The Málaga Film Festival regains its former pizazz at its 25th edition
- From 18-27 March, the gathering is salvaging the events that were cut short by the pandemic, and premiering the new films by Nely Reguera, Daniel Guzmán and Ibon Cormenzana, among others
On Wednesday 2 March, the programme of the 25th edition of the Málaga Film Festival was presented. It’s a nice round number, 25, heralding a quarter of a century, and this special edition is being approached with a great deal of enthusiasm by the team behind it, who, from 18-27 March, are ready to bring back all the energy, encounters, glamour and events that were sadly pared back over the last two years, owing to the health-and-safety reasons we are all too familiar with.
Within its official section – which includes 21 films (13 Spanish and eight Latin American ones), 19 of them in competition, which are complemented by six special screenings – there are several names that stand out on account of their proven talent, visible from their previous works, such as Nely Reguera, who made a remarkable impression with her feature debut, María (and Everybody Else) [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nely Reguera
film profile], and who will be duking it out with The Volunteer [+see also:
film review
film profile], a film shot in Greece and toplined by Carmen Machi in the title role. Furthermore, Daniel Guzmán, who was triumphant at this very gathering seven years ago with his feature debut, Nothing in Return [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Daniel Guzmán
film profile], will attempt to scoop the Golden Biznaga once again with Canallas, a movie that he himself stars in, flanked by Luis Tosar. Then there’s Ibon Cormenzana, who –following Happy Sad [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – will bring along Beyond the Summit [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ibon Cormenzana
film profile], a high-stakes adventure flick starring Javier Rey and Patricia López Arnaiz.
The festival will be opened by the thriller Código emperador [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Jorge Coira, which again stars the omnipresent Tosar, and it will be brought to a close by Full of Grace [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Roberto Bueso, again with the highly adaptable Machi topping the bill. In between, audiences will be able to see Spanish titles of the likes of Lullaby [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa
film profile] by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, starring Susi Sánchez, Laia Costa and Ramón Barea, which was first presented in the Panorama section of the most recent Berlinale; El test by Dani de la Orden, who enjoyed so much success with his previous effort, Mamá o papá [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and who has now enlisted actors Alberto San Juan, Blanca Suárez, Carlos Santos and Miren Ibarguren; and Unfinished Affairs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Miguel del Castillo
film profile] by Juan Miguel del Castillo, who is returning to the Mediterranean city after previously paying it a visit with Food and Shelter [+see also:
trailer
interview: Juan Miguel del Castillo
film profile], which earned Natalia de Molina (again playing the protagonist here) myriad awards.
In addition, the competition includes Las niñas de cristal by Jota Linares (Unbridled [+see also:
trailer
interview: Jota Linares
film profile]), Llegaron de noche [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Imanol Uribe, My Emptiness and I [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adrián Silvestre
film profile] by Adrián Silvestre, which took part in IFFR, and We Won't Kill Each Other with Guns [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by María Ripoll. Out of competition, audiences will be able to see Alcarràs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Giovanni Pompili
film profile] by Carla Simón, which just won the Golden Bear at Berlin.
As for the contingent of Latin American features, the Málaga Film Festival has selected The Gigantes (a co-production between Mexico and the USA) by Valencian helmer Beatriz Sanchís (They Are All Dead [+see also:
trailer
interview: Beatriz Sanchís
film profile]); A Mäe by Cristiano Burlán (Brazil); Lo invisible by Javier Andrade (Ecuador/France); Utama [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alejandro Loayza
film profile] by Alejandro Loayza Grisi (Bolivia/Uruguay/France), which won the Jury Prize at Sundance; Mensajes privados by Chile’s Matías Bizé (The Memory of Water [+see also:
trailer
interview: Matías Bize, Elena Anaya & …
film profile]); Almost in Love by Leonardo Brzezicki (Argentina), starring Leonardo Sbaraglia; Cadejo Blanco by Justin Lerner (Guatemala); and Libre by Natural Arpajou (Argentina).
The festival’s official section is rounded off by various special screenings, out of competition. Such is the case for the Spanish features Sin ti no puedo [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Chus Gutiérrez, Camera Café [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Ernesto Sevilla, La piel en llamas [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by David Martín Porras, Sinjar by Ana Bofarull, Toscana by Pau Durà and Héroes de barrio [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Ángeles Reiné.
Further information about the festival, including details of its various sections and activities, can be found on its website.
(Translated from Spanish)