The 18th PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival has concluded in Iloilo City last November 9 at the Cinematheque Center Iloilo of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
The festival started in November 7 and selected films were shown for free in their original Spanish version with subtitles in English.
Among the films that were showed in the final leg of the festival are Argentinean black comedy “El cuento de las comadrejas” by Oscar-winning filmmaker Juan José Campanella;“Mi obra maestra” (2018) by Gastón Duprat; “El mejor verano de mi vida” (2018) by Dani de la Orden; and “El reino” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen.
The film “El cuento de las comadrejas” won the “Premio del Público” (Audience Choice Award) of PELÍCULA 2019 at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City last month. The film tells the story of a famous actress, an actor, a film director and screenwriter who were popular during the Golden Age of Cinema, as they do the impossible to preserve the world that they have created.
Gastón Duprat’s “Mi obra maestra” (2018), on the other hand, tells a story two friends with very different personalities: Arturo, a charming and unscrupulous art dealer, and Renzo, a sullen painter whose fame has declined.
In the film, Arturo tries to relaunch the artistic career of Renzo, but things get from bad to worse, until they come up with an extremely ludicrous plan. The film got the Audience Award at the Valladolid International Film Festival last year.
Moreover, Dani de la Orden’s popular Spanish comedy “El mejor verano de mi vida” (2018) delved into the life of Curro, an unlucky salesman burdened with debt, as he tries to fulfill his promise to his son to go on an unforgettable summer holiday.
The 18th PELÍCULA Film Festival closed with the drama “El reino” (2018), which has received more than 30 awards worldwide. The film highlighted a very interesting insight into contemporary politics and corruption.
“El reino” is a film about a Spanish politician who enjoys the good life, while enriching himself with public funds. When a friend and fellow member of his political party gets accused of corruption, he tried to cover up for him, against the directives of the leaders of his party.
The Spanish Film Festival was presented by Instituto Cervantes along with the Embassy of Spain, AECID, UP Film Institute, TurEspaña and the FDCP.
The film festival was was also supported by Rustan’s, The PTC Group of Companies, Cinematheque Center Iloilo, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, TBA Studios, Netflix, and Spanish restaurants La Picara, Barcino, Bar Pintxos, Tapella and Pablo Bistro.