Diego San José presents Yakarta, the new Movistar+ series, on a day when David Trueba closes the festival’s Official Section with his latest film ‘Siempre es invierno’
The festival’s eighth day focused on works that explore the idea of the journey in cinema, whether by revisiting the legacy of the great maritime explorers of the 16th century or by reinterpreting the codes of the road movie to travel through Spain’s provincial cities. They also touch upon those journeys that are not merely physical but spiritual and emotional, voyages that allow us to revisit the past in order to make sense of our most immediate present.
It is, in fact, an unexpected trip to Liège that triggers the break-up between Miguel and Marta in Siempre es invierno, screened in SEMINCI’s Official Section. David Trueba adapts his novel Blitz (2015) to tell the story of an architect whose life takes a 180-degree turn, leading him towards new professional and romantic adventures. ‘I think there’s a genre above all others, and that’s life itself. You take a slice of cake and realise things aren’t quite how they’re told to us,’ said the director, who attended Valladolid with actors David Verdaguer and Jon Arias, actresses Amaia Salamanca and Isabelle Renauld, and producers Edmon Roch and Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano to present the film.
SEMINCI also hosted the Spanish premiere of the new film by Lav Díaz, a global reference in auteur cinema, who revisits the mythical Portuguese explorer in Magellan, portrayed by Gael García Bernal. The Filipino filmmaker offers a strikingly personal take on History, focusing on the explorer’s private side—his doubts and obsessions concerning the Crown of Castile and the conquest of the Malay archipelago. Producers Albert Serra and Montse Triola came to Valladolid to present the film, sharing insights about their approach to the project and expressing gratitude to the festival for the opportunity to premiere it. Serra admitted he had placed his full trust in Díaz, deliberately keeping his distance during filming and giving him complete freedom—something rather uncommon: ‘I wanted to give others what I never had for myself. It’s quite a generous act towards a director,’ said the Catalan filmmaker and producer. ‘There’s something noble in this artistic quest the film puts forward—a moral search as well, in its reflection on colonialism and its consequences,’ he concluded.
Special Screenings
As part of Special Screenings, Yakarta—the new original Movistar Plus+ series created by Diego San José and produced by 100 Balas (THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO) and Buendía Estudios Canarias, was shown in full. The filmmaker presented the project alongside director Elena Trapé, producers Fran Araujo and Alejandro Flórez, and lead actors Javier Cámara and Carla Quílez. “The series was born from a desire to talk about people who would never be heroes in a story. It’s a monument to losers,” said Diego San José about this drama, which unfolds over six episodes and follows Joserra, a PE teacher and former badminton player, and Mar, a teenage girl with a surprising talent for the sport. Together they embark on a journey through run-down sports halls and hostels in provincial towns—a sort of road movie that aims to highlight places seldom portrayed on screen: “For me, Ponferrada is Dallas. Our Midwest hasn’t been told, and it’s important to tell that unseen Spain,” added the filmmaker.
Meeting Point
Mexican filmmaker David Pablos (Dance of the 41, The Chosen Ones) presented his new film En el camino, produced by actor Diego Luna. It offers a raw yet poetic and melancholy portrayal of the world of northern Mexican lorry drivers, specifically around Ciudad Juárez. The film tells the story of Veneno, a young drifter who convinces a trucker known as ‘El Muñeco’ to take him along—thus beginning both a journey and an unexpected love story. ‘The film was made almost entirely with non-professional actors with no formal training. That was fundamental to our process,’ explained Pablos, referring to the casting. He also spoke about the thrilling experience of shooting and promoting the film, adding: ‘Just a year ago we were filming, and only a few weeks ago it premiered in Venice. I’m amazed at how quickly we’ve brought it to completion.’
Also in Meeting Point, the Spanish premiere of A Sad and Beautiful World, the new film by Cyril Aris (known for his documentaries The Swing and Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano), took place. Drawing on his own experiences, the Lebanese filmmaker tells the love story of Nino and Yasmina (played by Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl) over several decades in Lebanon. ‘We’re thrilled that Seminci is the festival premiering this film. One of the things that excites me most is that Spanish and Lebanese audiences are very similar in their Mediterranean identity, we share a similar sense of humour and a related culture,’ said the director, who attended Valladolid for the screening.
Time of History and Alquimias
The Time of History section hosted the world premiere of David Delfín. Show Your Wound, an ambitious documentary by filmmakers Ángela Gallardo Bernal, Rafa Muñoz and César Vallejo de Castro. The directors travelled to Valladolid to present this distinctive portrait of one of Spain’s most revolutionary fashion designers, who sadly passed away in 2017. This multifaceted tribute, built from over 60 hours of previously unseen footage, takes as its starting point Delfín’s controversial 2002 runway show Cour des miracles. Around this event, close friends and collaborators such as Pepón Nieto, Alaska and Mario Vaquerizo reflect on his lasting contribution to Spain’s cultural legacy.
The Alquimias section saw the world premiere of The Factory and Sex, the new film by visual artist and filmmaker María Ruido. In it, Ruido offers a critical look at pornographic imagery, which she positions as the core of bodily representation in the contemporary world. Drawing on collective archives, films and internet footage, she looks back to the 1970s to trace a conceptual line to the present, reflecting on the revolutionary potential of sexual representation versus its current ‘obscenification.’
Short Films
The Official Spanish Short Film Section presented its second session, entitled Unexpected Twists. The session featured Per bruixa i metzinera, with the participation of director Marc Camardons; Ningú borda, with filmmaker Júlia Coldwell; La historia todavía no conoce mi nombre, with director Diana Toucedo; and Instrucciones para cocinar un pollo bajo tierra, with co-directors Olivia Delcán and Nacho Sánchez.
CIMA Report Presentation
SEMINCI also hosted the presentation by the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA) of the report After the Silence: Research into the Impact of Abuse and Sexual Violence Against Women in the Film and Audiovisual Sector, written by political scientist and PhD in Feminism and Gender Nerea Barjola, and Bárbara Tardón, PhD in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies and expert on sexual violence against women. The authors presented key findings, including a stark and revealing statistic: 60.3% of women working in the sector have experienced sexual violence. Barjola and Tardón highlighted the pioneering nature of this study, which gathers testimonies from over 1,450 women professionals in Spain’s film and audiovisual industry.
They stressed that the aim was “not only to analyse this violence but to assess its impact on women’s careers, health, and life projects.” Barjola drew attention to the institutional neglect within the sector and the lack of implementation of legal advances in practice. They also underlined the existence of structural violence sustained by a historically entrenched rape culture, and the need for both quantitative and qualitative research: “Of that 60.3%, most did not report the incidents, and only 6.9% went to the police—but 94% confided in someone close to them,” concluded the researcher.
EFA Awards
The European Film Academy has officially announced the five nominees for the European Short Film – Prix Vimeo 2026 during a special event held today at the Calderón Theatre. This year’s selection, showcased as part of SEMINCI’s 70th edition, reaffirms the festival’s commitment to European auteur cinema and its role as a leading platform for short filmmakers. The nominees, who attended the event in Valladolid, represent a rich blend of fiction and documentary forms—from poetic essay and experimental reflection to socially engaged storytelling. They are: Being John Smith by John Smith (UK), City of Poets by Sara Rajaei (Netherlands), L’Avance by Djiby Kebe (France), Man Number 4 by Miranda Pennell (UK), and The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing by Theo Panagopoulos (UK).
