International guests and local talent will converge for a pivotal session at the 45th International Elche Independent Film Festival, organized by the Fundación Mediterráneo. The event, part of Elche’s annual festival circuit, aims to illuminate the art and business of building successful television series. The colloquium is scheduled for July 16 at Hort del Xocolater, where practitioners and enthusiasts will gather to share hands-on insights from the field.
Leading the discussion is Tirso Calero, a renowned director and screenwriter from Alcoy, who will guide the conversation. Attending the session alongside Calero areKoldo Serra, the director behind multiple seasons of Money Robbery; Javier Olivares, the prolific creator of the Ministry of Time and other acclaimed series; Adriana Rivas, a seasoned screenwriter known for her work on Los Serrano and other RTVE productions; and Paula Hergar, a respected cultural journalist with extensive coverage of television and media. The panelists will draw on their extensive professional experience to describe the process of turning ideas into coherent concepts and then into successful shows. The discussion will explore turning ideas into scripts, directing, and strategies for selling productions to distributors, broadcasters, or streaming platforms.
In addition to the panel, the festival will premiere a documentary about a notable Valencian poet. The film, directed by Rosanna and produced by RTVE, examines the life and work of the Cervantes Prize winner from 2020. This documentary complements the festival’s slate, underscoring the breadth of storytelling celebrated at Elche.
Speakers
Koldo Serra is recognized internationally for his work on multiple seasons of Money Robbery. He has also written and directed feature films, including Guerrilla, and several shorts. One short earned him the Méliès dOr and a best short film award at the Sitges Festival for his innovative work in the medium.
Javier Olivares is the creator of historically rooted series such as Isabella and Victor Ros as well as the widely viewed Ministry of Time. He also writes for the stage, adapting works by Mario Vargas Llosa and Benito Pérez Galdós. Beyond his screen work, Olivares is an art historian and a university professor, bringing a scholarly perspective to his storytelling.
Adriana Rivas is a screenwriter with credits on television hits like Red Eagle, Los Serrano, Vis a Vis, and the recent I’m Alive for RTVE. With more than 15 years at Globomedia, a leading Spanish production house, she has helped shape much of Spain’s contemporary audiovisual landscape.
Paula Hergar is a journalist who specializes in television. She has contributed to VerTele, eldiario.es, and LOS40, and co-authored a global guide to places seen in television series with Lorenzo Mejino. Her reporting and analysis center on how media shapes public perception and cultural conversations across regions.
Elche’s International Independent Film Festival runs from July 8 to July 22, with screenings, workshops, and roundtables distributed across several city venues. The festival’s program emphasizes a broad array of events beyond competition, including hands-on workshops, conversations, and screenings that invite local audiences to engage with moving image storytelling. The organizers encourage attendees to consult the festival program, which outlines schedules, ticketing, and venue information. [CITATION: Fundación Mediterráneo] The festival’s broader goal is to connect filmmakers with audiences in the Valencian community and beyond, including participants from North America who seek to understand European television production practices in a global context. [CITATION: Fundación Mediterráneo] The event is expected to attract attendees from across Spain, Portugal, and neighboring regions, with particular attention to opportunities for international exchanges and distribution pathways. [CITATION: Fundación Mediterráneo] For readers in Canada and the United States, the festival provides a meaningful snapshot of contemporary European television production, including the development process from idea to script to screen, the negotiation with distributors, and the evolving landscape of streaming and on-demand platforms. [CITATION: Fundación Mediterráneo] The festival remains a focal point for those tracking trends in serialized storytelling as it relates to both traditional broadcast formats and emerging digital platforms. [CITATION: Fundación Mediterráneo]