New Filma Madrid festival launched
The first edition of Filma Madrid, the Madrid International Film Festival, kicks off today and runs until Saturday, April 5.
Festival Director María de Kannon Clè spoke of the festival’s aims: “Film will be the real focus. We will place particular emphasis on new directors who have been invited to present their work”.
Sixteen films will screen in three sections: Official Competition, Filma Madrid and Debut Films.
European films do not feature heavily in this first edition. The line-up includes only six European productions: three Spanish titles (Quiet Men and Héroes, both by Ángel Loza, and Sebastián Mantilla’s Next to Babilonia) and three Hungarian films (Róbert Koltai’s Train Keeps a Rollin’ [+see also:
trailer
film profile], János Sas’ Opium - A Madwoman’s Diary and Ede megevé ebédem, by Miklós Jancsó and István Márton).
Only the latter title is included in official competition, which gives pride of place to international cinema, with films from India, Pakistan, Japan, Mexico, Canada and the US.
In addition to the screenings, there will also be various tributes. Production designer Julio Sempere will be presented with the National Honorary Award while the International Honorary Award will go to Oscar-winning DoP Vilmos Zsigmond. Visual arts/special effects master Emilio Ruiz will receive a posthumous tribute.
The first edition of Filma Madrid is somewhat of an unknown quantity, with many different avenues to explore and develop. This new event joins the ranks of the many international film festivals that are already held across Europe.
Other key film festivals in Madrid include LesGai CineMad, devoted to films that focus on homosexuality, and Documenta Madrid, which specialises in documentaries.
(Translated from Spanish)
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