The change in the first decade of the 21st century brought the aftermath of yet another cyclical crisis in the system, which shook cultural institutions and caused a certain collapse in the production chain and the established circuit.

This especially affected the new generation of talent, who had new stories to tell and were aware that they would not be left behind. Without the usual references, they naturally sought allies in festivals. They had presented their shorts and first works there, had grown as an audience eager for new narratives, and saw these festivals as trusted spaces to develop their projects.

In 2014 (already ten years ago), the REC Festival invited a series of international professionals to discover this new wave of Spanish ‘indie’ cinema, with the aim of, by observing their still unfinished works, collaborating in their integration into the international circuit.

It was the first edition of First Test, a work-in-progress program, which (now integrated into RECLab) over the years has received and boosted an entire generation of filmmakers who currently fill festival screens around the world and have become award winning and renowned directors who found in Tarragona a space for collaboration and growth at the necessary moment.

Personal stories in the first person, untold realities, generational concerns revealed through multiple genres saw the light. This selection of 10 films, who were once projects at RECLab, showcases a sample of this program that keeps standing by the Spanish talent willing to explore film narratives and to share them with the world. Dive in and discover 10 RECLab pearls!