The Seville European Film Festival celebrates its 23rd edition in 2026 with a prominent presence of Andalusian talent. The event will bring together a total of 66 productions made in the region, including feature films and short films, distributed across various sections of the festival.
This figure confirms the growing importance of cinema made in Andalusia within one of the most relevant festivals on the Spanish audiovisual scene, and anticipates a program that combines documentary, fiction, and historical memory.
A program with 21 world premieres
Of the 66 selected works, 37 are feature films and 29 are short films. Of that total, 21 titles will arrive in Seville as world premieres, making the festival a key launchpad for many of these productions.
The Andalusian works are not concentrated in a single section, but rather span different areas of the program: the Official Section, Andalusian Panorama, Special Screenings, and Essentials.
Taranta and Anguita, the Andalusian entries in the Official Section
The most visible Andalusian representation in the Official Section comes with Taranta, directed by Samuel Nacar and written together with Ana Puentes and Claudia Barthelemy. The documentary, filmed in Linares (Jaén), follows four young people—two from the town and two Chinese engineers—during the reopening of the old Santana factory. The film will compete for the Golden Giraldillo and is presented in Seville as a world premiere.
Also premiering in the Official Section is Anguita. El hombre de los tres siglos, directed by Hugo Cabezas, with a script by the filmmaker himself along with Marta Jiménez and José María Martín. The documentary approaches the figure of the Cordovan politician from an intimate perspective, focusing on the personal cost of political commitment.
In the short film category, the Official Section includes the world premiere of Quásares, directed by Rocío Mesa and Jorge Castrillo.
Andalusian Panorama: flamenco, memory, and tradition
The Andalusian Panorama section brings together 15 feature films, 12 of which are documentaries, focusing on the history, traditions, and collective memory of the territory.
Flamenco has a notable presence with titles such as Bajañí, by Fernando Trueba, focusing on Niño Josele, and Rito, by Emilio Belmonte, dedicated to Tomás de Perrate. Joining them is Bernabé, la sonrisa del flamenco, directed by Dany Ruz, which portrays a dentist whose office was visited by figures such as Paco de Lucía or Jorge Pardo.
Literary and artistic memory appears in Caballero Bonald, fragmentos de un navegante, by Paula Romero, and in Acuérdate de mí, directed by Remedios Málvarez, about La Niña de La Puebla. Cultural advocacy is reflected in Naquerar, by José Romero and Patricio Hidalgo, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of Camelamos Naquerar, and in Salta la tapia, by Mariano Agudo, about a festival held four decades ago at the Miraflores psychiatric hospital in Seville.
Completing the documentary section are 200 vidas. Paco Rabal, by Vanesa Benítez; Plus Ultra, by Elías Pérez, about the 1926 transatlantic flight; El abrazo de los peces (15 años después), directed by Chema Rodríguez; Como todo mortal, by María Molina Peiró; and Todos los días domingo, by Abraham López Feria.
In fiction, Andalusian Panorama programs three feature films: Un hombre en un puente, by David Martín de los Santos; El pezón de Elena, by Esteban Magaz, the director's debut feature; and La ventana abierta, by Ana Graciani Fernández.
Special Screenings: sports, pop culture, and debut features
The Special Screenings section brings together a wide range of themes. Among the documentaries are Maestros del Arte, by Lola Álvarez, dedicated to sacred craft trades, and Magna, el Alma de Sevilla, by Miguel Ángel H. Arango.
Sports also have a presence with Fútbol en tu mano: mucho Betis, by Uroš Popović; A la melée, about women's rugby; and Blanca Manchón, contra viento y marea, focused on windsurfing.
Andalusian music and urban culture are reflected in Merece la pena el effuerço que emo exo, a chronicle of the group Califato 3/4 written by Silvia Moreno and co-directed with Dani Llamas, and in La maravilla que se muerde la cola, by Manuel Correa, a hybrid between reality and fiction with testimonies from figures such as César Cadaval or Rosario La Tremendita.
In terms of transgressive fiction, Cuántica Rave, by Paco Campano, featuring Antonio Dechent and Pablo Carbonell in the cast, and Las 3.000 maravillas, by Carmen Perona Cabrera, stand out. Two debut features are also included: Nadie, by Mario L. Fajardo, and Un hijo, by Nacho La Casa, an adaptation of the novel by Alejandro Palomas starring Macarena García and Hugo Silva.
The section is completed by documentaries such as El hombre que siembra árboles, by César Fernández-Ramos; La planta que pinta, by Margarita Morales, about the artist Federico Guzmán; Los Pericet. Familia de bailarines y maestros, by Vladimir Ráez and Fali Álvarez; and La priora, directed by Jaime Daza Lucena, focused on the old Carthusian monastery of Cazalla de la Sierra.
Tribute to filmmaker Nonio Parejo
The festival dedicates a special tribute to Nonio Parejo (1950-2026), a Sevillian documentarian who dedicated much of his career to portraying Andalusia through film. As noted by Manuel Cristóbal, director of the Seville Festival, the tribute highlights a career linked to the history, culture, and memory of the region.
Within Special Screenings, the Nonio Parejo Remembrance cycle recovers three of his documentaries: 28-F Andalucía (1981), Campos de Níjar (1984), and El regreso (2009).
Essentials rescues a queer counterculture icon
The Essentials section recovers Invasión travesti, filmed in Seville and released in 2000, considered a cult title of Spanish queer counterculture. The film will be screened in a restored version (remastered 2025) on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.
28 Andalusian short films in Andalusian Panorama
In addition to the short film in the Official Section, the Andalusian Panorama Short Films program brings together 28 titles by Andalusian filmmakers, including Beauty, by Eduardo Muñoz and José del Corral; Centrífuga, by Elena de Aras; Pedanía, by David Sainz; La hora escrita, by Coke Arijo; Las malas, by Elisa Moreno; and Oao, by Rocío Mesa, among others.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Andalusian productions are participating in the Seville Festival 2026?
A total of 66 productions: 37 feature films and 29 short films, distributed between the Official Section, Andalusian Panorama, Special Screenings, and Essentials.
How many world premieres will there be among the Andalusian productions?
According to the organization, 21 of the 66 Andalusian titles will arrive in Seville as world premieres.
Which Andalusian film is competing for the Golden Giraldillo?
Taranta, a documentary directed by Samuel Nacar, is the main Andalusian entry in the Official Section and is competing for the Golden Giraldillo.
Who is the festival paying tribute to this year?
The festival pays tribute to Nonio Parejo (1950-2026), a Sevillian filmmaker and documentarian, by screening three of his works within Special Screenings.
What is Invasión travesti and why is it being screened in Essentials?
It is a film shot in Seville and released in 2000, considered an icon of queer counterculture. It is being exhibited in a restored version for its 25th anniversary.
How many Andalusian short films are included in Andalusian Panorama?
The Andalusian Panorama Short Films section brings together 28 titles, in addition to the short film Quásares, included in the Official Section.
