The Gijón International Film Festival, with over half a century of history , is a must-see event for filmmakers. Its sections are dedicated to showcasing talent that operates outside the mainstream commercial circuit.
Every year at the end of November, the already modern and cosmopolitan city of Gijón is filled with the energy of independent cinema. For lovers of good film, it's a true delight to stroll through its streets, along the San Lorenzo seawall, visit its trendy bars and pubs, and try to balance this relaxing activity with the demands of an extensive program that runs for more than a week without a break. It's easy to bump into directors, actors, and crew members from the films featured at the festival, or to attend their talks and interviews. However, there's hardly any glamour here, because in Gijón, cinema is modest, almost anonymous, and celebrates above all the virtues of a job well done, without any debt to the glitz and glamour of show business.
The festival always comes loaded with a very diverse agenda in which, in addition to film, you can enjoy live music, parallel exhibitions, talks, parties , and meritorious courses such as the Universo Media cycle , which is jointly organized by the University of Oviedo and the International Festival, and which reflects on the mutations experienced in our way of seeing and making films after the shockwave of digital culture and new technologies.
Everything in Gijón is imperiously present and, with the exception of cinematographic retrospectives, the festival always takes place on the basis of current events.
In addition to the official selection , one of the Festival's highlights is the Enfants Terribles section , which has become a leading showcase of the best international cinema for young audiences. Each year, Enfants Terribles features around fifteen feature films, including fiction, animation, and documentaries, offering fresh perspectives on the world of children and teenagers.
There is also a section dedicated to musical documentaries: Disorder and Concert , another section dedicated to experimental films and those on the border between fiction and reality called Llendes , and the traditional Esbilla , a kind of catch-all section to give an outlet to other proposals that do not quite fit into the rest of the sections of the competition.
The Festival awards several prizes in the different competitive sections, with an International Jury (made up of at least five professionals from different countries), a Youth Jury (made up of 50 young people between 17 and 26 years old) and, since 2005, has had the presence of a Jury of international critics: FIPRESCI.
Over the past few years, some of the most prestigious professionals in independent cinema worldwide have visited Gijón . Among the directors honored at this festival are Abbas Kiarostami, Aki Kaurismäki, Todd Haynes, Pedro Costa, Paul Schrader, Joao Cesar Monteiro, Seijun Suzuki, Jem Cohen, Kenneth Anger, Ulrich Seidl, Hal Hartley, Lukas Moodysson, Tsai Ming-liang, Claire Denis, and Todd Solondz.
It has also had the presence of national and international professionals in the international jury or presenting films in the various sections of the program: John Cale, Maria Schneider, Monte Hellman, Paprika Steen, Julio Medem, Fele Martinez, Elvira Mínguez, Jorge Perugorría, María Esteve, Tristán Ulloa, Daniel Guzmán or Jan Cvitkovic.
63nd Gijón International Film Festival
The International Film Festival… Read more
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
