In Nantes, Spanish cinema will soon be honored

The Spanish film festival of Nantes will take place from March 21 to 29. Credit: Dolorès Charles.

As the Spanish film festival of Nantes begins this Saturday (March 21) in Nantes, its financial situation remains fragile. After a delicate year linked to budget cuts from the Pays de la Loire region, the organizers have included two events in the program that could not be held last year, namely the study day at the university and the short film evening.

Today, particularly supported by Spain, the festival is balanced financially, but it must be careful with expenses, points out Pilar Martinez-Vasseur, co-director of the event. “It’s very difficult to know at this stage the financial situation because there are elements like travel expenses, accommodations, whose budgets are constantly changing. For our budget, we have an accountant who monitors expenses almost daily. This means that we are so balanced that any additional expense could potentially lead to a deficit, but controlled, measured, and not very significant.”

The Spanish cinema is doing well, even very well, according to Pilar Martinez-Vasseur, thanks to the support from the government of Pedro Sánchez and the Ministry of Culture. They have focused greatly on supporting film and cultural creation, considering that the best image of a country comes from culture, particularly cinema. There has been a very significant endowment fund, resulting in nearly 50% more films being made between 2020 and 2024. This increase includes more quality films, especially first films and films by female filmmakers, supported by a fund dedicated to women creators.

Honored for this 35th edition is Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who is familiar with Nantes and loves France. The Spanish director will release his latest feature film “El ser querido” in 2026. Pilar describes it as an action and thriller film that also delves into current societal issues, making it a humble genre that can tackle a variety of questions.

The Spanish film festival will take place from March 21 to 29 in three main locations: Katorza, Cosmopolis, and the Graslin theater, attracting an average of 25,000 spectators.

Key events of the festival include the opening ceremony on March 21 at Graslin, followed by the screening of the film “Trois Adieux” by Isabel Coixet at Katorza. Rodrigo Sorogoyen will hold a masterclass on March 22 at Graslin, and special events include the 20th anniversary of short films (March 24) and the 25th anniversary of Basque cinema (March 25). The closing ceremony will be on March 29 at Graslin, followed by the screening of the film “La Cena” by Manuel Gomez Pereira at Katorza. For more information and tickets, visit the festival’s website.