Bahía de Palma (1962)
Starring Arturo Fernández and Elke Sommer, the film captured Mallorca during the early expansion of international tourism. Santa Ponça beach provided a backdrop to a story set against the island’s changing social landscape.
The Mallorcan municipality of Calvià presented its growing audiovisual programme at World Travel Market 2026, with new developments in vertical drama, international AI filmmaking and a London showcase aimed at promoting the destination to the film industry.
Calvià, in southwest Mallorca, used World Travel Market London on 4 November to highlight two emerging film festivals, alongside its ongoing efforts to attract productions and broaden the municipality’s cultural tourism offer. The presentation also promoted Calvià’s bid for European Capital of Tourism 2027. Confirmed as a finalist in September, the municipality is competing against seven other destinations, including fellow Balearic contender Ibiza, ahead of the final jury presentations in Brussels on 18–19 November.
Among the highlights was Vertifest Magaluf, the Balearic Islands’ first festival dedicated to vertical-format drama, taking place on 24–25 November. Its pitching competition will require proposed series to feature Calvià as a meaningful part of the storyline, rather than simply a filming backdrop.
The municipality also presented the latest developments in the AI Movie Awards, which held their inaugural edition in Magaluf earlier this year. The competition has since attracted more than 500 submissions from 57 countries for its second edition, taking place in London on 7–8 November, with an international jury including Harry Potter producer David Barron and The Matrix visual-effects pioneer John Gaeta. The London event provides an opportunity to reach a wider international audience while promoting Calvià as a filming destination to industry professionals. The awards are scheduled to return to Magaluf for their third edition on 26–27 March 2027.
The festival announcements form part of a broader audiovisual programme being developed by the municipality. In May 2026, Calvià Film Office became the first municipal film office in the Balearic Islands to join the Spain Film Commission network. Separately, filming applications in the municipality increased by 23% year on year in the first nine months of 2026. Alongside efforts to attract new productions, Calvià also introduced Calvià, Plató de Cine at FITUR in January, a ten-location screen-tourism trail celebrating its filming history.
Vertifest Magaluf: A festival for vertical drama
Presented to an international audience at World Travel Market London on 4 November, Vertifest Magaluf will take place on 24–25 November in the resort, which forms part of the municipality of Calvià.
The Balearic Islands’ first festival dedicated to vertical drama will focus on scripted series designed for mobile viewing, with short episodes intended for vertical screens.
Announced initially on 6 October by Calvià Town Hall as part of its Magaluf for All campaign, with support from the Balearic Islands’ Sustainable Tourism Tax, the festival aims to establish an industry meeting point for vertical drama in Europe. It will bring together producers, platforms, screenwriters, directors, brands and investors, with an emphasis on developing projects and professional opportunities in the emerging format.
The festival’s launch comes at a time when vertical drama, also known as microdrama, develops into a substantial international market. According to media research company Omdia, the format generated an estimated $11 billion worldwide in 2025, with revenues forecast to reach $14 billion in 2026.
Speaking to Cadena SER on 3 November, Calvià Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual linked the festival to efforts to support young creative talent, respond to changing audiovisual viewing habits and attract visitors outside the peak tourism season.
Vertifest Magaluf programme includes professional discussions, presentations known as Vertitalks and Vertipitch Calvià, a competition selecting ten vertical-series projects to pitch to industry representatives.
One condition of the competition: Eligible projects must consist of between 30 and 90 episodes, each lasting 30–150 seconds, with the narrative set in the municipality and the location relevant to the series, rather than simply providing a filming backdrop. The submission deadline is 10 November.
Vertifest forms part of the Balearic Islands Audiovisual Market (BIAM) 2026, whose links with Calvià date back to Fiction Mallorca Pitch, an audiovisual industry event established in 2021.
Calvià Town Hall released this promotional video for Vertifest Magaluf on 4 November, coinciding with its presentation at World Travel Market London and ahead of the festival’s inaugural edition on 24–25 November.
Production spotlight: Contracorriente
Calvià has already hosted a production in the emerging vertical format. Contracorriente, directed by Ferran Bex and David Ávila, was filmed in Puerto Portals in June and released on digital platforms in August 2026. Produced by Spanish audiovisual company Onza, the ten-part series has been described as the first vertical-fiction production made entirely in the Balearic Islands.
