Gran Canaria, The Island for Animation!
Over the past recent years, the audiovisual sector has grown exponentially and it’s expected to keep on growing. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria (Council of the island), aware of this situation, has turned its efforts towards the audiovisual sector. Major national and international live action productions have already chosen Gran Canaria to develop their projects in the past 15 years. In this sense, the Council of the island has invested in two brand new filming studios with 1.200 and 1.800 sqm with annex facilities, ready to start its activity in January 2023.
Legal reforms introduced in 2015 by the Spanish National Government made an excellent tax framework for the audiovisual sector and in particular for the animation industry. Since then, animation studios have seen some major key factors to establish and produce from Gran Canaria:
UNBEATABLE TAX INCENTIVES
The Canary Islands count with an exclusive and unique Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) fully authorized by the Spanish Government and the European Commission (EU) providing Gran Canaria with one of the most competitive tax incentives schemes of Europe. This includes up to a 54% tax rebate for foreign productions and tax credit for Spanish productions & co productions or a 4% reduced corporate income tax rate for new companies that want to establish in Gran Canaria among other R&D incentives.
QUALITY OF LIFE & COMPETITIVE COST OF LIVING
Gran Canaria is the perfect place where business and pleasure meet: mild weather (average temperature of 23ºc all year round), leisure & cultural activities, competitive costs of living, high quality public services, cosmopolitan city, great air connectivity with main european cities…
DEDICATED INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
Gran Canaria’s public entities are deeply committed with the development of the audiovisual industry and in particular with the animation sector. The team of The Economic Development Agency (SPEGC) and the Gran Canaria Film Commission works to make the development of the business and the production as efficient and easy as possible.
Part of this dedicated institutional support translates among others in a soft-landing package: Free of charge advice, specialized buildings and facilities for the digital content industry, access to local talent and financing instruments specialized in this sector.
On the other hand, the SPEGC offers fully financed tailored training packages to meet animation studio’s needs. Some of these courses are the 3rd and 5th edition of 2D & 3D animation masters, animation production, storyboard & layout, Rigging of 3D characters …
Gran Canaria´s compromise with the animation sector goes beyond. The island hosts animation festivals such as “Animayo summit”, which celebrated this year its 17th edition and is currently the first and only Spanish animation festival declared “qualifying festival” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Hollywood for the Oscar Awards.
Since 2018, The Economic Development Agency of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) through the Gran Canaria Film Commission has supported Cartoon Business events on the island, hosting the first edition in 2018, its second in 2021 and its 2022 edition.