Avalon Distribución

Overview

Avalon Distribución is a Madrid-based independent film distribution and production company operating from Plaza del Cordón 2, 28005 Madrid. Founded in 1996 by Stefan Schmitz, the company has nearly 30 years of operating history. In 2007, Maria Zamora and Enrique Costa became co-owners and now direct the production and distribution departments respectively. The company releases approximately 12 films theatrically per year in Spain, plus an additional 12 or more titles on video on demand (VOD) and home video. Avalon operates as both a distributor and a producer: as a producer, the company has launched the careers of young Spanish filmmakers and has won numerous Goya Awards. In 2022, Avalon's production Alcarràs (dir. Carla Simón) won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The company employs 11 staff (as of 2025) and reports annual revenue between EUR 1.5 million and EUR 3 million. Avalon Distribución Audiovisual S.L. is registered with CIF B 85104867 in the Madrid commercial registry. The company's phone number is +34 91 366 4364. Contact email is community@avalonproduction.es. Avalon's catalog includes more than 200 feature films and documentaries.

Avalon distributes international arthouse cinema, documentary, and Spanish independent films across Spain. The company acquires at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastián, and Sundance. For international filmmakers seeking Spanish theatrical distribution for arthouse or documentary projects, Avalon is one of the most active specialty distributors in the Spanish market alongside Golem Distribución and Alta Films.

Distribution Model

Avalon releases approximately 12 films per year theatrically in Spain. The company's distribution model combines:

• Theatrical release: Films open in Madrid and Barcelona first, then expand to regional cinemas, filmotecas (regional film archives), and independent venues across Spain. Spain's arthouse cinema market is concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona, supported by a network of independent cinemas and the Filmoteca Española in Madrid alongside regional film archives in Barcelona, Seville, and other cities.
• VOD and home video: An additional 12 or more titles per year are released on VOD and home video, either as digital-only acquisitions or as the downstream window following theatrical release.
• Festival circuit distribution: Avalon also distributes retrospective and filmography packages, including the complete filmographies of directors like Aki Kaurismäki, Wong Kar Wai, David Lynch, François Truffaut, Jim Jarmusch, Agnes Varda, John Cassavetes, and others, which screen in filmotecas and alternative venues.
• Television catalog: Avalon distributes thousands of hours of television content from catalogs including TELEPOOL, RTL, and PARTHENON. Series, miniseries, TV movies, animation, and documentaries from these catalogs appear on nearly all television channels in Spain.

The company handles its own Spanish press and marketing for theatrical releases, building campaigns around specialist film press and cultural media. Prints and advertising (P&A) spend per title varies widely: larger acquisitions with broader commercial potential receive full theatrical campaigns with national publicity, while smaller arthouse titles receive targeted campaigns focused on Madrid and Barcelona.

Example Titles

Avalon's distribution catalog includes:

• Fallen Leaves (dir. Aki Kaurismäki, 2023) - Berlin Silver Bear winner, Spanish theatrical release
• Petite Maman (dir. Céline Sciamma, 2021) - French arthouse, Spanish release
• Triangle of Sadness (dir. Ruben Östlund, 2022) - Cannes Palme d'Or winner, Spanish release
• Alcarràs (dir. Carla Simón, 2022) - Berlin Golden Bear, Avalon production
• Armand (dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tondel, 2024) - Cannes Camera d'Or, acquired at Cannes 2024
• Bird (dir. Andrea Arnold, 2024) - Cannes Competition, acquired at Cannes 2024
• Oh Canada (dir. Paul Schrader, 2024) - Cannes Première, acquired at Cannes 2024
• The Count of Monte Cristo (dirs. Matthieu Delaparte and Alexandre de La Patellière, 2024) - Cannes out of competition, acquired at Cannes 2024
• Searching for Sugar Man (dir. Malik Bendjelloul, 2012) - documentary, Spanish release
• Citizenfour (dir. Laura Poitras, 2014) - documentary, Spanish release
• The Act of Killing (dir. Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012) - documentary, Spanish release
• Magical Girl (dir. Carlos Vermut, 2014) - Spanish production, Goya Awards
• Akelarre (dir. Pablo Agüero, 2020) - Spanish production
• Cerrar los ojos (dir. Victor Erice, 2023) - Spanish production, Cannes
• Esta Ambición Desmedida (dirs. Santos Bacana, Cristina Trenas, Rogelio Gonzalez, 2023) - C. Tangana documentary, San Sebastián premiere

Deal Structure Reputation

Avalon acquires Spanish territorial rights (all-media or theatrical-only depending on the deal) from international sales agents at major festivals and markets. The company's MG (minimum guarantee) range for Spanish territorial rights typically falls between EUR 5,000 and EUR 40,000 per title, depending on the film's festival pedigree, director track record, and commercial profile. Spanish arthouse MGs are lower than equivalent UK or French MGs due to the smaller Spanish arthouse theatrical market. For higher-profile acquisitions (Cannes Competition titles, award winners), MGs can exceed EUR 50,000.

