The opening ceremony of the Valladolid International Film Festival took place this afternoon at the Calderón Theatre
The Valladolid International Film Festival (SEMINCI) kicked off its 70th edition this afternoon at the Calderón Theatre. The ceremony, presented by Pepa Blanes, began with a review of the festival’s 70-year history, during which it has awarded prizes to such prominent figures in the history of world cinema as François Truffaut, Luchino Visconti, Alain Resnais, Ken Loach and Goran Paskaljević.
Representing the international jury, made up of filmmaker João Pedro Rodrigues, critic and former director of Cahiers du Cinéma Serge Toubiana, and producer Laurentina Guidotti, director Elena López Riera emphasised the importance of culture, ‘at such a violent time, with genocide underway, as a space and moment to reflect on the world we live in and imagine the one we would like to be in.’
Next, the team behind the opening film, Three Goodbyes by Isabel Coixet, took to the stage at the Calderón Theatre. The Catalan director was accompanied by the cast, led by Francesco Carril, as well as producers Marisa Fernández Armenteros, Sandra Hermida and Álex Lafuente.
One of the highlights of the gala was the presentation of the first Honorary Spikes awarded this year, given jointly to ECAM and ESCAC in recognition of the educational achievements of these two prestigious Spanish film schools. Actress Blanca Portillo presented the award to Sergi Casamitjana and Gonzalo Salazar-Simpson, directors of both institutions. Both agreed in vindicating the importance of teachers, ‘those of us who stay behind, don’t pass the course or win awards’, essential in the training of filmmakers such as the former students who accompanied them on stage, Luis López Carrasco, Marta Medina and Alejandro Marín.
The musician and experimental artist Niño de Elche offered a reinterpretation of the Castilian jota together with Sergio Portales, Laura Silva, Erik Urano and the choir of the Valladolid Municipal School of Music, providing a unique artistic moment to the ceremony.
The gala concluded with an emotional tribute to the semanistas (SEMINCI long time festival-goers), the fans who have faithfully attended the festival over the past seven decades, where they discovered and enjoyed different films. Five semanistas from different generations came up from the stalls to the stage to close the ceremony with a toast with local wine.
Now it is time for cinema and activities organised for both the public and industry professionals, time to enjoy the 225 films programmed for this edition until 1 November, both in the competitive sections Official Section, Meeting Point, Time of History and Alchemies, and in the cycles Memory and Utopia and The Controversy of Valladolid, and the sessions dedicated to younger audiences.