The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns this autumn for its 13th edition, mounting a 16-title programme across central Scotland and Manchester from 1 October to 5 November. Organisers are pitching this year’s slate against an expanding domestic market in Spain, offering Scottish premieres that span contemporary social realism, historical exile, and Basque genre filmmaking.
The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Examines Collective Survival
Festival Director Marian A. Aréchaga points to that domestic surge as the foundation for this year’s selections.
“Spanish cinema is on a high, with the number of films produced in Spain rising steadily in the past few years,” said Aréchaga. “At ESFF we are delighted to bring the best of those titles alongside some of the most exciting features from Latin America. It has been and is an incredible experience to share thoughts, views and ideas with directors, colleagues, students and wonderful interpreters who make the whole thing possible.”
Rather than individual triumph over adversity, the festival has framed its 2026 programme around ideas of mutual aid and communal survival. That thematic thread starts on opening weekend with Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s Band Together and El Langui’s documentary Lust for Life. Both titles examine how collective action counters adversity. Sánchez Arévalo will attend screenings at the VUE Omni Centre on 2 and 3 October, while producer Rodrigo Espinel presents Lust for Life at the Filmhouse on 1 October. The two filmmakers will also lead an industry discussion on the state of Spanish production at the French Institute of Scotland on 3 October.
At a Glance: Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival 2026
- Dates: 1 October – 5 November 2026
- Locations: Edinburgh (Filmhouse, French Institute of Scotland, VUE Omni), Glasgow (Glasgow Film Theatre), Tranent (The Fraser Centre), Stirling (Macrobert Arts Centre), Ayr (Merlin Astoria Cinema), and Manchester (HOME).
- Programme Highlights: 16 feature films and documentaries, including Scottish premieres, a dedicated Basque strand, and a preview of Los Javis’ The Black Ball.
- Access: Screenings run in original languages with English subtitles. All Scottish screenings of Lust for Life and Band Together carry hard-of-hearing captions supplied by Screen Language.
- Information & Booking: edinburghspanishfilmfestival.com
The schedule stretches into heavy historical territory. Asier Altuna’s Karmele addresses Civil War displacement, with Altuna appearing for a post-screening discussion at the French Institute on 7 October. Marta Matute’s I Won’t Die for Love tackles the domestic toll of Alzheimer’s care, screening at the Filmhouse on 10 October with the director present. The same evening at the VUE Omni, co-director Jorge A. Lara introduces The Righteous, a thriller examining local resistance to corporate bribery.
A high-profile preview arrives on 11 October with Cannes-recognised directing duo Los Javis’ The Black Ball, which revisits the legacy of Federico García Lorca. Co-writer Alberto Conejero will attend the Filmhouse to discuss the production.
“Spanish cinema is on a high, with the number of films produced in Spain rising steadily in the past few years,” said Aréchaga. “At ESFF we are delighted to bring the best of those titles alongside some of the most exciting features from Latin America.
Regional and retrospective programming balances the newer work. The Basque Window, run in partnership with the Etxepare Institute, pairs Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregui’s queer dramedy Maspalomas with Paul Urkijo’s folk horror Gaua. From Peru, Rossana Díaz Costa adapts the late Alfredo Bryce Echenique’s novel A World for Julius. Archival selections include Jaime Chávarri’s 1976 documentary The Disenchantment and Carlos Saura’s 1983 flamenco picture Carmen, the latter staged alongside live dance from TuFlamenco.
Off-screen, the festival maintains an educational strand, offering UK secondary schools digital access codes to stream A World for Julius and Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s Nena. In Edinburgh, organisers have partnered with migrant and refugee charity The Welcoming to run cultural and language workshops. All in all, it’s a fine return on backing from Screen Scotland, Film Hub Scotland, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture.
The ESFF stands proud amongst the many fine, curated festivals that enrich our city (and beyond) every year outside of the August crush. Contrary to what the naysayers might have you believe, our city’s appetite for international entertainment runs year-round, and the ESFF will doubtlessly continue to demonstrate this when October arrives.
Featured Image: 2026 Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Poster
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