The 71st Valladolid International Film Festival will bring together 20 Spanish productions and co-productions across its various sections; nine will have their world premiere at SEMINCI and one its European premiere.

The 71st Valladolid International Film Festival will honor Valeria Sarmiento, one of Latin America’s most internationally renowned filmmakers, with the Honorary Spike Award and will screen Behind The Rain in its Official Section, out of competition—the film that, as the director herself has confirmed, marks the end of her career.

Photo: ©Pepe Guzmán

The Official Section and Meeting Point feature films by filmmakers such as Anthony Chen, İlker Çatak, Sandra Wollner, Markus Schleinzer, Ali Asgari, and Emmanuel Marre, alongside some of the cinema season’s rising stars, such as Marine Atlan and Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.

Among the titles previewed are Yellow Letters, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale; Everytime, winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes; and Ben’imana, winner of the Caméra d’Or.

The festival and the Thai director are collaborating on the design of the poster for the upcoming edition, establishing a link between the festival’s identity and the artistic universe of one of the key figures in contemporary cinema. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Weerasethakul becomes the first international filmmaker to design the festival’s poster in its 71-year history.

The MERCI Independent Film Market, organized by SEMINCI and the Association of Independent Film Distributors (ADICINE), will hold its sixth edition from October 28 to 30, 2026, in Valladolid. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with Rentrak, ECAM Industria, and Sociograph.