Fast-rising Spanish actor Catalina Sopelana (“The Gardener,” “The Crystal Cuckoo”) is set to topline dramedy “Video Store 2001” (“Videoclub 2001”), with Spanish indie producer-distributor Sideral Cinema coming on board as a new co-producer.
Sopelana co-starred in “The Gardener,” a Netfix No.1 global chart-topper over April 7-20 last year in the Non-Engish show category. “The Crystal Cuckoo,” another crime thriller where Sopelana is the absolute star, ran for four weeks in Netflix’s global non-Engish Top 10 from a Nov. 14 bow.
The feature “Videoland 2001” is being developed by Valencia-based Los Hermanos Polo Films, run by brothers Guillermo and Javier Polo, and will be presented to potential partners at MAFF, the Málaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event, which kicks off on March 10 at the Malaga Festival-Spanish Screenings in the Andalusian port city.
An expansion of the same-titled Feroz Award-winning short starring Sopelana in the same lead role, “Video Store 2001” builds on the earlier short-form version, which the filmmakers shot as a proof of concept, going on to a strong festival run. Set in the early 2000s — a period of rapid disruption in viewing habits and the community spaces built around cinema culture — “Video Store 2001” is directed by Guillermo Polo, who also co-wrote alongside Guillermo Guerrero.
The film follows Mila, 28, played by Sopelana, as she fights to keep alive the neighborhood video store she has just inherited from her father, even as a nearby Blockbuster threatens to wipe it out. When the shop becomes a refuge for a small community of outsiders, Mila is pushed to confront loss, change and her own fear of letting go.
Antonia San Juan (“All About My Mother,” “La que se avecina”) also stars in a supporting role. Producers say additional casting is underway.
‘Video Store 2001’ is a character-driven film about a young woman forced to confront a legacy she tried to escape. Set at the end of an era, the story blends dark humor and emotional realism to explore generational conflict, failure and the need to belong,” Guillermo Polo said. “It’s a small story with universal resonance, and a deep love letter to cinema,” he added.
The project is in advanced development, with producers targeting a shoot window around late 2026 /early 2027. It has already secured the Spanish Film Institute ICAA’s selective funding and has been supported through a slate of development and industry programs including Málaga’s MAFF, Gijón Film Festival’s Semilleru and Valencia’s ProMercat.
Los Hermanos Polo Films hits Málaga with recent credits that straddle the festival circuit and audience-facing features. Guillermo Polo’s debut feature “Devil Dog Road” (“Lo carga el diablo”) played a string of showcases including Miami Film Festival, Mar del Plata and Valladolid Seminci, anchored by a cast featuring Pablo Molinero (“The Plague”).
On the company’s parallel track, Javier Polo’s comedy “Pet Peeves” (“Pequeños Calvarios”) premiered in the official selection at the 2025 Málaga Festival and later scored an international launch at Raindance in London, with a lineup including Enrique Arce (“Money Heist”).
Sideral Cinema’s entry strengthens the production with a company known for championing director-driven Spanish films with a strong artistic signature and a clear festival-and-market strategy.
Recent Sideral-backed titles include Manuel Gómez Pereira’s multi-Goya-nominated period satire “La Cena,” which has scored €3.7 million ($4.3 million) to date at Spaish theaters; Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez’s late-’90s-set indie music drama “Saturn Return,” which won the 2024 Golden Biznaga at Málaga and was selected as Spain’s Oscar submission; Enrique Buleo’s supernatural-tinged comedy “Bodegón con fantasmas”; and Burnin’ Percebes’ offbeat sci-fi comedy “El fantástico caso del Golem.”
Among Sideral Cinema’s upcoming slate are Igor Legarreta’s 1930s-set survival thriller “Las ciegas hormigas,” Pedro Collantes’ “Haiku Driver,” moving through pre-production; Álvaro López Alba’s beach-set family drama “Tres días de verano,” plus “A morte nos teus ollos” and “En carne viva,” both in development.
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