Programma IBERMEDIA
An Ibero-American co-production and development fund supporting fiction and documentary films across Latin America, Spain, and Portugal since 1997.
Overview
Programa IBERMEDIA is a multilateral co-production and development fund launched in 1997 in Madrid to support the film and audiovisual industry across Ibero-America -- a region that includes the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. The programme is one of the oldest and most active co-production support mechanisms in the world dedicated to a specific linguistic and cultural region.
Since its inception, the majority of IBERMEDIA-selected films have been completed and released, and many have gone on to win prizes at major international festivals including Berlin, Rotterdam, Cannes, Sundance, and La Habana. The programme functions as both a co-production catalyst and a distribution support mechanism, helping Ibero-American films cross borders within the region and reach international audiences.
What It Funds
IBERMEDIA operates through several distinct mechanisms:
Co-production Fund provides grants to feature-length fiction and documentary co-productions involving two or more Ibero-American countries. The co-production requirement means projects must have confirmed partners in at least two participating countries before applying. This structure encourages genuine creative collaboration across the region rather than simple financial arrangements.
Development Fund supports the development of film projects before they enter co-production, funding script development, packaging, and the preparation of co-production materials. Projects supported at the development stage become stronger candidates for subsequent co-production funding.
Distribution Fund supports the distribution of IBERMEDIA-backed films across Ibero-American territories, helping films produced within the region reach audiences in other participating countries.
Training Programme supports professional development initiatives that serve audiovisual professionals from across the Ibero-American region, with eligibility requirements around multi-country participation.
Eligibility
Participating countries include most of the Ibero-American nations -- the full list is maintained on the IBERMEDIA website and is subject to change as countries join or renew their participation. Co-production fund applications require confirmed partners in at least two participating countries. Development fund applications can originate from a single country.
Both fiction and documentary formats are eligible across the main funding schemes.
Why IBERMEDIA Matters
IBERMEDIA addresses a structural challenge for Ibero-American cinema: the individual markets in the region are often too small to support the full costs of ambitious independent productions, but the cultural and linguistic connections across the region make it a natural co-production territory. The programme has helped make cross-border Ibero-American co-production a functioning reality over nearly three decades.
Who Should Apply
Fiction and documentary filmmakers from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal with a project that has co-production potential across the region. Development-stage filmmakers who want to prepare for co-production should look at the development fund track first.
See Also
For building an Ibero-American co-production financing strategy, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme as a parallel co-production structure for European projects, see the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme entry.
