Tenerife’s Audiovisual Sector Posts Historic Records for 2025
The audiovisual sector has set several historic records in Tenerife for 2025: 4,249 jobs created—a 15% increase on 2024’s figure of 3,696—and an economic impact of €117 million, nearly €15 million above the previous record set in 2023. These are some of the key figures from last year’s sector review compiled by the Tenerife Film Commission, the tourism department of Tenerife’s island council dedicated to promoting audiovisual production on the island for foreign, national, and local producers working on film, television series, animation, advertising, and post-production projects.
Leadership Hails Sector as an Engine for High-Quality Employment
The Vice President and Councillor for Tourism of the Island Council, Lope Afonso, explained that “the audiovisual sector in Tenerife is no longer just a promise; it is an engine for high-skilled employment. The 2025 review by the Tenerife Film Commission shows a historic record for economic impact: productions generated €117 million on the island, the highest figure to date. But beyond turnover, what I want to highlight today is the human capital.”
The Chief Executive of Tourism for Tenerife, Dimple Melwani, noted, “These results are the fruit of a clear international positioning strategy aligned with public entities and audiovisual sector businesses, personalised support for productions, and public-private collaboration. Beyond the numbers, the true success lies in the growth of human capital, with more local professionals taking on increasingly key responsibilities in national and international productions.”
In this regard, she emphasised that one of the Tenerife Film Commission’s priority objectives, on which they are currently working, is to promote specialised training in collaboration with institutions, training centres, and production companies associated with the Commission. This aims to generate real opportunities and stable employment for young people and professionals on the island.
Melwani highlighted, “We are promoting a model of responsible and sustainable production, demonstrating that it is possible to grow while maintaining a firm commitment to the environment. Looking ahead to 2026, our challenge is to continue improving the experience for production companies, simplifying procedures and speeding up permits to reinforce Tenerife’s competitiveness as a filming destination, as well as to see the training agreements we currently have in progress come to fruition.”
Breakdown of a Record-Breaking Year for Productions
During 2025, the island hosted a total of 166 audiovisual productions, compared to 145 in 2024, coming very close to the historic record of 189 productions set in 2021. By project type, 31 feature-length fiction films were shot—20 more than the previous year. The stabilisation of fiction series for streaming platforms and television networks is notable, with 15 produced. There were 8 television programmes filmed, along with 5 feature-length documentaries and 2 documentary series. Animation studios participated in 9 distinct projects. In parallel, 35 advertising spots and 51 photography sessions were conducted. For exclusive post-production projects, 4 were counted.
Of the total projects completed, approximately 60% were international productions (98 in total), with 62 being national productions. A historic record was also set for the number of filming days counted in 2025: a total of 1,526 filming days, surpassing the previous maximum of 1,207 days recorded in 2021. This significant increase in filming days, relative to the total number of productions, indicates that shoots are lasting considerably longer on the island, with projects having a more prolonged presence.
Economic Impact and Job Creation Reach New Heights
The sector generated employment for 4,249 technical and artistic professionals, also beating a historic record by exceeding the 3,696 people employed in 2024. Analysing the daily economic impact, audiovisual activity left an average investment of €464,616 for every working day of the year, reflecting the direct and sustained spending of this strategic sector on the island’s economy.
Feature Films: A Major Driver of Growth
The growth in the number of productions in 2025 is largely explained by the increase in feature films, with 31 projects compared to the 11 filmed in Tenerife in 2024. Of these, 25 were national and 6 were international feature films. Among the national ones, 23 utilised the 36.1 tax incentive and 2 received grants. Of the international feature films, 4 utilised the 36.2 incentive for foreign productions. These projects had an average duration of 16 filming days and an average economic investment of €77,457 per working day.
Among the foreign films hosted by Tenerife in 2025, the American feature film Day Drinker, produced by Lionsgate, stands out. The film reunites Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz as leads for the fourth time on screen in a story of high-seas intrigue. Also notable is the case of the film The Hive, directed by Spanish filmmaker Martín Rosete, which had executive production by Sebastián Álvarez (Volcano Films), and Maximilian Leo and Jonas Katzenstein (augenschein Filmproduktion). For this project, filmed between July and August 2025, the production company participated in the creative design and execution.
The presence of Canarian heads of department, such as Iombi García in charge of cinematography, Orlando Harris in art direction, Nuria Machado as head of styling, and Poppy Ramos and Alfredro Aguirre as heads of makeup and hair, are indicators of the transition the industry is undergoing. It is moving beyond being just a filming destination to positioning itself as an active agent in the design and development of creative projects, thanks to its qualified crews.
Mojito was another European production, produced by the Danish company SF Studios Copenhagen, alongside Sur Film as the service production company. Among the main Spanish productions are Bajo un fuego, directed by Martín Cuervo, from Secuoya Studios and Álamo Producciones, with production services by River Flow Pictures. The film is a sequel to Bajo un volcán, which was released last May and also stars Cuban-American actor William Levy. Bajo Risco is a period feature film set in the 17th century on La Graciosa and produced by the Canarian production company El Viaje Films and La Banda Negra.
Television Series Attract Major Global Platforms
In 2025, 15 series were filmed in Tenerife, compared to 14 in 2024, for prominent platforms and networks such as Paramount, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Movistar. Of the total, 10 were national productions and 5 were international. Series for television networks and platforms had an average duration of 31 filming days per project and an average investment of €108,700 per filming day. The approximate daily spending derived from series filming on the island was €204,000 per working day.
