Eire Cid’s debut feature ‘The Imaginary Kings’ was presented at ECAM’s Incubator, described as a fluorescent, dirty, sexy urban‑youth drama slated for shooting in Vigo next year.
The Madrid Film School’s ECAM Incubator showcased five projects in its 9th program, including Eire Cid’s debut feature "The Imaginary Kings" ("Los Reyes Imaginarios"). Cid told Variety the film is "fluorescent, dirty and sexy," employing a stylized, anti‑naturalistic aesthetic influenced by urban culture.
The story follows Rude, a tattooed teenager living with his father in a working‑class neighborhood. Haunted by his friend El Rubio’s death, Rude drifts through trap music, betting, fights, porn and poppers, and his relationship with Valeria forces him to confront his grief and vulnerability.
Producer Bea Villar of Brava said the film is aimed at teenagers whose stories are rarely told and seeks to open dialogue about contemporary ideas of masculinity. She highlighted the setting of Vigo—a declining industrial port city—as integral to the film’s themes of intergenerational masculine burden.
The project has progressed through the 4th Edition of the Film Academy’s Rueda Program, the inaugural incubation at the Madrid University School of Arts TAI, the Navarra Residency, the AGAG Mentorship Program for Women Screenwriters and the CREA Conecta Lab, with writing mentorship from filmmakers such as Alberto Guntín and Albert Serra. Plans call for shooting in Vigo late next year, though exact dates have not been confirmed.