Spring brings an exciting energy back to the city. The sun is warmer, the days are longer and grass is greener. Although you may feel the desire to shake off that winter slumber and reacquaint yourself with an active outdoor schedule, consider taking a few hours to sit back and relax while enjoying some of the most cutting-edge cinema from around the world.
Barcelona boasts a wide variety of renowned film festivals each spring, and 2025 promises to be another spectacular edition. You'll discover festivals dedicated to fashion docs, films inspired by literature and history, astounding cinematic works that delve into the creativity, mystery and resilience of the human brain and films that explore the LGBTIQ+ experience. From premieres to classics, from established directors to up-and-coming artists and independent productions, each festival brings to Barcelona an in-depth look at places, ideas and themes that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore.
Film still from "Little Men," directed by Ira Sachs (USA, 2016).
Americana Film Festival
March 11-16, 2025
Started by a group of friends who wanted Barcelona audiences to be able to enjoy some of the best independent films from North America, Americana Film Festival features a diverse range of films directed by established prize-winners and break-out newbies, showcasing some of the best North American cinematic talent. The festival celebrates its twelfth edition with special guest Ira Sachs whose works have been screened at the Cannes, Sundance, Berlin and San Sebastián film festivals and who has become a key director of current indie cinema, uniquely characterized by his sensitivity when dealing with LGBTIQ+ themes. Sachs' films will be the subject of a retrospective in collaboration with the Filmoteca de Catalunya. In addition to hits like Keep the Lights On, Little Men and Love Is Strange, you will be able to see on the big screen lesser-known films from his filmography such as his debut film The Delta and the Sundance winner Forty Shades of Blue.
Other films in the program include Michael Premo's Homegrown, an intimate documentary that describes the radical turn of the Republican Party and the assault on the Capitol in 2020; Neil Berkeley's Group Therapy shows Neil Patrick Harris moderating a group therapy session with a cast of comedians talking about mental health; National Anthem, Luke Gilford's debut feature-length picture set in the world of the American queer rodeo; Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow delivers a haunting exploration of alienation and obsession; Luis Ortega's El Jockey, a Latin American film about identity and redemption that is as strange as it is captivating, and many more!
Films are shown in original version with either Spanish or Catalan subtitles. Screenings take place in Cinemes Girona, Cinemes Texas, Zumzeig Cine Cooperativ, Phenomena Experience cinemas as well as Filmoteca de Catalunya. See the event's website for tickets: americanafilmfest.com
Film still from Film still from "L’histoire de Souleymane," directed by Boris Lojkine (France, 2024).
Brain Film Fest
March 12-16, 2025
As you guessed, the brain is the star of this festival. With a unique emphasis on cinema, neurology, psychiatry and technology, the Brain Film Fest includes screenings, lectures and workshops all aimed to encourage cinematic creation and raise awareness of the brain, its amazing capabilities and the diseases that threaten it.
Documentary filmmaker Nicolas Philibert, author of a transformative trilogy on mental health shot in psychiatric centers in Paris, will collect the Special Prize at this year's festival. The trilogy began in 2023 with On the Adamant (Sur l’Adamant, 2023), winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, continued in 2024 with Averroès & Rosa Parks and is concluded with his latest film The Typewriter and Other Headaches all of which will be screened at the festival.
Other notable titles in the program include Wendy Lobel's Anxiety Club, a film that captures behind the scenes the efforts of a group of American comedians to overcome anxiety; the British production 2073, by Asif Kapadia, presents us with a dystopia about very real threats, such as democratic recession, the rise of neo-fascism, climate catastrophe and the intrusion of surveillance technology; Boris Lojkine's L’histoire de Souleymane tells the real-life story of a Guinean immigrant who has left his country in search of a better life; and Familiar Touch, by Sarah Friedland, which shows us the transition of an octogenarian woman with Alzheimer's to life in an assisted residence as she faces the conflictive relationship with herself and her caregivers, amidst her changes in memory and identity regarding age and her desires.
Co-organized by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation and Minimal Films production company, the festival features screenings of seventeen feature-length films and several short films from a variety of countries, all with an emphasis on the brain, the adversities it faces and its infinite capacities. Films are shown in original version. Screenings will take place at CCCB. The BFF film sessions are free of charge, but prior registration is required; tickets can be reserved through the festival’s website: brainfilmfest.com
Film still from "Shocking Schiaparelli, histoire d’une visionnaire de la mode," directed by Élise Chassaing (France, 2022).