The series follows three strangers whose dolphin-watching excursion leads to the discovery of an injured sea turtle. Featuring real-life marine scientist and conservation advocate Gádor Muntaner, the series combines adventure and humour with a marine conservation message. Fundación Palma Aquarium helped ensure that the wildlife rescue and protection procedures depicted in the storyline reflected appropriate conservation practices. The production also features underwater sequences, making it, according to its producers, the world’s first vertical-fiction series to incorporate underwater filming.
In September, Calvià Town Hall reported that Contracorriente had exceeded 1.5 million views across social media and digital platforms. The production provides an early example of the municipality’s involvement in vertical drama ahead of Vertifest Magaluf.
AI Movie Awards: From Magaluf to London
The AI Movie Awards (AIMA), an international competition for films created using artificial intelligence, will hold its second edition in London on 7–8 November.
Founded by Federico Luglio, the Festival held its inaugural event in Magaluf in April 2026, supported by Calvià Town Hall.
According to figures presented by the municipality at WTM, the London edition has attracted more than 500 submissions from 57 countries, with 30 films selected as finalists. The inaugural Magaluf event received more than 300 submissions from 37 countries.
The London programme includes industry discussions, workshops and networking, followed by screenings and an awards ceremony. The international jury members include *Harry Potter* producer David Barron, Oscar-winning *The Matrix* visual-effects pioneer John Gaeta and Hollywood producer Tommy Harper, whose credits include *Top Gun: Maverick* and *Mission: Impossible*. Mallorca-based Palma Pictures CEO Mike Day is also among the announced jury members.
Calvià Town Hall also intends to use the London edition of the Festival to promote the municipality as a filming destination. Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual is scheduled to join a panel discussion on 7 November examining the film industry’s economic contribution, where Magaluf and Calvià will be presented as potential locations for future productions.
The festival is scheduled to return to Magaluf for its third edition on 26–27 March 2027.
The promotional video screened during Calvià’s WTM London presentation on 4 November. Video: Ajuntament de Calvià.
Calvià’s European tourism ambitions
Alongside its audiovisual programme, Calvià used WTM London to promote its candidacy for European Capital of Tourism 2027.
The municipality is one of eight finalists selected from 40 applicants across 17 countries in the category for destinations with populations between 25,000 and 100,000. Other finalists include neighbouring island Ibiza, Calais in France, Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Zadar in Croatia.
Calvià’s application highlights the transformation of its established tourism destination, with emphasis on environmental protection, regeneration of older tourist areas, accessibility, digitalisation and cultural heritage.
The European Commission’s published profile provides further details to Calvià’s application referencing projects including the redevelopment of obsolete hotel sites into public spaces, coastal conservation and the Puig de sa Morisca Archaeological Park.
The winning destination will receive EU-backed promotional and branding support throughout 2027, including a promotional video, a destination sculpture and opportunities to participate in European tourism networks and knowledge-sharing activities. Previous winners of the equivalent category include Dubrovnik in 2026 and Benidorm in 2025.
Calvià will present its final case to the European jury in Brussels on 18–19 November, with the winning destination due to be announced on 19 November.
Calvià’s growing production infrastructure
Film Office and the Spanish Film Commission Network
The municipality’s audiovisual ambitions extend beyond hosting the AI and vertical festivals. In May 2026, Calvià Film Office became the first municipal film office in the Balearic Islands to join Spain Film Commission, strengthening its connections with the national production industry.
Between January and September 2026, the Film Office processed 37 filming applications, compared with 30 over the same period in 2025, an increase of approximately 23%.
Shooting Locations Marketplace in Valladolid
In October, Calvià representatives attended Shooting Locations Marketplace in Valladolid for the first tine, an international event connecting film commissions and filming destinations with producers and location scouts. The municipality reported holding 24 meetings with production companies and platforms, including Netflix, HBO, Sony and Atresmedia Cine. European audiovisual publication Cineuropa also identified Calvià and Mallorca among the new territories participating in the 2026 edition.
Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival
Calvià also established a new partnership with the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival in September, bringing activities from the long-running festival into the municipality for the first time. The collaboration included screenings and professional events in Magaluf and Port Adriano, as well as a special edition of Mallorca Go!, the festival’s established location-tour initiative.
As part of the 2026 programme, Calvià Town Hall and Evolution organised an invitation-only location tour designed to introduce international filmmakers and industry professionals to potential filming sites across the municipality, including Finca Galatzó. Led by Calvià Film Office professionals, the initiative received funding through the Balearic Islands’ Sustainable Tourism Tax.
