This year’s Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF), that took place entirely online from 6th to 25th October 2020, presented a total of 16 feature films, 7 shorts, 4 audio visual letters and 10 filmed monologues. Now that it’s by, the organisers are thrilled at the outcome, seeing cineastes from all over Scotland and England tuning in and with Spanish and Latin American cinema being able to be seen further afield.
Director of the ESFF Marian A. Aréchaga said “It has been a brilliant three weekends and the response has been great! As this ‘virtual festival’ was completely new to us, we had no idea what the response was going to be but have been delighted by the participation of our wonderful directors and audiences. The cinema was greatly missed, we missed seeing audience reactions and post-film discussions, but we have been receiving great photos of people watching ESFF@home. We are delighted to have provided some entertainment especially in these past few weeks were social life has been restricted.
Thanks to everyone who has watched, sent photos, participated in our Q&As and reviewed our films! The future is uncertain, but we will continue to strive for our 8th edition in 2021 and hope that all cinemas will fully re-open soon and get the support they need as there is nothing like watching a film on the big screen.”
All festival films were introduced by their respective directors, alongside a series of fascinating Q&As which are still available for anyone who missed out at :https://bit.ly/31MOui2
ESFF is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the Spanish Embassy in London, the University of Edinburgh, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and Creative Scotland.
Here’s to 2021 and more great Spanish cinema treats!
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 