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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the Iranian Ali Ahmadzadeh, to the new film by Lav Diaz, Essential Truths of the Lake [+leggi anche:
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scheda 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 [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lois Patiño
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intervista: Manuel Martín Cuenca
scheda film] before travelling to the Black Nights in Tallin; Víctor Iriarte and his debut Foremost by Night [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Víctor Iriarte
scheda film], which was seen at the Giornate degli Autori at the last Venice festival; Laura Ferrés and her debut film The Permanent Picture [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Laura Ferrés
scheda film], which premiered at Locarno; and Antonio Méndez Esparza y Something Is About to Happen [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Antonio Méndez Esparza
scheda 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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a film by British director Andrew Haigh; The Beast [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Bertrand Bonello
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intervista: İlker Çatak
intervista: Leonie Benesch
scheda film], by German director Ilker Çatak; La chimera [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher; How to Have Sex [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Molly Manning Walker
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scheda film], by German director Angela Schanelec; Four Daughters [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kaouther Ben Hania
scheda film], by the French-based Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania; and the works of veteran filmmakers such as Agnieszka Holland (with her controversial Green Border [+leggi anche:
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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 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], by Paula Ortiz; El maestro que prometió el mar, by Patricia Font; the documentary The Hidden Eye [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], directed by Carlota Nelson; Mamacruz [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], by Patricia Ortega; and The Movie Teller [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lone Scherfig
scheda 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.