Moritz Feed Dog
March 19-23, 2025
A festival exclusively dedicated to fashion documentaries, Moritz Feed Dog offers some of the most niche content of this spring season. Featuring works about Coco Chanel, Patricia Field and everything in between, this is an event for fashion gurus and documentary fans alike. The festival strikes a balance between the glamor and hedonism surrounding fashion with themes that aim to reflect the other side of the coin. It explores aspects related to identity, gender, equality and how these concepts are treated both in fashion and in society.
This year's festival kicks off with Sadie Frost's Twiggy (UK, 2024) tracing the teen's meteoric and unprecedented rise, as well as her multifaceted career beyond the world of fashion. Other films include Matthew Miele's Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, an exploration of the famous designer's six-plus decades in the industry dressing an impressive list of clients that includes Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey and Cher; Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, directed by Bruce David Klein is a celebratory, effervescent tribute to a young artist of unlimited raw talent and the deep, creative relationships she had with her mentors; Rick Minnich's The Presidents' Tailor. From Auschwitz to the White House highlights the incredible story of a man who learned to sew at Auschwitz and went on to become America's most celebrated tailor; Kevin Macdonald's High & Low: John Galliano is a nuanced portrait of the controversial British designer who stormed into the fashion world but whose addictive, self-destructive behaviors nearly ended his career; Shocking Schiaparelli, histoire d’une visionnaire de la mode, Élise Chassaing's perfectly crafted portrait of one of the most daring fashion designers of the 20th century who left her mark by uniting art and fashion; and African Beauty, Coréon Du's ambitious and empowering film that embodies the exuberant, vibrant and powerful spirit of a community celebrating its full potential.
Hosted at Mooby Bosque Multicines, the festival offers a wide range of ticket packages varying from the basic package which includes four tickets for €29 to €95 for the "pro" package which included entry to all films and parallel activities. Almost all films are shown in their original version with subtitles in either Spanish or Catalan. moritz.feeddog.org
Film still from "La Furia," directed by Gemma Blasco (Spain, 2025).
D'A Film Festival
March 27-April 6, 2025
Each spring, the D’A Film Festival offers an extensive review of current world cinema, screening an international panorama of the finest films in contemporary cinema. Featuring emerging talents alongside internationally established directors, the festival claims to be one of the Mediterranean’s best events of the spring. The large-scale event spreads across several locations in Barcelona and includes supplemental events such as panel discussions, workshops, musical performances and professional development.
The 2025 program opens with Gemma Blasco's contemporary tragedy La Furia, a powerful, brutal film that draws a portrait of anger and pain following a rape. The festival also sees the Spanish premiere of David Cronenberg's The Shrouds, starring Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger and Guy Pearce. Other sensations of the season include Dea Kulumbegashvili's second film, April, which won the special jury prize at Venice 2024 and the award for best film in the Zabaltegi section at San Sebastian; Universal Language, by Matthew Rankin, winner of the audience award at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 and best Canadian film at TIFF; Viet and Nam, by Vietnamese filmmaker Truong Min Quy, with one of the most powerful queer films of the year; and Bagger Drama, by Piet Baumgartner, a film that was a hit at the last San Sebastian festival, where it won the New Directors section award.
This year's retrospective is dedicated to the Roberto Minervini, an Italian that settled in Texas who has forged a cinematic career completely dedicated to portraying the lives of the impoverished in southern America and their frustrated desires. His films land between documentary and fiction, a kind of hyper-realism that is as strange as it is poetic, which hides, in turn, a captivating emotion.
Early bird ticket prices are €35 for six tickets and the VIP pass for €80 which includes access to all sessions at the CCCB, Aribau Multicines and Zumzeig (seat reservation required) and one invitation to the opening session and one to the closing session.
Participating venues include CCCB, Filmoteca de Catalunya, Zumzeig and Aribau Cinema. Most showings take place in original language with subtitles in either Catalan or Spanish, see the official website for details. dafilmfestival.com
Film still from "Miss Violet" directed by Éric Besnard (France, 2024).
BCN Film Fest
April 29-May 2, 2025
Film, history and literature, oh my! The Barcelona International Film Festival, or BCN Film Fest, boasts the highest quality films, with a goal to unite lovers of cinema, history and literature with a selection of more than 70 international films. In line with this criteria, featured films shown at Cines Verdi are often adaptations of literary works, productions related to historical events or biopics about well-known figures.
