The movie theaters of the capital of Seville, specifically those of Nervión Plaza and the Cine Cervantes, welcome the first lovers of the seventh art throughout today to enjoy the proposals brought by the XX European Film Festival of Seville in an edition that is being analyzed with a magnifying glass due to the complexity of its implementation.
Felipe, the debut and autobiographical film by Federico Schmukler, is responsible for breaking the ice of an extensive program, a competition that makes a total of 21 short films and 66 feature films available to the public. In the official section 22 are viewed, the same as in the last edition, in Panorama Andaluz a total of 18, double that of the previous year; and in the EFA Section there will be eight feature films and one short film.
The Spanish-Argentine production that competes in the Official Section, and which makes its world premiere in Seville, attracts all the attention not only for being the first work of this director, but also for bringing the viewer a reflection on a “crisis that never ends” in his country and which has been crystallized with the victory of Milei (far-right) as the new president of Argentina.
“It's been more than 28 years since I started writing the script and today I still feel the same. "A lot of uncertainty, fear...", he explains while arguing that Felipe, the 13-year-old protagonist of his film set in 2001, is involved in the social environment of the moment and observes how his parents fight against economic and political pressures while doing what they can. while he feels alone and dreams of fleeing from there and making his own decisions.
And this crisis from then is ragingly topical. “I did not imagine that there would end up being a far-right government and that the loss of rights that the president-elect already promised would occur,” something, he explained, “that scares me.” "Argentina is an adolescent country" where "we grow up with uncertainty and fear", "it is full of gray, and although there is a feeling of every man for himself, but we have without stepping on each other's heads, doing it the best way we can" , he warns, as reflected in his film from the perspective of a teenager who finds himself navigating between two worlds.
The film Robot Dreams is one of the most relevant animation proposals in all of Europe. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Contracampo Prize at the Annecy Festival, the most important in the world in this genre. The latest feature film by Berger, one of the most prominent authors of Spanish cinema, is one of the favorite titles to achieve a nomination at the Oscars.
The Andalusian Panorama section redoubles its presence as this festival marks two decades, and the emphasis will be reflected in documentary productions of different natures, feature films and shorts that manage to give a clear image of the vitality and diversity of cinema made in the South. 19 titles and 20 short films make up this category, among which Aníbal stands out. Architect of Seville, a projection that includes the history of the architect Aníbal González and his masterpiece in the capital of Seville, the Plaza de España, an icon of the city.
It was last night when the inaugural gala was held at the Royal Artillery Factory, an event marked by the presentation of the Golden Giraldillo to the director Catherine Breillat, in recognition for opening the way for many women directors and, on the other hand, for the tribute posthumous award given to Juan Antonio Bermúdez, who worked all his life for Sevillian culture and, specifically, so that the 'Andalusian Panorama' section had more and more importance. The award was collected by his mother, Carmen Bermúdez, starring in one of the most emotional moments at the opening of this special edition that featured Concha Ortiz as master of ceremonies.
Previously, the coordinator of the festival in 2023, Manuel Cristobal, and the Spanish producer Antonio Saura, member of the European Film Academy (EFA), in charge of breaking the silence of a very special night, wanted to highlight the importance of Seville continues to be a reference for the seventh art industry. “The Seville European Film Festival will continue to be a fundamental pillar in the city council's activity for the next four years,” said the mayor of the Seville city, José Luis Sanz.
The gala began with the music of the Totem Ensemble string quartet and was sprinkled with Sevillian rhythms throughout the evening, where classical sounds alternated with flamenco and Easter music with the performance of the cornet band. and drums from Las Cigarreras de Sevilla.
The curtain, open since yesterday, will remain open until next Wednesday the 29th in which it will be a “reduced” edition and without winners.
