- Miniminci and SEMINCI Youth bring the educational community together in movie theaters with free screenings
- In 2025, more than 23,000 students participated in the festival’s educational activities, which are complemented by the European program “Young Programmers,” “Cinephile Window,” and other initiatives aimed at young audiences
The 71st Valladolid International Film Festival will once again open its theaters to the educational community through Miniminci, SEMINCI Youth, and SEMINCI in the Province.
From 21 to 29 October, students of all ages will be able to attend a selection of feature films and short film programmes free of charge, with morning screenings tailored to different educational stages and, in some cases, follow-up meetings with filmmakers and members of the film crews.
Miniminci is aimed at primary school pupils, whilst SEMINCI Youth is aimed at students in secondary school, sixth form, vocational training programmes and other educational groups.
Both sections are competitive, and it will be the students themselves who, through their votes, will choose the winning film in each section.
The screenings will take place at the Miguel Delibes Auditorium, LAVA, the Carrión Theatre, the Zorrilla Theatre, the Cervantes Theatre, the FUNDOS Hall and the Broadway Cinemas. SEMINCI in the Province will also extend the programme to Alaejos, Pedrajas de San Esteban and Villalón de Campos.
The registration period will open on 1 October via the SEMINCI website. Schools must complete an online form on which they can request the films and screening times that interest them. They will also receive teaching resources to use in the classroom before and after the screenings. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until each session is fully booked.
SEMINCI Youth: Discovering contemporary cinema
SEMINCI Youth will screen a dozen feature films, two of which are world premieres and ten Spanish premieres, with titles selected from various sections of the 71st SEMINCI.
Among them is Animal Farm, an adaptation of George Orwell’s novel directed by Andy Serkis and premiered at the Annecy Festival, which brings to life in animation the famous fable about a rebellion of animals that ends up replicating the very power structures it sought to combat. Skintown, by Kieron J. Walsh, takes us to Northern Ireland in 1994 to follow two friends who dream of escaping their small town in the days leading up to the announcement of a ceasefire.
Adventure and discovery run through Paul Negoescu’s Atlas of the Universe, which received a special mention in the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus section, where the search for a trainers triggers a journey of childhood and coming of age; and Out There, Simon Ryninks’ debut feature film, starring a teenage astronomy enthusiast who believes she has seen a UFO over her coastal town in Wales.
SEMINCI Youth will also give students the chance to discover films from other sections of the festival: The Violinist, by Ervin Han and Raúl García; Prosecution, by Faraz Shariat; and Una familia, by Ricardo Gómez, all from the Official Section; Wolf Grrrls! by Claudia Estrada and Until the Day Ends by Jelena Maksimović, from the Meeting Point section; and the documentaries Gabin by Maxence Voiseux and Tin Castle by Alexander Murphy, selected for the Time of History section.
The programme also includes a selection of five titles from the Official Short Film Section: El tamagochi escarlata by Francisco Visceral Rivera; Class Photo by Arnas Balčiūnas; Nota de corte by Héctor Fernández Cachón; TMWYH by Helen Esther Aschauer; and The Truth Rejects You, Cornelius by Khris Cembe and Marc Torices.
Miniminci: First experiences on the big screen
Primary schools will be able to choose from nine animated feature films, two of which are world premieres, as well as two short film programmes tailored to different age groups.
SEMINCI will host the world premiere of Jasmine & Jambo, by Sílvia Cortés, a musical adventure starring the characters from the children’s series created by Àlex Cervantes, who travel to Soundland whilst Jasmine tries to reconnect with music. Momonsters will also be screened for the first time. La película de Navidad, by Christian Garnez and Javier Martínez Hernández, is the latest cinematic adventure featuring the characters from the popular Clan TV series, co-produced by RTVE.
Among the Spanish premieres are Papaya, the first animated feature film by the Brazilian director Priscilla Kellen, presented in the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus section; and Rock Bottom, by Gabriel and Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste, a Spanish-Mexican production set against the backdrop of some rather unusual prehistoric games.
The selection also includes Mu-Ki-Ra, the debut feature film by Colombian director Estefanía Piñeres Duque, a fantastical musical adventure set in the jungle; Brave Cat, by Chilean director Gabriel Osorio, winner of an Oscar for Bear Story and the Audience Award at Annecy for this film; and Julián, by Louise Bagnall, Guillaume Lorin and Mark Mullery, an adaptation of Jessica Love’s picture book. Rounding off the feature films are Pequeña Casbah by Antoine Colomb and Animal Farm by Andy Serkis, which is also part of SEMINCI Youth.
The programme is rounded off with two short film programmes. Cuentos del sur, aimed at pupils aged 5 to 8, brings together ten films from Portugal, Italy, Greece, France, Germany, Slovenia and Cyprus. Naturaleza viva, aimed at children aged 8 to 12, features five short films centred on the environment and natural elements, including O boitatá incandescente by Valentina de Andrade Paiva, which will have its world premiere at SEMINCI.
The traditional Miniminci poster competition will celebrate its tenth edition this year. It is open to primary school children in Castile and León, who have until 28 September to enter. The winning entry will become the official image of Miniminci, and a selection of the finalists’ entries will be displayed on the festival’s website.
