Panama has been selected as an Invited Country of Honor at the 2026 Málaga Festival, an important recognition for our country in the film industry.

That announcement, made at the close of the recent 28th edition, represented a great opportunity to display Panama's talent and growing production with the European and global community.

Next year, Panama will have a special leading role with the presentation of development and after production projects, film premiere and an exclusive space called "Focus Panama," with an outstanding feature of the benefits and incentives that Panama offers as a destination for local and foreign film production.

Young Panamanian talents will participate in workshops and meetings with industry professionals, encouraging their training and generating new opportunities for their professional development.

Arianne Benedetti, deputy ministers of culture, stated that this distinction allows to show Panama's cinematic potential at an international level.

For his part, Sheyla González, National Director of Cinema, emphasized that the Ministry of Culture aims to strengthen the presence of Panamanian cinema in the European market by promoting co-production and cultural exchanges.

Since its creation in 1998, the Málaga Festival has been established as one of the most important platforms for Spanish cinema. The 2026 edition will be held from 6 to 15 March.