The Gijón/Xixón International Film Festival has begun to unveil the content of its 64th edition, which will take place from November 13 to 21. The presentation, held at the Madrid headquarters of the Film Academy, highlighted the significant presence of Spanish productions and co-productions that will feature across a large portion of the festival's sections.
The announcement comes at a key moment in the festival calendar, as the main autumn film events define their programs. For the FICX, confirming part of its Spanish selection in advance allows for anticipation of interest from the public, press, and industry before the final program is completed in the coming weeks.
Six Spanish feature films in competition
A total of six feature films of Spanish production or co-production will compete this year in the Albar, Retueyos, and FICX Premiere sections. They are joined by a broad representation in the short film category and in spaces such as Esbilla, Special Screenings, or Generación Mutante.
The program combines emerging filmmakers with established names and covers genres as diverse as fiction, animation, documentary, and more experimental proposals.
Albar: two co-produced debuts
The Albar International Competition will include two Spanish co-productions. The first is “La noche de la infancia”, the debut of Xisi Sofia Ye Chen, a hybrid of fiction and documentary about immigration and identity produced by LaCima Producciones together with The South Project and La Fábrica Nocturna Cinéma. The film won the Jury's Grand Prize at Visions du Réel.
Also competing is “Les Indes”, the first feature by Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier, a historical drama set in the 17th century co-produced by the Swiss Alina Film and the Spanish Lastor Media, with Théo Urtubey, Raphaël Thiéry, and Lazare Minoungou in the cast.
Retueyos: two premieres marked by grief
Retueyos will host the Spanish premiere of “Las convulsiones”, the new work by David Gutiérrez Camps, a family story set in the Pyrenees starring Inès Fehner, Tom Weyn, Lizalou Weyn, Eiwa Roussel, and Aitana del Sol.
Alongside it, “Las Mantis”, by Dídac Gimeno, will have its world premiere in this section. It is a Spanish-Argentine co-production that blends coming-of-age and fantasy, with Venecia Franco, Iván García, María Caballero, Ruth Díaz, José Luis García-Pérez, and Jorge Bosch in the cast.
FICX Premiere: animation and romantic comedy
Animation will have a prominent space with the world premiere of “Chica y lobo”, the feature film debut of illustrator Roc Espinet, which adapts his own graphic novel. The Spanish-Portuguese co-production features the voices of Anna Castillo and David Verdaguer.
Miguel Ángel Blanca will return to the FICX with the world premiere of “Margen de maniobra”, a romantic comedy starring Laia Cabrera and Jordi Vilches.
Short films: migration, memory, and identity
The International Short Film Competition will include eight Spanish productions and co-productions. Among them are “Lo nunca visto”, by Virginia García del Pino; “UR”, by the Asturian Pablo Casanueva; “Los andares”, by Isa Luengo and Sofía Esteve, which debuted at Locarno; “Chapuzón”, by Juan Pedro Somodi; “Dummies”, signed by Josefina Insausti, Aleix Font, and Vadym Odariuk; “Al mal engaño”, by Silvia Navarro Martín; “La palabra nos quema por dentro”, a Spanish-Chilean co-production by Cristóbal Arteaga; and “El color y el paisaxe”, by the Asturian filmmaker Ramón Lluís Bande.
Esbilla, the great showcase for documentary
Esbilla will bring together nine feature films and two short films from Spain this year, with a journey focused on landscape, artistic creation, collective memory, climate change, and community resistance.
- “Kotodama, el camino del espejo”, by Carla Cañellas and Eugenio Tardón, following its time at San Sebastián.
- “Dríades”, by Miguel Eek, with its world premiere at the FICX.
- “Reflejos de la casa verde”, by Antonio Morales, focused on the greenhouses of Almería.
- “Ramón el Inuit”, by Álex Galán, with material from the 1990-1993 Circumpolar Expedition by Ramón Larramendi.
