As summer draws to a close, September eases us into autumn with some of Catalunya's most interesting and eclectic film festivals—starting off with a relatively new addition to the film festival scene.
B-Retina: B-Film Festival in Cornellà
September 12-17, 2023, Auditori Biblioteca Sant Ildefons, Cornellà de Llobregat
Dedicated to promoting B movies in Catalunya, B-Retina is all about championing the work of emerging talent in the industry, which otherwise would never make it to the big screen. The theme for the festival’s eighth edition is “Indians and Cowboys” featuring a surreal cocktail of of B-series westerns together with blockbusters from Bollywood and Tollywood such as Indian action thriller Krack by Ram Gopal Varma (2022) and revisionist western action film Kodama Simham (The Majestic Lion) by K. Murali Mohana Rao (1990) where there is no shortage of traditional musical numbers. National premieres of long-awaited foreign titles include the American horror film Malum by Anthony DiBlasi (USA, 2023) and Enter the Drag Dragon (Canada, 2023) the new film by Lee Demarbre, author of the cult film Jesus Christ Vampire Slayer (2001). Tickets must be purchased in advance online, with all-day tickets starting at €8 and full-access tickets priced at €36. Located just outside the city, the festival is easily accessible by metro (L5) and by train (R1, R4). b-retina.cat
Film still from "Woman in the Maze" by Mitesh Patel (USA).
Love and Hope International Film Festival (L’HIFF)
September 15-22, 2023, Cinema Maldà, Barcelona
With both short and feature length indie films, L’HIFF International Film Festival is a relatively new addition to Barcelona's festival scene. Showcasing cinema from around the world, the festival screens works from emerging directors alongside those of experienced creators in three distinct categories: general (action), LGBTI, and terror and drama. Not only does the festival showcase great films, it allows like-minded people to connect through their love of cinema with networking events, talks, panels, workshops and guest speakers. Last year's festival had over 375 films and this year's program is shaping up to be just as impressive. Confirmed feature-length films on the agenda include Silver Nights (Alexis Andritsos, Greece), Woman in the Maze (Mitesh Patel, USA), Dark Chat (David Gonzalez, Spain) and Self Isolated (Chad Ridgely, USA). lhifilmfestival.com
Film still from Hauke Wendler's Monobloc (Germany, 2020).
International Architecture Film Festival Barcelona (BARQ)
September 26-October 1, 2023, Cinemes Girona, Barcelona
Founded in 2021 by Nihao Films, BARQ Festival is the only film festival in Spain to focus on architecture and interior design. Dedicated to analyzing and deepening the relationship between architecture and the seventh art, the festival offers an extensive program that includes a selection of documentary films and various parallel activities—talks, debates, workshops, conferences—to bring to viewers new perspectives on the creative processes behind architectural practice.
Showcasing a selection of the most recent productions in the field, the festival brings current issues of contemporary architectural practice to the public. Through films inspired by architecture from a social perspective, BARQ creates a space for critical reflection on our cities and the spaces we inhabit. This year's program has yet to be announced, but last year's program featured several short films and seven feature-length films, including Hauke Wendler's Monobloc (Germany, 2020) which presents the story of a worldwide successful design and opens our eyes to the contradictions, virtues and flaws that one object can represent, all depending on where you come from.
Most films are screened at Cinemes Girona in original version with Spanish subtitles, see website for details: barqfestival.com