Building a bridge between Spain and Hollywood, Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra has founded L.A.-based Ombra Films to produce low-budget, English-language horror, thriller and fantasy films. U.S. actors will star in the pics, which will be made by Spanish directorial and technical talent. "I want to do something from Spain without having to go through remakes" said Collet-Serra. Pics will lense in Spain but screenplays could be of any origin, Collet-Serra told Daily Variety at the Sitges Festival.
Ombra's prexy is Juan Sola, Collet-Serra's longtime friend. Ombra will make one to two films per year, mixing financing from the U.S. and Europe, including Spanish national and regional state aid. A first project could be announced in early 2011, he added. Impetus to form Ombra is Collet-Serra's belief in the deep well of genre talent in Spain and the reduction in budgetary levels for genre fare thanks to new technologies. "There's a new generation coming up, and it shouldn't be as hard for them to make movies that are seen worldwide," Collet-Serra said. Ombra's films will be "more economical, digitally shot and more personal genre films," he added.
Among Spain's most successful directors in Hollywood, Collet-Serra is now in post-production on "Unknown White Male," starring Liam Neeson. Collecting an honorific Gran Premi award and tubthumping "Our Day Will Come," which he produced and toplines, France's Vincent Cassel told the Spanish press he is co-writing a romantic comedy. Kim Chapiron ("Dog Pound") will direct; Cassel and Monica Bellucci co-star.
Actor-director and makeup and SFX pioneer Tom Savini and "Masters of Horror" series creator Mick Garris both picked up Time Machine awards. The fest runs Oct. 7-17