Film Festivals
José luis cienfuegos, seminci director, dies at 60
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José Luis Cienfuegos, director of the Valladolid International Film Week (Seminci), died on December 2, 2025, at age 60 from a cerebral hemorrhage in Madrid. Born in Avilés, he transformed key Spanish film festivals over three decades. His legacy includes renewing the events in Gijón, Sevilla, and Valladolid.
Mexico's Guadalajara International Film Festival is marking its 40th year with FICG Goes to Berlin, a showcase of standout titles at Berlin's Kino Babylon from January 30 to February 8, 2026. The event highlights recent Mexican cinema, including documentaries and features from the festival's 2024 and 2025 editions. Directed by Estrella Araiza since 2019, the festival drew 289,777 attendees in 2025.
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Indian filmmaker Pushpendra Albe is preparing to shoot his next feature entirely in Sri Lanka, focusing on an aspiring cricketer from Jaffna. This follows the international festival acclaim for his recent film Joothan. The project highlights Sri Lanka's cricket culture and aims to elevate the country in global cinema.
The Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) has announced 10 Asia-Pacific projects selected for its Future Project initiative, aimed at advancing independent films through development and co-production. Among the highlighted titles are an Australia-Indonesia romance, a migrant worker drama, and an Indonesian biopic featuring an Oscar-winning costume designer. The event runs from November 29 to December 1 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as part of JAFF's 20th anniversary.
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Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is drawing criticism from Iranian filmmakers for his reported involvement in Iran's state-sponsored Fajr Film Festival. The event, running in Shiraz from November 26 to December 3, has sparked concerns about legitimizing government censorship. The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association has urged him to withdraw.
Indie studio Neon is mounting ambitious Oscar campaigns for five non-English-language films this awards season, betting on the Academy's growing appetite for global cinema. The slate includes critically acclaimed titles like the Palme d'Or winner 'It Was Just an Accident' and Norwegian drama 'Sentimental Value.' This push follows the success of 'Parasite' and recent international entries in the Best Picture race.
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The 49th São Paulo International Film Festival ended on the night of October 30, 2025, with the jury's top trophy going to the Iraqi film 'The President's Cake'. Other awards highlighted productions from various countries, including Brazilian ones, in categories such as fiction, documentary, and queer. The ceremony was followed by a screening of 'Jay Kelly' by Noah Baumbach.