The Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci) is finalizing the details of its professional program for the festival's 71st edition, which includes meetings on distribution, exhibition, project development, film sound, specialized journalism, and audiovisual heritage. The activity takes on special relevance this year as the festival pays tribute to José Luis Cienfuegos, who directed Seminci between 2023 and 2025 and was a key figure in promoting the Independent Film Market from its inception.
MERCI celebrates its sixth edition with 26 titles
The Independent Film Market, known as MERCI, is the central hub of Seminci's industry activities. Its sixth edition will be held from October 28 to 30 at the Cines Broadway in Valladolid and will exclusively present 26 titles to exhibitors, with releases scheduled between late 2026 and the first half of 2027.
The initiative, organized by Seminci in conjunction with the Association of Independent Film Distributors (ADICINE), will bring together more than 200 professionals from the distribution, exhibition, and audiovisual sectors. On the opening day, representatives from Rentrak Spain will offer their usual analysis of the evolution of the national and international film market, in addition to presenting the latest data from the CINEQUEST tool.
The program will be completed with the round table "Cinemas, distributors, and platforms: together for the audience," focused on the challenges of the sector, and with the presentations "License to discover: AI, agentic search, and the next cinema audience," organized with Europa Cinemas, and "Towards an accessible cinema," in collaboration with GRETA App.
The José Luis Cienfuegos Award distinguishes Otilio García Gobeo
This year, the historic MERCI Career Achievement Award has been renamed the José Luis Cienfuegos Award, in recognition of the legacy of the former Seminci director. In this edition, the award will distinguish Otilio García Gobeo for his contribution to independent cinema through exhibition.
García Gobeo has been at the helm of Cines Golem and Golem Distribución, a label that has promoted the work of filmmakers such as Lars von Trier, Aki Kaurismäki, Roy Andersson, Christian Petzold, Takeshi Kitano, and Michael Haneke in Spain, among other benchmark authors of European and Asian cinema.
Last year, the then-MERCI Award recognized the career of Silvino Puig, Director of Programming and General Services at Cines Lys since 2013 and one of the defining figures in the renewal of Spanish film exhibition.
ADICINE is currently composed of distributors such as A Contracorriente Films, Atlante, Avalon, Beta Fiction Spain, Bteam Pictures, Caramel Films, DeAPlaneta, Elástica Films, Festival Films, Filmax, Filmin, Golem Distribución, Karma Films, La Aventura Audiovisual, La Zona, Selecta Visión, Sideral, Syldavia, Tripictures, and Wanda Vision.
La Meseta promotes short films and distribution campaigns
The second edition of La Meseta will develop two parallel lines of work. The Short Film Creation and Development Laboratory, organized with the European University Miguel de Cervantes (UEMC) and coordinated by Dirdira Lab, will be held from October 27 to 29. Eight projects, selected from over 150 proposals received, will participate in mentorships and masterclasses on directing, production, cinematography, and screenwriting.
On the other hand, La Meseta Distribution Laboratory will take place on October 29 and 30. Seven distribution campaigns for independent feature films scheduled for release in commercial theaters will present their projects to a jury that will award prizes totaling 9,000 euros, which will be presented on October 30 during the closing of MERCI.
In its first edition, the La Meseta Distribution Award recognized "La cronología del agua" (Sideral), "La buena hija" (Avalon), and "El amor que permanece" (Elástica).
Meeting of Women Journalists and the legacy of Cienfuegos
On Monday, October 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Museo Patio Herreriano will host the Meeting of Women Journalists, organized with the collaboration of RTVE and CIMA. The day will include two debate panels and two case studies focused on the evolution of film journalism, working conditions, equality, and editorial independence.
The first panel, titled "The legacy of José Luis Cienfuegos: festivals to think about cinema," will reflect on the role of festivals as a meeting point between filmmakers, audiences, and journalists. Participants will include Chusa L. Monjas, head of communications at the Film Academy; Conxita Casanovas, director of "Va de cine" on RNE and the BCN Film Fest; Yolanda Flores, director of "De película" on RNE; and Marta Medina, critic for El Confidencial, screenwriter, and director.