Films confirmed so far this year include Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Eran Riklis with Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Small Things Like These by Tim Mielants with Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, Miss Violet by Éric Besnard with Alexandra Lamy and Grégory Gadebois and Bob Trevino Likes It by Tracie Laymon with Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo with many more to come.
Most of the movie screenings are in original language with subtitles and will take place at Cinemes Verdi. Other venues include the Institut Français, CaixaForum, Casa Seat, La Perla 22 and a number of civic centers in Barcelona. Tickets sales begin in April 2025. Please check the official program for details. bcnfilmfest.com
Image courtesy of DOCS Barcelona.
DocsBarcelona
May 8-18, 2025
Now entering its 26th season, DocsBarcelona is a festival dedicated to documentary film. Each year, an international programing committee selects films for three different categories: Panorama, Latitude and What the Doc! These three groupings highlight the newest international documentaries, most daring and innovative documentaries and documentaries from the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. The festival is dedicated to bringing professional talent and productions closer to the audience through conferences and activities such as its Q&A sessions with directors and industry experts. A few of the captivating films in last year's edition included My Sextortion Diary, Patricia Franquesa (Spain, 2024), Johatsu - Into Thin Air, Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori (Germany, Japan, 2024), Echo of You, Zara Zerny (Denmark, 2023) and Daughter of Genghis, Kristoffer Poulsen and Christian Als (Denmark, Sweden, France and Mongolia, 2023).
All films are shown in original version with subtitles in Catalan and English. docsbarcelona.com
Festival Wallay!
WALLAY!
2025 Dates to be announced
Barcelona's African Film Festival is a unique and original journey to the diversity and creativity of the African continent narrated through its cinematographic language and its cultural expressions. Created in 2018, Wallay! offers viewers the opportunity see original independent films which would not otherwise reach Catalunya. In addition to enjoying the best African cinematography, Wallay! organizes round-table discussions, workshops, debates and many other activities parallel to the screenings. Films will be shown at Filmoteca de Catalunya and the Institut Français. This year's schedule has not yet been released, but check out the festival website for the details soon to be announced: festivalwallay.com
Film still from "Unicorns," Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd (UK, 2023).
Mostra FIRE!!
June 5-15, 2025
Celebrating another year with pride, the Mostra FIRE!! Film Festival showcases the best LGBTIQ+ films from across the world. Organized by Casal Lambda de Barcelona since 1995, it was the first LGBTIQ+ film festival in Spain. The festival aims to deal with diversity through a carefully curated selection of feature-length films, shorts and documentaries. For nearly two weeks, the Institut Français will host a wide range of films featuring stories and testimonies from individuals, creators who break down barriers, fight for human rights and help—through love—to build a fairer and freer world.
The 2025 program has not been announced, but read on to discover the picks in last year's session to get an idea of what's to come. Last year's festival opened with Bryan Marciano's tender comedy L’Arche de Noé (Under the Rainbow) (France, 2023) in which a disparate group of LGBTIQ+ young people in a shelter have just six months to find work, a place to live and a path to self-acceptance. Other films on the packed agenda include Sophie Dupuis' Solo (Canada, 2023) which takes us to Montreal's drag scene; Lillah Halla's Levante (Power Alley) (Brazil, France, Uruguay, 2023) a powerful film about true friendship and LGBTIQ+ solidarity; Sally El Hosaini's and James Krishna Floyd's romance Unicorns (UK, 2023) an alluring fusion of forbidden romance and colliding cultures; Goran Stolevski's Housekeeping for Beginners (Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, 2023) treats complicated and thorny family dynamics—set against a background of ethnic, social, gender and sexuality exclusion—with warmth and big doses of wry humor rarely encountered on the big screen. mostrafire.com
Image courtesy of La Gran Pantalla.
La GRAN Pantalla
July 1-6, 2025
This festival does kick off the summer season, but we just had to squeeze it in for its unique focus. La GRAN Pantalla is an international film festival for the elderly, an inter-generational meeting space to promote cinema as a tool for dialogue, reflection and social transformation around the ideas that society perpetuates about people as they age.
Screening films that tackle issues that affect the elderly, the festival explores their plurality and combats the most pervasive stereotypes. It highlights the beauty of aging, reflects on what unites us and highlights what differentiates us from those around us. La GRAN Pantalla takes a long, lingering look at the older people we will become, if we are lucky. Films will be screened at Cinemes Girona, the program schedule will soon be available on the festival website: lagranpantallafestival.com