A few months ago, we announced it and had the opportunity to talk to him (read interview), but the moment of truth has arrived and from Saturday, 21 October, the 68th Seminci - Valladolid International Film Festival will be held under its new director, José Luis Cienfuegos. He also put the Gijón Festival on the world independent film map (between 1995 and 2011) and in the last decade made the Seville Festival an unmissable event for European film lovers.

The 68th Seminci will be a festival that bridges the past and the future, as a “space to reclaim the film heritage and a commitment to new values", as demonstrated by the new Alquimias section, dedicated to the most vibrant and original cinema (which includes from this year's Locarno Golden Leopard, Critical Zone [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by the Iranian Ali Ahmadzadeh, to the new film by Lav Diaz, Essential Truths of the Lake [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]). But the event will also open this Friday with Plena pausa, a show where Jota, from Los Planetas, will provide a live soundtrack to super-8 recordings by Iván Zulueta; an event that will enliven the cinemas where the screenings will take place with a select background music and with performances and DJ sessions.

And, as we published earlier (read news), the number of Spanish films has increased significantly in the festival’s programme this year, with names such as Lois Patiño, who will premiere in Spain his award-winning spiritual experiment Samsara [+lire aussi :
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interview : Lois Patiño
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interview : Manuel Martín Cuenca
fiche film] before travelling to the Black Nights in Tallin; Víctor Iriarte and his debut Foremost by Night [+lire aussi :
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interview : Víctor Iriarte
fiche film], which was seen at the Giornate degli Autori at the last Venice festival; Laura Ferrés and her debut film The Permanent Picture [+lire aussi :
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interview : Laura Ferrés
fiche film], which premiered at Locarno; and Antonio Méndez Esparza y Something Is About to Happen [+lire aussi :
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interview : Antonio Méndez Esparza
fiche film], his adaptation of the novel by Juan Antonio Millás, will shine in the fight for the Golden Spike, the festival’s highest award.

The Official Section in competition will also include All of Us Strangers [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], a film by British director Andrew Haigh; The Beast [+lire aussi :
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interview : Bertrand Bonello
fiche film], by French director Bertrand Bonello; The Teachers' Lounge [+lire aussi :
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interview : İlker Çatak
interview : Leonie Benesch
fiche film], by German director Ilker Çatak; La chimera [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher; How to Have Sex [+lire aussi :
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interview : Molly Manning Walker
fiche film], by  British director Molly Manning Walker; Music [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], by German director Angela Schanelec; Four Daughters [+lire aussi :
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interview : Kaouther Ben Hania
fiche film], by the French-based Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania; and the works of veteran filmmakers such as Agnieszka Holland (with her controversial Green Border [+lire aussi :
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Out of competition, Tarsem Singh (The Cell) will present his new work entitled Dear Jassi, during the event from India, this year’s guest country. Also screened are Spanish films Teresa [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], by Paula Ortiz; El maestro que prometió el mar, by Patricia Font; the documentary The Hidden Eye [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], directed by Carlota Nelson; Mamacruz [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], by Patricia Ortega; and The Movie Teller [+lire aussi :
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interview : Lone Scherfig
fiche film], by Lone Scherfig, which opens the festival.

The festival will also showcase short films, with its Official Short Film Section, and continues its two traditional competitive sections, Meeting Point, dedicated to first or second fiction films, and Time for History, dedicated to documentaries, both with feature and short film sections.

Finally, the festival will award its Honorary Spike to four superb actresses (Spain's Kiti Mánver and Blanca Portillo, France's Nathalie Baye and Britain's Charlotte Rampling, who will close the festival on 28 October with Juniper, a New Zealand film directed by Matthew J Saville) and to the European Film Academy.