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For the seventh consecutive year Manchester cinema goers are able to see the best Spanish films of the year and have the chance to meet some of their actors and directors thanks to Viva!, the Spanish Cinema Festival organised by Cornerhouse, a non-lucrative organisation dedicated to art promotion, and the Cervantes Institute in Manchester, with support from ICCA and the British Film Institute. From the 15th to the 25th of March Spanish film lovers have the chance to see films by many recent Spanish films such as La Comunidad by Alex de La Iglesia at the Cornerhouse Cinema in Manchester. Watch this space for complete calendar of events The idea of the festival started from the Cornerhouse President, Linda Pariser, who has made possible to keep the only Spanish festival held in the United Kingdom. 70 Oxford Street Manchester M1 5NH Tel: 0161-200 1500 (cinema box office) Tel: 0161-228 7621 (administration) Fax: 0161-200 1506/1504 Well known for presenting a more alternative selection of films from all over the world. The Cornerhouse cinema has 3 screens. |
A celebration of independent cinema, this festival takes place every year in September at the Kursaal Cubic Building (created by the architect Moneo) in the beautiful Basque city of San Sebastian. The festival used to take place at the famous Victoria Eugenia theatre, but since last year it now takes place at the Kursaal. Meeting place for both Spanish and international independent films, San Sebastian attracts great glamour and public attention and stands at the same level as the Cannes Festival.
San Sebastian Film Festival has 3 award categories:
- The Official Section: The Academy chooses the most striking films out of all the entries from all over the world. The Concha de Oro (Golden Shell) is the Academy's award to the year's favourite.
- Zabaltegui: This category is the Audience's Award, where the public choose their favourite from all entries screened.
- Premio Donostia: The Donostia Award honours a lifetime achievement or a renowned career in the cinema industry.
Festival Posters
San Sebastian
Festival 1995 San Sebastian
Festival 1996 San Sebastian
Festival 1997 San Sebastian
Festival 1998
The Malaga Spanish Film Festival will take place this year from the 26th of May until the 3rd of June. Check the official website.
The festival was first celebrated 2 years ago with the object to promote Spanish cinema and to create awareness of all its facets.
Awards:
In 1999 the Ricardo Franco Award was created, an Honorific award destined to celebrate a present Spanish film-maker or film entity. This year the award is presented to Alberto Iglesias, renowned musician for successful films like La Flor de mi Secreto (The Flower of My Secret), Tierra (Earth), Carne Tremula (Live Flesh), Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) and Los Amantes del Circulo Polar (The lovers of the Polar Circle).
The Homage cycle is dedicated this year to Francisco Rabal, actor with one of the most recognised careers of the Spanish cinema and important figure for his professional journey and his social compromise.
The Retrospective section will show the most prestigious titles of Spanish cinema from the 1960s through the first films of independent producer Elias Querejeta.
The Official Feature Film section will premiere numerous Spanish films.
In the My Favourite Spanish Film five films chosen by five great names of the Spanish Culture will be shown.
The Sitges International Film Festival is celebrated every year in October in the beautiful Catalonian city of Sitges. This festival specialises in fantastic cinema.
The festival has the following sections:
Fantàstic: This section is the only competitive section. Films shown in this section are of fantastic genre. An international jury, named by the directors of the festival, will award the following prizes: Best Film, Best Filmography, Best Director, Best Music, best Actor, Best Actress, Best Visual Effects, Best short of fantastic genre and Best Script.
Anima't: This section is dedicated to animation films. It shows the most recent international productions of any genre. An international jury of animators will award the Anima't Award to the best animation short
Gran Angular: This non-competitive section shows films of non-fantastic genre. The festival makes a selection of the latest international film productions.
Brigadoon: This section offers the projection in video of all those films that, according to the the Selection Committee, cannot participate in the other sections.
Retrospective: This section proposes to recuperate the best classic films of the history of cinema. The objective of this section is to let the public enjoy these old masterpieces.
Audiovisual Catalá: This section includes the best of recent Catalan cinema. The festival offers a medium for the exhibition and promotion of the Catalan audiovisual productions not yet premiered or already shown, of the last year. The section includes feature length and short films, television productions, video-art, advertisements, school work and any other alternative. Works are presented in their original format.
Seven Chances: A committee selected by international critics proposes 7 films whose commercial distribution in Spain is not guaranteed despite of their great artistic quality.
Méliés
Film Award: The MÉLIÈS D'OR is
the Best European Film of Fantastic Genre Award and
is presented by the European Federation of Fantasy
Film Festivals (E.F.F.F.F) in December every
year. The objective of
this award is to attract the attention of
distributors and producers to European films of
fantastic genre to promote their distribution in
Europe and the rest of the world, and at the same
time stimulate the production of fantastic films in
general. The award has two
phases:
Screenings at
Sitges International Film Festival. For more
information visit the Sitges
International Film Festival Site.
