"We are in an edition on the point of candy to fly higher and continue advancing," Conxita Casanovas, director of the BCN Film Fest, proudly tells La Vanguardia, about the programming of a "powerful" event for the city of Barcelona that already meets seven years old and which starts this Thursday with François Ozon's intrigue comedy My Crime.
After inviting stars of the weight of Jeremy Irons, Johnny Depp, Isabelle Huppert, Oliver Stone or Richard Gere, this year Wim Wenders, Susan Sarandon, Ozon himself and Omar Sy, among others, will walk the red carpet at Verdi cinemas. "They are very important names, but we are not a festival that goes crazy for glamour. We like the idea of linking the BCN Film Fest with culture. And this character of a cultural festival is taking root more and more. I am very satisfied with the incorporation of the Ateneu and its literary tradition as a space this year. I think it gives us more strength in the character of the festival by interconnecting different artistic disciplines. We want to once again do an edition that is a work of art and above all not to repeat ourselves", he admits Casanovas, for whom the public is very important: "I think you can set up your own routes without stressing yourself."
And it is that, in these moments in which the festivals are so saturated, Casanovas emphasizes that "we like the idea of being able to offer a comfortable and affordable festival for everyone. Of course, critics and the press, which are essential, deserve respect And it's something that's been missing a lot lately." Another of the issues that the veteran voice of cinema in RNE highlights is that within the current panorama, "it seems that the theaters are being colonized by blockbusters, but there is life beyond the popcorn cinema and we want to show the way towards these different works. Culture is not a drag. Quite the contrary, it can be very gratifying to discover a painter like Oskar Kokoschka, as we propose this year with the screening of Alma
Among the seventy films that can be seen until April 28, the literary and theatrical adaptations have a great weight. From the aforementioned My crime to The unknown, by Pablo Maqueda, based on the work of Paco Bezerra, going through A bit of light, starring Anna Paquin. Titles that show that "another type of cinema is possible". Like that of the German Wim Wenders, an Honorary Award to which an extensive retrospective will be dedicated and will exhibit some thirty photographs of filming. "He was a filmmaker who pushed the limits of cinema and it is something that Ozon is also doing. They are two directors who have never allowed themselves to be tamed. They give outlets to imagination and creativity in the face of repetition. They open doors to the public."
An audience that will also be able to enjoy discussion sessions with the author from Paris, Texas; with Omar Sy, very popular since he stood out with the blockbuster Untouchable and who will now present Father and Soldier or Sarandon talking about Thelma
This year Spanish and Catalan cinema will once again have a notable presence with films such as Un cel de plom, by Miquel Romans, "a tribute to Neus Català"; Someone to take care of me, Elvira Lindo and Daniela Fejermam; Good companies, by Sílvia Munt or "the desire to improve" that Unzué shows. Juancar's last team. The official section is completed with interesting proposals such as Harold's trip, with the presence in Barcelona of the British actress Penelope Wilton; The Padilla Case, by Pavel Giroud; The lost king, by Stephen Frears; the warlike Father and Soldier and Rebel; The Uruguayan, by Argentina's Ana Garcia Blaya and El primer día de mi vida, with Toni Servillo, "which somehow links to Heaven over Berlin, by Wenders. And this year I think we are touched by angels." emphasizes the director of the contest.
In the Zona Oberta section we will find pieces like the new Ari Aster, Beau is afraid, with Joaquin Phoenix who has to face his fears; The Bounty Hunter, a Western by Walter Hill; Els encantats, by Elena Trapé or Waiting for Dalí, by David Pujol. The BCN Film Fest will close with Sica, by the Catalan Carla Subirana.
The budget of the festival, with popular tickets at 3.90 euros, is around 160,000 euros, similar to that of the 2022 edition (Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat contribute 30% of public money). Casanovas insists that the administrations have to invest more and that it is not unreasonable to think of the BCN Film Fest as a future Class A Festival: "Why not?" "It's a matter of betting. I am very stubborn and I think that Barcelona could well host a film festival with international impact and we continue in the attempt, waiting for the miracle to happen. The support of Barcelona City Council is essential in this case" .
Casanovas advances that the response from the public is being fantastic and that some sessions have already sold out, like the one in Sarandon. "Every time it happens it seems like a miracle that people are waiting to get these tickets out quickly." One of the concepts that stands out from the 2023 edition is that of travel. "The BCN Film Fest looks like a travel agency because we offer trips of all kinds, starting with the one in Paris, Texas and ending with the one with Thelma
