Tenerife’s audiovisual sector set several historic records in 2025: 4,249 jobs were created, representing a 15% increase on 2024 (which recorded 3,696), and the sector generated an economic impact of €117 million—almost €15 million more than in 2023, the previous record year.
These are some of the figures from the sector balance over the past year collected by the Tenerife Film Commission, the department of Tenerife Tourism responsible for fostering audiovisual production on the island. The TFC partners with Spanish, international and local production companies in film, television series, animation, advertising and post-production projects.
Regional Minister for Tourism of the Tenerife Island Council, Lope Afonso, explains that “The audiovisual sector in Tenerife is no longer an aspiration, it is a driver of highly skilled employment. The Tenerife Film Commission’s 2025 balance sheet shows an all-time 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 human capital”.
The Chief Executive Officer of Tourism of Tenerife, Dimple Melwani, notes that “these results are the outcome of a clearly defined international positioning strategy, aligned with public institutions and companies in the audiovisual sector, together with tailored support for productions and strong public–private collaboration. Beyond the figures, the true measure of success lies in the growth of human capital, with an increasing number of professionals from the island taking on key responsibilities in both national and international productions.”
In this regard, she underlines that one of the priority objectives of the Tenerife Film Commission—on which work is currently under way—is to promote, in collaboration with institutions, training centres and production companies associated with the Tenerife Film Commission, specialised training programmes that generate genuine opportunities and stable employment for young people and professionals on the island.
Melwani further emphasises that “we are championing a responsible and sustainable production model, demonstrating that growth can go hand in hand with a firm commitment to the environment. Looking ahead to 2026, our challenge is to continue improving the experience of production companies by simplifying procedures and streamlining permits, thereby strengthening Tenerife’s competitiveness as a filming destination, while also seeing the training agreements currently in progress come to fruition.”
During 2025, the island hosted a total of 166 audiovisual productions, compared with 145 in 2024, and close to the historic record of 189 productions in 2021. By type of project, 31 fiction feature films were shot, which is 20 more than the previous year. The stable figure of 15 productions in fiction series for platforms and television channels also stands out. Eight television programmes were filmed, as well as five feature-length documentaries and two docuseries. As for animation projects, companies and studios participated in nine different projects. At the same time, 35 advertising spots and 51 photography sessions were held. Likewise, there were four exclusively post-production projects.
Of the total number of projects completed, 98 – around 60% – were international productions, and 62 were Spanish productions. The new record for number of filming days logged in 2025 is also notable: there was a total of 1,526 filming days, considerably more than the previous record of 1,207 set in 2021. The significant increase in the number of shooting days, in relation to the total number of productions, indicates that shoots on the island are considerably longer, and projects spend more time here. The sector generated employment for 4,249 technical and artistic staff, also breaking a record by exceeding the 3,696 people employed in 2024.
If we analyse the daily economic impact, audiovisual activity left an average investment of €464,616 for each working day of the year, which reflects the direct and sustained expenditure in this strategic sector of the island’s economy.
Relevant feature films
The growth in the number of productions in 2025 is largely due to the increase in feature films, with 31 projects, compared with the 11 produced in Tenerife in 2024. Of these, 25 were Spanish feature films and six were foreign productions. Of the Spanish films, 23 took advantage of the Article 36.1 incentive and two of them received subsidies. Among the international feature films, four of them took advantage of the Article 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 that Tenerife hosted in 2025, the American feature film ‘Day Drinker’, produced by Lionsgate, stands out. The film reunites Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz as stars for the fourth time on screen in a story of intrigue on the high seas. Also notable is the film ‘The Hive’ directed by the Spanish filmmaker Martín Rosete, which had Sebastián Álvarez (Volcano Films) as executive producer, as well as production services from Maximilian Leo and Jonas Katzenstein (both of augenschein Filmproduktion). For this project, shot between July and August 2025, the production company participated in the design and creative execution of the project. The involvement of Canarian team leaders such as Iombi García as director of photography, Orlando Harris in art direction, Nuria Machado as head of styling, and Poppy Ramos and Alfredro Aguirre, as heads of makeup and hairdressing, are signs of the industry’s current transition in Tenerife. The island is more than a filming destination, and is increasingly consolidated as an active player in the design and development of creative projects thanks to skilled local teams. ‘Mojito’ was another European project produced by the Danish production company SF Studios Copenhagen, together with Sur Film as a service producer.
Among the main Spanish productions are ‘Bajo un fuego’, directed by Martín Cuervo, from Secuoya Studios and Álamo Producciones, produced with services from Riverflow Pictures. The film is a sequel to ‘Bajo un volcán’, released last May, and also stars Cuban-American actor William Levy. ‘Bajo risco’ is a period feature film set in the 17th century in La Graciosa and produced by the Canarian production companies El Viaje Films and La Banda Negra.
TV series
In 2025, 15 series were filmed in Tenerife (compared with 14 in 2024) for prominent platforms and channels such as Paramount, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Movistar. Of the total, 10 were Spanish productions and five were international. Series shoots for platforms and TV channels have had an average duration of 31 days per project and an average investment of €108,700 per day of filming. The approximate daily expenditure on the island attributable to series filming per working day was €204,000.
