Pelicula Spanish Film Festival 2023 at Shangri-La Plaza Cinema / October 5-15, 2023

FROM October 5 to 15, 2023, the “PELÍCULA/Pelikula Spanish Film Festival 2023” returns for its 22nd edition. It will screen 23 films at the Shangri-La Plaza’s Red Carpet Theatre in Mandaluyong City, while seven films will be screened online and available in Australia and Singapore.

Headlining this year’s program is the Pelicula en Verde—an initiative that will plant a tree for every spectator of any of the films marked under such. These films are Alcarràs (Carla Simón, 2023), As bestas (Rodrigo Sorogoyen, 2022), El Olivo (Icíar Bollaín, 2016), Fonos (Gabriela Badillo Sánchez, 2021) and Tierra (Julio Medem, 1996), whose themes are mainly about nature and environmental issues. This effort is conducted in partnership with Haribon Foundation and is sponsored by Acciona—one of the top Spanish infrastructure companies whose headquarters for Asia are in Manila.

This year’s program will also include a tribute to acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, who died early this year at the age of 91. A special section will be dedicated to him, which will include his films Embrujo, Goya en Burdeos and El Rey de todo el mundo.

The fest will also show films from Ibero-American countries Chile, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico, plus will feature a co-production from Spain and Mexico.

Audience Choice Awards

LIKE in the previous years, viewers may vote for their favorites for the “Audience Choice Awards.” The winning film will again be screened on the last day of the Festival on October 15.

PELíCULA 2023 is a project of Instituto Cervantes and Shangri-La Plaza, in collaboration with the Embassies of Spain in the Philippines, Australia, and Singapore, the AECID, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Filmoteca Española, the Embassy of Colombia and the Embassy of Mexico, with the participation of the Embassy of Chile, the Embassy of Argentina, and Haribon Foundation, with sponsorships by Vibal Foundation, Acciona, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Arthaland, SSI Group, Inc., Barcino, La Latina and Fundador.

Since its creation in 2002 by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, PELÍCULA has been an annual celebration of cinema in the Spanish language; a showcase of the latest and critically acclaimed films by important film directors from Spain and Ibero-American countries. Like in previous editions, this year’s film program has been carefully curated and selected from a range of genres which includes drama, comedy, horror, thriller, family, musicals and animation that will satisfy the cinematic interests of the festival’s avid and diverse viewers and followers.

Entrance to all screenings are free on a first-come, first-served basis. All movies are in Spanish or their original language with English subtitles. For updates on the festival, visit https://pelikula.org or the Facebook and Instagram pages of Instituto Cervantes de Manila.