Producer Manuel Cristóbal is, from today, 7 November, until Saturday 15th, steering the Seville European Film Festival, now in its 22nd edition, with his customary verve and vigour. To mark the occasion, we had the following chat with him.

Cineuropa: Third time lucky?
Manuel Cristóbal: Yes. The first year was a rescue mission, as the festival was on its last legs, but in that crisis, it became clear that audiences, the press and the city council loved the gathering. We have been polishing it, and doing so remains a lovely challenge. Watching good European cinema in a city like Seville is a fool-proof plan. Last year, we delivered the festival we wanted, and this year, we’re refining it.

The creature is growing, gaining weight and looking handsome.
European cinema is not just a niche; it is much more. Everyone should find a film in Seville’s programme that they like. We have a solid Official Selection, and we also back talent with the Rampa sections, plus this year, for the first time, we are adding short films to the Official Selection, both animation and live-action. Next year, documentaries will join as well. We are also bringing RTVE on board as a partner. These are small yet significant milestones that help the creature grow properly and put on weight in a structured fashion, fuelled by the enthusiasm of the people of Seville and industry professionals.

What new challenges does this edition pose?
There are things that must be preserved so they can be consolidated. Our screen at the Cartuja Center CITE Sevilla is comparable to Cannes’ Grand Théâtre Lumière or San Sebastián’s Kursaal, with that giant screen and its 2,000 seats. With major premieres on the cards, we’ll pack out many evenings. A great festival needs a great theatre. Plus, we have an immersive-cinema space right there. We open with Fillos do vento: A rapa, a medium-length film that played at Cannes. Another novelty this year is the Film and Geopolitics Days, bringing back calm debate, moderated by professors from the University of Seville so as to guarantee the quality of the discussions. Having a high-level debate nowadays, with everything moving so fast, is very rewarding.

The honourees this year are again some big European names.
I have a huge advantage: the magic word "Seville". Jeremy Irons came here and then came back on his own, outside the festival, because he was smitten. You must treat people with respect. Hosting filmmakers like Costa-Gavras, Jim Sheridan and Juliette Binoche is spectacular. But it was high time to give an honorary award to Alberto Rodríguez, one of Europe’s great directors, and it made no sense that he hadn’t received a trophy from the festival in his own city. Another new feature this year is that we won’t hold a closing ceremony; instead, we’ll read out the awards and the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla will give a concert [on Saturday 15 November] of Spanish film scores. That way, we reach new audiences. We seek alliances, and within the FRAME Sevilla industry area [see the news], we also want to create a space for reflection. As a festival held at the end of the year, it’s the ideal moment to do so. We will launch sessions with exhibitors from FECE (the Spanish Cinema Federation) because they keep the theatres open, and they deserve care and a listening ear, and we always include someone from exhibition on our juries. That raises the jury’s level and is a way of showing respect for exhibition.

The big topic today is the crisis in theatrical attendance. What tools does Seville use to attract audiences?
A festival is about enjoying cinema in a theatre among people who love cinema. We try to pass this on to new generations. I belong to a generation for whom cinema was a fundamental part of the weekend, and we want to create that same habit among young people. We must listen, see which genres are under-developed and which are in oversupply. Arthouse cinema is a wonderful concept, but it isn’t a genre. Family fare, animation, thrillers, comedy and drama must coexist – and they are all present in Seville’s programme. We try to recreate that magic of remembering a film you discovered on the big screen.

Is that the festival’s editorial line – to address all audiences?
Without losing the cinephile, we try to broaden the base. We are Spain’s fourth-largest city, a major European one, and that multiple, varied personality aligns with the city itself, where there are as many leisure options as inhabitants. That’s why I say everyone will find their film at the festival.

It's a European event where Andalusian cinema is increasingly important – like Basque cinema in San Sebastián, for instance.
We have Andalusian films across all sections, including among the shorts, of course in Panorama Andaluz, and in sections like Rampa and the Official Selection, such as the enthralling The Anatomy of the Horses [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film]. Yes, Andalusian cinema plays at home here.

Of the many items on the programming grid, which one excites you the most or do you think is especially relevant?
The concerts, such as the screening of Carmen by Ernst Lubitsch at the Teatro de la Maestranza, with live music by the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla. Everything has been invented already, but we must emphasise contact with the audience and convey the idea that cinema is a collective effort. That’s why we constantly highlight figures such as the producer or the screenwriter. That idea infuses the parallel activities. We are also trying to reach more neighbourhoods in Seville, and I’m addicted to film-centric books, so I love those presentations.

You’ve watched so much European cinema in order to select it for the festival – what's its state of health like?
I’ve really liked the shorts – there are some real gems. In Europe and Spain, we have an overproduction problem, but European cinema is in rude health. For instance, the Swiss movie vying for the Oscars [Late Shift [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Petra Volpe
fiche film]] is excellent – and there are many more besides.