The Seminci – Valladolid International Film Festival will unspool its 70th edition from 24 October-1 November with a line-up that examines global conflicts from a humanist perspective. Boasting 224 titles (including 29 world and 103 national premieres), it will sketch a powerful portrait of contemporary geopolitical tensions. As its director, José Luis Cienfuegos, underlined at a recent presentation in Madrid, the festival cements its vocation as a showcase for humanist cinema, reaffirming its commitment to stories that challenge audiences’ conscience.

The Official Selection, comprising 28 features, gathers some of the most highly respected filmmakers on the international scene, including, from Cannes, the Dardenne brothers with Young Mothers [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sergueï Loznitsa
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interview : Christian Petzold
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fiche film] and Kelly Reichardt with The Mastermind. Meanwhile, arriving from Venice are Gianfranco Rosi with Below the Clouds [+lire aussi :
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interview : Gianfranco Rosi
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interview : Ildikó Enyedi
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interview : László Nemes
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interview : Pietro Marcello
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Alongside them are fresh faces such as Mascha Schilinski with Sound of Falling [+lire aussi :
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interview : Mascha Schilinski
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These will be joined by the already-announced Spanish titles (see the news) as well as the feature-length directorial debut by Rafael Cobos, Golpes (see the news), and David Trueba’s latest film, Siempre es invierno (see the news), which will close the out-of-competition strand.

Meanwhile, the ever-stimulating Punto de Encuentro sidebar consolidates its status as a space for discovering new talent, with 20 international titles joining the Spanish selection (see the news). This section will feature films such as Palestine 36 [+lire aussi :
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interview : Pedro Pinho
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interview : Alessio Rigo de Righi et M…
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fiche film] by Ulrich Köhler; and On the Road (Orizzonti Best Film and Queer Lion at Venice) by David Pablos, among others.

On the industry front, the festival will bring the European film sector together from 27 October-1 November around a comprehensive slate of professional activities. The new edition of the Independent Film Market (MERCI) will gather around 200 distribution and exhibition professionals, who will get a first look at forthcoming arthouse releases over the course of three days. The meeting will include a joint session with the Europa Cinemas network on subscription models, and the market’s closing ceremony will host the La Meseta Distribución Awards, which for the first time will recognise the best promotional campaigns for movies released by independent distributors.

In parallel, from 29 October-1 November, the Patio Herreriano will host the Europa Cinemas Audience Development and Innovation Lab under the title “Designing the Cinemas of the Future”, where European exhibitors will work on strategies in the fields of digital marketing, programming and sustainability.