Image courtesy of Mecal Air.
Barcelona hosts an array of annual film festivals, all of which aim to nurture local and international filmmaking talent. The city’s summer film festivals invite viewers to spend a balmy evening on the beach or in a courtyard watching an assortment of classic and contemporary flicks. They provide the perfect excuse to spend an afternoon out of the heat or a night enjoying a film under the stars.
Mecal Air
June 10 to September 16, 2022 (Fridays)
The arrival of summer means the kids get their long-awaited holidays, the tourists wear flip-flops even when it is raining and Mecal Air returns to screen a selection of the best recently-released short films. It's a wonderful way to kick-off the weekend and enjoy a summer evening to the fullest.
Mecal Air has been organizing outdoor summer film screenings for over ten years and it's back again this year with a striking compilation of short films. Every Friday from June through August will dazzle with evenings devoted to universal themes such as comedy, horror, sci-fi and animation, to name a few. This summer festival takes place in the Parc del Clot in June and the Jardins Elisava in July, August and September. Make sure you get there on time to get your favorite spot!
Admission is free. Doors open at 20:00; films start at 21:30. No food or beverages can be brought in, but there will be a designated area with bar service. The program is being finalized and will be announced on the festival website soon. mecalbcn.org
Cinema Lliure a la Platja, image courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Cinema Lliure a la Platja
June 29 to August 11, 2022 (Thursdays)
Cinema Lliure a la Platja is an independent film festival offering free film screenings on the beach. Now in its 11th year, the festival has expanded to offer screenings in Barcelona, El Prat, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Palamós and Tossa de Mar. Hundreds of film aficionados gather at sunset to enjoy a selection of alternative and avant-garde films not available at conventional cinemas, reflecting the urban and contemporary spirit of the festival.
In Barcelona, screenings will be held every Thursday on San Sebastián Beach. Keep in mind that food and chairs will not be provided, so make sure to pack something tasty and a blanket for a lovely beach picnic under the stars. You are encouraged to arrive early for a good seat closest to the screen!
Films start after sunset, some time between 21:30 and 22:00. The program is being finalized and will be announced on the festival website soon. cinemalliure.com
Open Air Cinema at L’illa Diagonal
June 30 to July 21, 2022 (Thursdays)
Summer is back and with it “Cinema a la Fresca” at L’illa Diagonal! Every Thursday night in July, the L'illa Diagonal shopping center transforms its Jardins de Sant Joan de Déu into an outdoor movie theater. What better plan for a summer night than to watch a movie in the open air? This year's screenings included El método Williams, Belfast, Coda. Los sonidos del silencio and Minari. Historia de mi familia. Unlike most of the other festivals which show films in VOSE, all films in this cycle are shown in Spanish.
Pack your own picnic to enjoy during the showing, or if you're short on time you can pick up take-away at one of L'illa restaurants and settle in for a summer evening with family and friends. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at the L'illa website. General admission is €4.50 and includes a pre-assigned lawn chair.
Image courtesy of Sala Montjuïc.
Sala Montjuïc
July 1 to August 5, 2022 (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays)
Sala Montjuïc is one of the city’s favorite summertime festivals. A range of classic and contemporary films are showcased in the former moat of Montjuïc castle, preceded by live music and a short film screening. Sala Montjuïc is now part of the Festival Grec, an international theater, dance, music and circus festival. This year's session opens on July 1st with Quentin Tarantino's 1994 classic Pulp Fiction. Other showings include Kenneth Branagh's Belfast (UK, 2021), Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, Italy, 2017), West Side Story (Steven Spielberg, USA, 2021) and A Hero (Asghar Farhadi, Iran, 2021) to name but a few. All films are projected in original version, with Spanish subtitles.
Showings are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Doors open at 20:30 and the music starts at 20:45 to get your evening grooving. Standard tickets are available for €7.50, tickets with deck chairs are €10.50. Tickets must be purchased in advance via the festival website. You are welcome to bring your own picnic and there is a bar on site as well. salamontjuic.org
Image courtesy of CosmoCaixa.
CosmoNits Films
July 7 to August 25, 2022 (Thursdays)
Science and film have gone hand-in-hand since the inception of the seventh art. Throughout history, thousands of films have been made using science as a plot point, creating extraordinary fictional universes. CosmoCaixa is back with its CosmoNits film series, with classic blockbuster science fiction films and newer releases too. This year the CosmoNits theme is the Sun. An essential source of life for the Earth, it also has a destructive capacity if the protection of the atmosphere on the Earth is weakened. The possible effects of global warming and climate change often point to apocalyptic and bleak futures. In this pessimistic scenario in which the Earth could cease to be habitable, the exploration of space and possible life on other planets makes more sense than ever. Could human beings adapt and live outside the Earth?
Showings are on most Thursdays and include entry to the museum’s exhibits, a live concert and the film screening. Films are shown in original version with subtitles in Spanish. Tickets are €6.00 and can be purchased in advance on the CosmoCaixa website. cosmocaixa.org
Gandules
2022 Dates to be announced
Each year in August, the CCCB invites film lovers to view a diverse assortment of films based on a specific theme. In previous years, this has included femmes fatales, the seven deadly sins, immigration and love, The festival is free and equipped with deck chairs and a bar selling drinks and snacks. Often surrealist and always entertaining, it’s a lineup not to be missed. Screenings take place midweek, usually running from Tuesday to Thursday in the CCCB’s Pati de les Dones courtyard.
Updated June 30, 2022.