Among the international projects are the American series ‘NCIS Tony & Ziva’, a spin-off of the popular police series ‘NCIS’, a Paramount production released on Prime Video. Production services were provided by Seven Islands Films. There was also the German series ‘Alea Aquarius’, produced by Red Balloon and ‘Frauds’ from the British production company Monumental TV for ITV.
Some of the most significant Spanish series were ‘Aquel’, produced by DLO Banijay, a biographical series on the 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’, by Treasure Entertainment and the American series ‘Wild Things’, for Apple TV+, had participation from the service production company Anima Stillking and obtained the Tenerife Film Commission’s sustainable audiovisual production label in 2025, thanks to the successful implementation of their Sustainability Plans.
Animation
The animation sector remained a significant presence in 2025, with five animated feature films – four international and one Spanish – and two series, all of which were produced under the tax incentive. The total investment in animation, taking annual and multi-year projects into account, was €15,288,275 somewhat lower than the €19 million recorded in 2024. These projects generated 2,942 working days and employed 910 people in the animation field.
Among the animation projects are the Canadian feature film ‘Tangles’, by Giant Ant, in which Tomavision Studio took part, and the German production ‘Arnie and Barney’ by Studio 100 together with 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’, in co-production with German and Belgium teams. For its part, B-Water Studios participated in the German feature film ‘Conni’, by Youngfilms GmbH & Co and in the film ‘Lotte & Totte’, by the Danish production company Fridthjof Animation ApS. Some of the most noteworthy animated series are the German ‘Dino Daze’, by Mack One Deutschland GmbH & Co KG and B Water Studios with Panta Rei Animation and the Swiss series ‘The Treehouse Gang’ by the production company Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, with the participation of Media Solution.
Post-production projects
Investment in exclusively post-production projects saw notable growth in 2025, from €2.7 million in 2024 to €4.2 million in 2025, representing an increase of almost 50%. This figure highlights how Tenerife has become an established location for advanced digital post-production and VFX services. Highlights include season four of the series ‘The Morning Show’ for Apple TV+ and the feature film ‘El Contable 2’ that used post-production services from the VFX studio 22Dogs, which has offices in Milan, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Increased use of tax incentives by local companies
A total of 52 productions took advantage of the tax incentive in 2025, compared with 37 in 2024 and 26 in 2023. Of particular note is the use of the domestic incentive for investment in Spanish productions or co-productions. That number has doubled compared with the previous year’s figures, going from 17 projects in 2024 to 34 in 2025. In addition, there is a growing trend on the part of long established local production companies in Tenerife to take advantage of the tax incentive, something less common in previous years. Financing contracts have been the key for increasing the number of independent projects that can access the tax incentive.
International reach and recognition
Tenerife’s audiovisual industry had a significant presence internationally over the past year. Feature films such as ‘Mariposas Negras’ received multiple recognitions on the Spanish and international awards circuit, such as the Goya, Forqué, Platino, Gaudí and Quirino awards, among others. For its part, ‘Superklaus’, co-produced by 3Doubles Producciones, was nominated for the Goya Awards in the animation category. In 2025, the Tenerife production company Sur Film, which also has offices in Barcelona and Lisbon, co-produced the film ‘Rosebush Pruning’ by Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, which is participating in the competition for the Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
Professional service providers with the Tenerife Film Commission
Around 90 companies affiliated with the Tenerife Film Commission work regularly on local, Spanish and international productions that take place on the island. In addition to production companies and service production firms, the VFX studios also stand out, as do digital image laboratories and service providers in sound recording, camera rental, lighting equipment, machinery, production material, film-friendly hotels, catering and logistics. In 2025, a total of 11 companies located in Tenerife became affiliated with the TFC: Crazy Meerkat, Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife, Hotel Meliá Hacienda del Conde, Hotel Silken Saaj Maar, Gran Hotel Taoro, Media Solution, Mendips Film, Pop House, Red Animation, Roamer Service and Topshot.
Promotion, training and challenges
The Tenerife Film Commission was present at six international events, and held 92 professional meetings in markets such as European Film Market, Series Mania, MIFA (Annecy), the San Sebastian Festival, MIPCOM and Shooting Locations Marketplace (SLM).
On the island, the TFC participated in seven events in the sector, including the Quirino Awards and its associated Forum, CIIF Market, Isla Calavera, Afro-indigenous Perspectives and its associated market, FICMEC, Mundos Digitales Canarias and the Audiovisual Expo.
The TFC also collaborated in numerous training actions, such as the Spanish Film Academy’s Rueda meeting, the IslaBentura and Quirino Lab laboratories, animation workshops such as ‘Santa Cruz Animada’, production management courses and various talks in educational and vocational training centres. Work was also done in coordination with the Regional Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands and with private entities to promote ongoing training in the sector.
As for the TFC’s activity, in 2025 411 applications were attended, compared with 373 in 2024. The 2025 figure was almost identical to that logged in 2023 (402), which highlights the sector’s consolidated and enduring desire to locate its productions in Tenerife.
With a view to 2026, one of the main challenges identified by the Tenerife Film Commission is to simplify administrative procedures, especially for filming projects with a relatively lower impact. The aim is to streamline permits and adapt deadlines to the real logistics of audiovisual productions. This improvement would attract a greater volume of advertising projects, which are essential to ensuring continuity in the sector’s professional ecosystem.