SEMINCI in the Province
The programme for schools, organised by SEMINCI and the Valladolid Provincial Council, will also reach Alaejos, Pedrajas de San Esteban and Villalón de Campos with two feature films: Leo & Lou by Carlos Solano, a story of friendship and adventure, and Super Charlie by Jon Holmberg, starring a boy who discovers that his little brother has superpowers.
Young Programmers and Ventana Cinéfila
Beyond screenings for schools, Seminci’s Education programme offers other initiatives that enable young people to engage with cinema through programming, creation and analysis. Young Programmers – Moving Cinema, organised in collaboration with the A Bao A Qu Association, brings together 13 participants aged between 16 and 23 this year. The group is already taking part in screenings, discussions and the selection of a film from the 71st Seminci, which they will present to audiences in a cinema during the festival. After the screening, the young participants will hold a Q&A with the filmmaker. The initiative is part of the European Young4Film network, of which Seminci is a member alongside five international festivals, with support from the Creative Europe programme.
For the seventh consecutive year, Ventana Cinéfila will bring a selection of recent films directly to schools. Organised by Seminci and the film festivals of Sitges, Seville, Huelva and Málaga, which are part of Profestivales21, in collaboration with Filmin, the initiative will offer 19 feature films and shorts free of charge online from 15 October to 30 November. Registration will remain open until 27 November, and teachers will be able to request a viewing code to explore the films with their students. The programme will be accompanied by educational guides and introductory videos.
From reflection to early cinematic creations
The educational programme also extends to the university sector with ‘Thinking about cinema at SEMINCI’, which will facilitate meetings between filmmakers, students and members of the programming team to explore creative processes in greater depth, and the ‘Ruta UVA’, organised in collaboration with the University of Valladolid to take participants on a tour of the festival’s various venues and sections.
The collaboration with Pajarillos Educawill feature prominently at the festival with a new edition of ‘Cinema Pajarillos’, on 31 October at 12.00 pm at the Broadway Cinemas. The screening, which is free by invitation only, will showcase the work produced during the academic year by students from the association’s Film Laboratory.
Finally, nine young people will form the Youth Jury, organised in collaboration with the Valladolid Local Youth Council. Its members will take part in various sections of the 71st Seminci and will award the corresponding Youth Jury Prizes.
Largometrajes
- Animal Farm, de Andy Serkis.
- Atlas of the Universe, de Paul Negoescu.
- Gabin, de Maxence Voiseux.
- Out There, de Simon Ryninks.
- Prosecution, de Faraz Shariat.
- Skintown, de Kieron J. Walsh.
- Tin Castle, de Alexander Murphy.
- Until the Day Ends, de Jelena Maksimović.
- Una familia, de Ricardo Gómez.
- La violinista, de Ervin Han y Raúl García.
- Salen las lobas, de Claudia Estrada.
Cortometrajes
- Class Photo, de Arnas Balčiūnas.
- El tamagochi escarlata, de Francisco Visceral Rivera.
- La verdad te rechaza, Cornelius, de Khris Cembe y Marc Torices.
- Nota de corte, de Héctor Fernández Cachón.
- TMWYH, de Helen Esther Aschauer.
Largometrajes
- Animal Farm, de Andy Serkis.
- Gungo y los juegos cavernícolas, de Gabriel y Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste.
- Jasmine & Jambo, de Sílvia Cortés.
- Julián, de Louise Bagnall, Guillaume Lorin y Mark Mullery.
- Momonsters. La película de Navidad, de Christian Garnez y Javier Martínez Hernández.
- Mu-Ki-Ra, de Estefanía Piñeres Duque.
- Papaya, de Priscilla Kellen.
- Pequeña Casbah, de Antoine Colomb.
- Una gata valiente, de Gabriel Osorio.
Cortometrajes (5-8 años)
In collaboration with RED FAN , a network comprising five European festivals from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean — ANIMAFEST Cyprus (Cyprus), ANIMASYROS (Greece), CINANIMA (Portugal), IMAGINARIA (Italy) and PRIME The Animation! (Spain) — as well as other partner festivals from Europe and beyond.
- A cada dia que passa, de Emanuel Nevado.
- A menina com os olhos ocupados, de André Carrilho.
- Dream, de Semiramis Mamata.
- Falling a-park, de Francesca Curaba y Cjristian Rosatti.
- Foxtale, de Alexandra Allen.
- Il Mondo di Sotto, de Benedetta Sani.
- Plantasia, de Aggelos Gourzis.
- Porto’s Old Man, de Tânia Marques.
- The Snow Queen, de Eliza Geo Lantsia, Elise Buiret y Alicya Huynh.
- Um Sogno in Volo, de Chiara Kiki Helm, Michele Mistrorigo y Thomas Gavazzeni.
- Zau, de Tom Reimer, Lennart Langanki.
Cortometrajes (9-12 años)
- Machine Mountain, de Terezie Unzeitigová.
- O boitatá incandescente, de Valentina de Andrade Paiva.
- The Song of Storms, de Caroline Attia Larivière.