In 2024, Avalon acquired 5 titles at Cannes, including Bird (dir. Andrea Arnold, in competition), Armand (dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tondel, Camera d'Or winner, Un Certain Regard), The Count of Monte Cristo (out of competition), Oh Canada (dir. Paul Schrader, Cannes Première), and one additional title. This acquisition volume at a single festival demonstrates Avalon's active buying capacity and its position as a primary Spanish territorial buyer.

The company also acquires Spanish domestic productions for distribution, particularly films by emerging Spanish filmmakers. Avalon's production arm has produced or co-produced films including Alcarràs (Berlin Golden Bear 2022), Magical Girl, Akelarre, and Cerrar los ojos. This dual role as distributor and producer is distinctive in the Spanish market, where most production companies do not maintain their own theatrical distribution infrastructure.

Typical Acquisition Profile

Avalon's primary acquisition festivals and markets are:

• Cannes: The company's most active acquisition market. Avalon acquires across Competition, Un Certain Regard, Directors' Fortnight, and Cannes Première sections.
• Berlin: Avalon acquires at the Berlinale and the European Film Market (EFM), particularly European arthouse titles from the Competition and Panorama sections.
• San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF): Spain's most important film festival. Avalon maintains consistent SSIFF presence and acquires films premiering in the festival's Official Selection and New Directors sections.
• Venice: Avalon acquires at Venice for Spanish distribution of films premiering in Competition and Horizons.
• Sundance: For US independent films with Spanish theatrical potential.

Avalon's acquisition profile favors:

• International arthouse fiction features with strong festival credentials (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance)
• Documentary films with international significance and Spanish cultural or political relevance
• Spanish domestic productions by emerging filmmakers, particularly those Avalon has produced or co-produced
• Director retrospectives and classic film catalog packages for filmoteca distribution

The company does not acquire mainstream commercial films, blockbuster franchises, or genre films without arthouse crossover appeal. Avalon's catalog is built around auteur cinema, socially engaged documentary, and Spanish independent production.

Recent Slate

Avalon's 2025 and 2026 slate includes:

• La chica zurda / Left-Handed Girl (dir. Shih-Ching Tsou, 2026) - Cannes 2025 Semaine de la Critique. Spanish release January 30, 2026. Co-written by Sean Baker.
• Iván & Hadoum (dir. Ian de la Rosa, 2026) - Spanish/German/Belgian co-production. Spanish release June 12, 2026. Produced by Avalon PC, Pecado Films, Vayolet Films, Port au Prince, and Saga Film.
• Historias paralelas / Parallel Tales (dir. Asghar Farhadi, 2026) - Cannes 2026 Official Selection. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, and Catherine Deneuve. Spanish release December 25, 2026.
• Rose (dir. Markus Schleinzer, 2026) - Berlinale 2026. Sandra Hüller won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance. Avalon acquired Spanish rights following the Berlinale.
• Queen at Sea (dir. Lance Hammer, 2026) - Berlinale 2026, won the Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
• Couture (dir. Alice Winocour, 2026) - upcoming release.

Avalon continues to acquire at major festivals throughout the year. The company's 2024 Cannes acquisitions (Bird, Armand, The Count of Monte Cristo, Oh Canada) have been released theatrically in Spain during 2024 and 2025.

Watch: Trailers and Interviews

What Filmmakers Should Know

Avalon is an accessible acquisition target for international filmmakers seeking Spanish theatrical distribution for arthouse and documentary projects. The company's volume of 12 theatrical releases per year and its genuine documentary specialization make it more receptive to a broader range of quality projects than the most selective Spanish boutique distributors.

For international sales agents, Avalon is a standard Spanish territorial buyer at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and San Sebastián. The company's acquisitions team can be reached at community@avalonproduction.es or through the company's website.

For Spanish filmmakers, Avalon's dual role as distributor and producer is distinctive: the company can both produce a film and distribute it theatrically in Spain, providing integrated support from development through release. This model is relatively rare in the Spanish market, where most production companies do not maintain their own theatrical distribution infrastructure.

Avalon has developed particular strength in documentary distribution in Spain. The company has released internationally significant documentary films including Searching for Sugar Man, Citizenfour, and The Act of Killing. Documentary audiences in Spain have grown over the past decade, supported by Spanish co-financing of international documentary production through institutions like the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) and regional film funds. For international documentary filmmakers targeting the Spanish market, Avalon's documentary expertise and its relationships with Spanish arthouse venues provide more culturally fluent distribution than generalist Spanish distributors.

See Also

For comparable Spanish theatrical distributors, see Golem Distribución and Alta Films in this directory. For Spanish-language international sales, see Latido Films in this directory. For how Spanish theatrical distribution deals are structured, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue from a Spanish theatrical release, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.