Following this, Mercedes de Pablos and Beatriz Aparicio, from the RTVE Equality Observatory, will present the case "Equality with criteria: tools to transform the audiovisual sector."
The second panel, "Who tells the story of cinema today? Challenges of film journalism," will bring together Begoña Donat, a freelance journalist specializing in cultural communication; Jara Yáñez, director of Caimán Cuadernos de Cine; Eulàlia Iglesias, journalist and professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili; and Begoña Piña, critic and film writer at Público. The meeting will conclude with the presentation of Filmtopia, a project on the creation of specialized film media made by women, by its founder and director, Marta Armengou.
Sound, short films, and audiovisual heritage also in the program
For the first time, the European Film Academy will bring together members of its Sound Designers Chapter in Valladolid, a section dedicated to giving visibility to the creative contribution of sound in cinema. The meeting will facilitate the exchange of experiences between European and Spanish specialists.
Participants include Axel Arft, from the sound team of "Wings of Desire"; Silvia Moraes, a regular collaborator of Paolo Sorrentino; Daniela Bassani, winner of the David di Donatello for "Io Capitano"; Krzysztof Stasiak, with work in recent Polish cinema; and Tarn Willers, winner of the Oscar and BAFTA for Best Sound for "The Zone of Interest." All of them will participate in the activity open to the public "The art of listening. Great sound designers of European cinema," on Tuesday, October 27 at 12:30 p.m. in the Salón de los Espejos of the Teatro Calderón.
The ESCAC Opera Prima Laboratory will arrive at Seminci for the first time, coinciding with its twentieth anniversary. On Tuesday, October 27, it will present seven feature films and one series developed at the school. This edition of the festival will premiere "Camionero" and "Salen las lobas," two titles linked to the laboratory, which has also promoted the first works of filmmakers such as Mar Coll, Kike Maíllo, and Elena Trapé.
On Thursday, October 29, at 12:00 p.m., the Museo Patio Herreriano will host the Short Film Networking event, which will bring together participants from La Meseta, AFTER ECAM, and Seminci Factory with professionals from the sector. The event will include a talk on distribution by Jorge Rivero, from the Aguilar Film Festival, and the presentation of the ALÍA post-production awards and Impulso ECAM.
On the occasion of the National Audiovisual Heritage Day, DOCMA will organize the panel "Looking back: archives and cinema," focused on access to and reuse of archival materials, especially in documentaries. Participants will include Virginia Bazán-Gil, Director of RTVE Archives; Marian del Egido, Director of the Carlos Saura Film Fund Conservation and Restoration Center of the Spanish Film Archive; and Alberto Pascual, from the DOCMA Archives Working Group. The session, moderated by Irene Cardona, president of DOCMA, will take place on Friday, October 30 at 12:00 p.m. at the Museo Patio Herreriano.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Seminci’s MERCI?
It is Seminci's Independent Film Market, a professional space organized together with ADICINE that exclusively presents titles pending release in Spain to exhibitors.
When is MERCI 2026 held?
Its sixth edition will take place from October 28 to 30 at the Cines Broadway in Valladolid, as part of the 71st edition of Seminci.
Who is Otilio García Gobeo?
He is the head of Cines Golem and Golem Distribución, a label that has distributed works by filmmakers such as Lars von Trier, Aki Kaurismäki, Roy Andersson, Christian Petzold, Takeshi Kitano, and Michael Haneke in Spain.
Why is the award now called the José Luis Cienfuegos Award?
The award, formerly known as the MERCI Award, has been renamed in tribute to José Luis Cienfuegos, who directed Seminci between 2023 and 2025 and was key to the consolidation of the Independent Film Market.
What activities does La Meseta include this year?
It includes a short film creation laboratory with eight selected projects and a distribution laboratory with seven independent feature film campaigns, the prizes for which will be awarded on October 30.
Which distributors are part of ADICINE?
Among others, A Contracorriente Films, Atlante, Avalon, Bteam Pictures, Caramel Films, DeAPlaneta, Filmax, Filmin, Golem Distribución, Karma Films, Selecta Visión, Tripictures, and Wanda Vision.
