kino Swiat (Poland), Cinemundo (Portugal) and Selim Ramia Co. (Middle East).

A deal for mainland China distribution has been sealed with an undisclosed company, said Ivan Díaz, Filmax Intl. sales head.

Introduced to buyers at the Afm, “Turu” now has a new longer promo, to be shown to distributors at Cannes, said Díaz. The animated feature will be finished by the end of summer. Filmax is planning a large cinematic release in Spain over the Christmas period.