‘Another League,’ a Feel-Good Spanish Women’s Soccer Origins Romp, Brought to the AFM by Filmax (EXCLUSIVE)

Spain now has a World Cup, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati. A true-invents inspired fiction feature, ‘Another League’ charts how it all began.

A year before the soccer FIFA World Cup will be held in the U.S. and Mexico, and ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, inspiring tale “Another League,” a Spanish women’s soccer origins tale, has been acquired for world sales by Filmax.

The Barcelona-based studio will present a promo of potential crowdpleaser “Another League” at this year’s American Film Market and release the feature in cinemas in Spain in the first half of 2026.   

Under Francisco Franco’s 1936-1975 dictatorship, women couldn’t vote – there were no elections. They also couldn’t play the world’s most popular sport outside North America: soccer. 

Inspired by true facts, “Another League,” from comedy director-writer duo Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz and Zebina Guerra, the film turns on Nati, 16, enamoured of soccer but whose mother abominates the beautiful game, She is forced to play behind her mother’s back. 

The film goes on to chart how a first women’s soccer team came into existence in the early ‘70s, even while Franco was still alive, playing with mismatching shirts and enduring widespread mockery. 

Yet, Filmax noted announcing the movie on Thursday, women’s matches began to attract crowds and earn general respect. 

Combining emotion, realism and fighting spirit, Filmax anticipates, “Another League” will showcase the “freshness, courage and hope that characterised the real people on whom the characters are based,” played by newcomers Sofía de Iznájar and Bruna Lucadamo. 

Daniel Ibañez, who won a Goya nomination for his performance as the highly talented, if drug-sluiced vocalist of ‘90s band Los Planetas in “Saturn Return,” will here play a visionary soccer promoter. 

The film has a happy longterm end. 5o years later, the same women soccer pioneers who inspire the characters in the film sit in stadium presidential boxes to watch women soccer games. Spain won the Women’s World Cup in 2023 and in Aitana Bonmati has the world’s best soccer player whose ability to drift into space and create space for other players has been praised by managers such as Pep Guardiola.    

Díaz de Lope Díaz and Guerra, an Alice Guy 2025 Prize winner, teamed to create “Hopelessly Devout,” (2018), a screwball comedy take on female empowerment,  and “Los Buenos Modales,” (2023) a two sisters’ seemingly impossible reconciliation comedy. 

Audience Awards for “Hopelessly Devout” at the Málaga and Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival in Spain and Riviera International Film Festival in Mexico underscore their capacity to make crowdpleasers.

“Another League” also features the special collaboration of popular Spanish actors such as Aixa Villagrán (“The Red Virgin”), Elena Irureta (“A Moroccan Affair,” “Gaua”), José Troncoso and Jordi Sánchez (“Frontier”). It is produced by Cine365 Films, Nadie es Perfecto, Ciudadano Ciskul and Portugal’s Bando A Parte, and backers by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, pay TV/SVOD operator Movistar Plus+, Spanish agency ICAA, Portuguese state TV RTP and the Madrid Town Hall. 

“We firmly believe in supporting stories that excite the viewers and connect with various generations,” said Jesús Ulled, the film’s producer at Cine365 Films. “‘Another League’ is an epic, optimistic and joyful film, with huge potential to reach a wide-ranging, family audience.”

“Another League” is a very special film for us and one which is about much more than soccer,” added Ivan Díaz, Filmax head of international. 

“It is a story about having the courage to dream, even when everything seems to be against you. At a time when women are rewriting history in all fields, at a time when Spain is the current World Champion and has the most talented players on its team, this feelgood film celebrates those who paved the way with their passion, courage and freedom,” he added.

ANOTHER LEAGUE