- “On God’s Island”, by David Rodríguez Muñiz, filmed in Tuvalu.
- “Hoxe e o resto do mundo”, the debut feature by Cecilia Díaz Betz about the history of Sargadelos.
- “Gaulana”, by Pablo Casanueva, which emerged from X Films 2025.
- “Anxo”, by David Hernández, about the labor struggle in Vigo.
- “El desencanto 16”, by Lucía Seles, revolving around the film “El desencanto” by Jaime Chávarri.
The selection is completed by the short films “Hombres Semilla”, by María Abenia, and “A pena”, by Iria Silvosa.
Childhood, science fiction, and spirituality
In Enfants Terribles, “Chicas tristes”, by the Mexican filmmaker Fernanda Tovar, will be screened out of competition, with Spanish co-production by Potenza Producciones, which was awarded in Berlin. It is accompanied by the short film “Versus”, by Ander Pardo.
The Special Screenings will include “Ánimas benditas”, by Gabriel Velázquez; two world premieres by Lucía Seles, “Asturias es jazz” and “Bonus track desesperada”; “Bajañí”, by Fernando Trueba, focused on the guitarist Niño Josele; “Seize moments de ma vie / Sixteen Moments of My Life”, by Albert Serra, after passing through Locarno and San Sebastián; and “Cuántica rave”, by Paco Campano, with Antonio Dechent, Javier Botet, África de la Cruz, Pablo Carbonell, and Timy Benito.
In Generación Mutante, the genre film section, “Océano titánico” stands out, the debut of Greek filmmaker Konstantina Kotzamani following her time at Un Certain Regard in Cannes, with the participation of the Galician Frida Films. The short film “Los Divulgators”, by Pablo Hernando, is also included.
“5 minutos más” and the Spanish Short Film Night
In the Crossroads section, “5 minutos más” will be presented, a production by Movistar Plus with El Terrat and Ikiru Films directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera. Berto Romero debuts as a film screenwriter alongside Javier Cámara and Belén Cuesta. The film will hit theaters on January 22, 2027, via Filmax.
The traditional Spanish Short Film Night will bring together ten recent works, among them “Trella”, by Miguel Guindos; “A los traidores”, by Pablo García Canga; “Por fortuna o por desgracia, tú nunca morirás”, by Virginia Rita Luengo; “Era domingo”, by Ángel Filgueira and Raquel Álvarez; and “La Prona”, by Maria Contreras Coll, among other titles.
A poster inspired by light
The official poster for this 64th edition, designed by Marco Recuero, uses the lightning bolt as a central symbol to represent the spark and impact of cinema. The opening piece, directed by the Asturian filmmaker Alicia Moncholí, develops that same idea through a storm that culminates in a lightning bolt, a metaphor for the cinematic experience.
The FICX has announced that the selection of Spanish and Asturian cinema is not yet closed and will be expanded with new titles and activities in the coming weeks, before the start of the festival on November 13.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 64th edition of the Gijón Film Festival held?
It will be held from November 13 to 21.
How many Spanish feature films will compete in the main sections?
Six feature films of Spanish production or co-production will compete in Albar, Retueyos, and FICX Premiere.
Which Spanish film will premiere in Albar?
“La noche de la infancia”, by Xisi Sofia Ye Chen, and “Les Indes”, a co-production with Spanish participation directed by Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier, are competing.
What role does animation play in this edition?
The world premiere of “Chica y lobo”, by Roc Espinet, with the voices of Anna Castillo and David Verdaguer, stands out within FICX Premiere.
Which Spanish film will end its theatrical run after passing through Gijón?
“5 minutos más”, by Javier Ruiz Caldera, will arrive in theaters on January 22, 2027, after its presence in the Crossroads section.
Is the festival’s Spanish program already complete?
No. The FICX has confirmed that the selection of Spanish and Asturian cinema will be expanded in the coming weeks with new titles.
