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Moviegoers could enjoy free screenings of Spanish movies in the last three days at a film festival in Mandaluyong City.
As part of celebrating Spanish and Latin American cinema, Instituto Cervantes de Manila is hosting the 23rd Película>Pelikula Spanish Film Festival in Shangri-La Plaza.
The following are the films to be shown at the Red Carpet Cinema from October 11 to 13:
October 11
- “Dispararon al pianist” (They shot the piano player) – The animated thriller film focuses on the investigation of a New York music journalist into the disappearance of a Brazilian pianist, Tenorio Jr.
- “Puan” – The comedy film centers on the rivalry of two philosophy professors, one of whom devoted his life to teaching the discipline while the other returned to the university, claiming the vacant position of the department head.
October 12
- “Robot Dreams” – This animated film tells the story of a lonely dog who built a robot to be his friend but was forced to abandon his companion on a beach one summer night.
- “Casa en llamas” (A House on Fire) – A woman reunited with her estranged family to spend a weekend with them at her house. However, she has been waiting for something for too long which leads to a chaotic series of events.
- “Rioja, tierra de los mil vinos” (Rioja, A Land of Thousand Wines) – Spain’s renowned wine region—is featured in this 2023 documentary film.
October 13
- “Transients” – This 16-minute film tells a story about an analog filmmaker, Justin, who calls through a phone and tries to reminisce and recreate a memory with a frustrated poet, Grace, on the day they first met.
- “Aunque es de noche” (Even Though It Is Nighttime) – A 13-year-old boy named Toni, who lives in a settlement without electricity, discovers his best friend is dying. He tries to enjoy the last moments with his friend while finding ways to stay connected to him.
- “Primetime Mother” – It centers on Minda, a 45-year-old mother who has a sick child, who dreams to compete and win a popular and lucrative show “My Amazing Mama.”
- “La Sixtina” (The Sistine) – It tells the story of a street dweller, Vincho, who creates a masterpiece called “The Sistine” from recycled and classified waste in the city.
- “La Estrella Azul” (The Blue Star) – A famous Spanish rocker, Mauricio Aznar, and famous musician Don Carlos, who was unable to pay his bills, became the idealistic duo, but with the signs of being a commercial failure.
The last day will screen short movies, except “La Estrella Azul”, under the En Corto series or the short film section of the festival.
English subtitles are available in all Spanish movies.
The film festival began last October 8 with the Asian premiere of the documentary “Benito Pérez Buñuel.”
The life and influences of Spanish filmmaker Benito Pérez Buñuel and Spanish writer Benito Pérez Galdós are featured in the documentary film.
Part of the celebration also included the post-production workshop, focusing on the stop-motion animation and post-production process with the Spanish filmmaker Mario Torrecillas, who directed “Of Love and Lies” (2019) and “Stormy Lola” (2023).
Children and 12 film students from different universities in Metro Manila participated in the workshop held on October 6, 8, and 9 at Shang and iAcademy Nexus in Makati City.
Meanwhile, the Audience Choice Awards for the films will be held on the last day of the festival, October 13.
Instituto Cervantes de Manila collaborated with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Teatro Real for this film fest.
The film festival is also in cooperation with the embassies of Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, and several educational institutions in Metro Manila.