Festival founder and director Sandra Lipski said the partnership was intended to create opportunities for filmmakers, promote Mallorca as a filming location and strengthen the island’s audiovisual community.
The festival’s 15th edition ran from 28 October to 4 November, presenting more than 140 films selected from over 1,500 submissions across 50 countries. Its programme included Balearic productions alongside international cinema.
Wider Production Activity in Mallorca in 2026
Recent production activity elsewhere on Mallorca includes filming for the second season of Paramount+’s MobLand at Sa Fortalesa in Pollença in January 2026, while Mallorcan director Toni Bestard completed filming his supernatural thriller Render across Mallorca and Menorca in September.
Calvià, Plató de Cine: A screen-tourism trail
Announced at FITUR in January 2026, Calvià, Plató de Cine connects the municipality’s filming history with a new visitor experience. Ten locations have been marked with plaques and QR codes linking to production details, filming details and historical information.
The trail spans more than six decades of screen history, from the 1960s to recent international television productions. Among its highlights are Caló d’en Monjo, used in the 1982 Agatha Christie adaptation Evil Under the Sun and later in The Mallorca Files and Netflix’s White Lines, and Playa del Mago, which acquired its name following the filming of The Magus (1968), starring Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn.
Supported by the Balearic Government through its Sustainable Tourism Tax, the self-guided route is intended to encourage year-round cultural visits while showcasing locations to prospective productions. Calvià has already incorporated the trail into its destination promotion, including a September press-trip programme featuring several filming locations. The municipality says the route could be expanded as further productions are filmed locally.
See all ten productions and filming locations on Calvià’s screen-tourism trail
Búsqueme a esa chica (1964)
A Spanish musical featuring singer and actress Marisol alongside pop duo Dúo Dinámico. Santa Ponça beach appeared in the production, adding another 1960s film connection to the area.
The Magus (1968)
Starring Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn, the film used Mallorca to represent Greece. Production relocated following political upheaval in Greece in 1967. The beach subsequently took its name from the film.
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
Peter Ustinov played Hercule Poirot in this theatrical adaptation directed by Guy Hamilton. The cove provided exterior locations for the fictional hotel run by Maggie Smith’s character.
The Hustle (2019)
The comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson used Mallorca locations to represent the French Riviera. Filming took place in 2017, ahead of the film’s 2019 release.
The Mallorca Files
The British crime drama starring Elen Rhys and Julian Looman follows detectives working on the island. Its filming locations include coastal areas of Calvià.
White Lines
The crime drama created by Álex Pina, known for Money Heist, used Mallorca among its filming locations. Caló d’en Monjo is one of the coastal settings included in the municipality’s trail.
Maria Enganxa (2024)
Directed by Luis Ortas and featuring Guiomar Caiado, Catalina Carrasco and Marta Gràcia, this locally connected production used the Galatzó estate, one of Calvià’s historic rural landscapes.
Hôtel Hennes (2022)
Directed by Bardia Zeinali and featuring Gigi Hadid, the fashion campaign used Calvià’s coastline as part of its Mediterranean resort setting.
Slow Dancing (2023)
The music video for BTS member V’s solo release featured the coastal scenery and rock formations around Portals Vells, extending Calvià’s screen connections into international pop music.
Magaluf wetland documentary showcased at WTM
Calvià’s WTM presentation also included a trailer for Resiliencia, la otra cara de Magaluf (Resilience: The Other Side of Magaluf), a documentary about the nine-hectare Magaluf wetland. The film is supported financially by regional broadcaster IB3 and Calvià Town Hall.
Created by Pere Garcias, Joan Mario Rebassa and Miquel Àngel Martí, the documentary examines the wetland situated in the heart of Magaluf, designated a Critical Biological Area because of its ecological importance. The film explores its distinctive conditions, including the saline environment that supports protected endemic plant species, particularly Limonium, in the heart of one of Mallorca’s best-known tourist resorts.
The documentary was screened on 17 October 2026, as part of The Nature of Calvià: Present and Future, an event organised by Calvià Town Hall. A wider premiere is planned for early 2027, although the venue and distribution arrangements have not yet been announced.
The project adds another dimension to the municipality’s audiovisual activity: supporting original screen content about its natural heritage, alongside efforts to attract external productions and develop film-related visitor experiences.