Among the international projects, the American series NCIS Tony & Ziva, a spin-off of the popular police procedural NCIS, a Paramount production released on Prime Video, which used production services from Seven Islands Films, stands out. Also filmed were the German series Alea Aquarius from Red Balloon, and Frauds, from British producer Monumental TV for ITV.
Some of the most relevant Spanish series include Aquel, produced by DLO Banijay, a biographical series about singer Raphael; El laberinto de las mariposas, a romantic thriller starring Can Yaman, from Secuoya Films; and Yakarta, from MediaPro Studio and Buendía Estudios Canarias for Movistar+, starring Javier Cámara and winner of the 2026 Feroz Award for best television series.
The Irish series These Sacred Vows, from Treasure Entertainment, and the American series Wild Things for Apple TV+, involved the service production company Anima Stillking and obtained the Tenerife Film Commission’s sustainable audiovisual production seal in 2025, thanks to successful implementation of their Sustainability Plans.
Animation, Post-Production, and Tax Incentives Show Strong Performance
The animation sector maintained a relevant presence in 2025, with 5 animated feature films (4 international and one Spanish) and 2 series, all utilising tax incentives. The total investment in animation, considering annual and multi-annual projects, was €15,288,275.75, slightly lower than the €19 million recorded in 2024. These projects generated 2,942 days of work and employed 910 people in the field of animation.
Notable animation projects include the Canadian feature film Tangles by Giant Ant, which involved Tomavision Studio, and the German project Arnie and Barney from Studio 100 alongside 3Doubles Producciones. This Canarian animation studio also participated in Evolution with Spain The Thinklab and in the Spanish feature film Heidi. El rescate del lince, a co-production with Germany and Belgium. Meanwhile, B-Water Studios participated in the German feature film Conni from Youngfilms GmbH & Co. and in the film Lotte & Totte from Danish producer Fridthjof Animation ApS.
Some of the most notable animation series are the German Dino Daze from Mack One Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG and B Water Studios with Panta Rei Animation, and the Swiss series The Treehouse Gang from producer Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, with the participation of Media Solution.
Investment in exclusive post-production projects experienced notable growth in 2025, with an increase of nearly 50%, rising from €2.7 million in 2024 to €4.2 million in 2025. This data confirms the strengthening of Tenerife as a hub for advanced digital post-production and VFX services. Highlights include the series The Morning Show Season 4 for Apple TV+ and the feature film El Contable 2, which used post-production services from the VFX studio 22Dogs, based in Milan, Los Angeles, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
A total of 52 productions made use of tax incentives in 2025, compared to 37 in 2024 and 26 in 2023. The use of the national incentive, for investment in Spanish productions or co-productions, is particularly noteworthy, having doubled from the previous year, rising from 17 projects in 2024 to 34 in 2025. Furthermore, there is a growing trend among local production companies, historically based in Tenerife, to utilise tax incentives, which was less common in previous years. The financing contract has been the instrument that has most facilitated access to tax incentives for more independent projects.
International Recognition and Industry Infrastructure
The Tenerife audiovisual industry had a relevant presence on the international map throughout last year. Feature films like Mariposas Negras received multiple recognitions in national and international award circuits such as the Goya, Forqué, Platino, Gaudí, and Quirino awards, among others. Meanwhile, Superklaus, co-produced by 3Doubles Producciones, was nominated for a Goya Award in the animation category. The Tenerife-based production company Sur Film, also based in Barcelona and Lisbon, co-produced the film Rosebush Pruning by Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz in 2025, which is competing for the Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
Around 90 companies associated with the Tenerife Film Commission work regularly on the local, national, and international productions developed on the Island. In addition to production or service production companies, VFX studios should be mentioned, as well as digital imaging laboratories, direct sound providers, camera and lighting equipment rental, machinery, production material suppliers, film-friendly hotels, catering, and logistics companies.
In 2025, a total of 11 companies based in Tenerife joined the association: Crazy Meerkat, Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife, Hotel Meliá Hacienda del Conde, Hotel Silken Saaj Maar, Hotel Taoro, Media Solution, Mendips Film, Pop House, Red Animation, Roamer Service, and Topshot.
Promotion, Training, and Future Challenges
The Tenerife Film Commission was present at 6 international events, holding 92 professional meetings at markets such as the European Film Market, Series Mania, MIFA (Annecy), the San Sebastián Festival, MIPCOM, and the Shooting Locations Marketplace (SLM). On the island, it participated in 7 sector events, including the Quirino Awards and its Forum, CIIF Market, Isla Calavera, Miradas Afroindígenas and its market, FICMEC, Mundos Digitales Canarias, and the Expo Audiovisual.
Furthermore, TFC collaborated on numerous training initiatives, such as the Academia de Cine’s ‘Rueda’ encounter, the IslaBentura and Quirino Lab workshops, animation workshops like Santa Cruz Animada, production direction courses, and various talks in educational and vocational training centres. Coordinated work was also carried out with the Canary Islands Government’s Department of Education and with private entities to promote continuous sector training.
Regarding the Film Commission’s activity, 411 requests were handled in 2025, compared to 373 in 2024—a figure very similar to that recorded in 2023 (402)—demonstrating the sector’s firm and prolonged desire to produce in Tenerife.
Looking ahead to 2026, one of the main challenges identified by the Tenerife Film Commission is the simplification of administrative procedures, especially for lower-impact shoots, with the goal of speeding up permits and adapting deadlines to the real logistics of audiovisual productions. This improvement would help attract a greater volume of advertising projects, which are fundamental for providing continuity to the sector’s professional network.
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