Barcelona queer horror The Unmoving Hands builds backing through ECAM Incubator
A 140-year-old Doctor who lives off young men in Barcelona is the monster at the centre of The Unmoving Hands (Las manos quietas), a queer horror feature in development through Madrid's ECAM Incubator. The project is one of five Madrid Film School titles in the Incubator's 2026 slate, an early-stage development programme, according to Variety.
The horror thriller follows Hector. He roams the streets of Barcelona finding young men for his father, known as the Doctor. The Doctor is 140 and feeling the weight of his years. His victims come willingly, drawn by his power and the illusion of being loved. Hector acts as his accomplice to keep his father alive. That changes when Bilal arrives. Hector falls in love with him and tries to save him.
Writer-director Victor Diago, based in Barcelona, calls it a queer horror story about desire, love and the unstoppable urge to let oneself be swallowed by that abyss. He describes the core system — powerful men consuming the vital energy of young men — as a direct allegory of late capitalism.
The story is set in El Raval, Barcelona's dense historic neighbourhood. The plan calls for an international cast. Dialogue will run across Catalan, Spanish, French and Arabic, reflecting the streets where it is set.
The film has already travelled a long development road. It passed through the Crossroads Co-Production Forum in Thessaloniki, Greece, a market where producers seek international partners, and the Mediterranean Film Institute script lab last year. It then appeared in the Films To Come showcase at Madrid's ECAM Forum, where it won the Filmin Prize, according to Screen Daily. The prize carries a €20,000 minimum guarantee, meaning an upfront advance for streaming rights, and secured the film a berth on Spanish streamer Filmin.
Guspira Films is the production company, with Andrés Mellinas attached as producer-executive producer. Miguel Ángel Blanca co-wrote the script with Diago, according to ECAM Industria. ECAM is the Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid, whose stated aim is to train new generations for the audiovisual sector. The Unmoving Hands team says it has secured federal and regional funds. It now hopes to lock in regional and national television support. It is also making a short film set in the same universe, a proof of concept, meaning a small test film used to show the look and raise further finance.
What makes this stand out is how early the business is being built. A short film. A streaming berth. Public funds. Each piece keeps a first feature alive long before cameras roll.
