The best of Melbourne’s Spanish Film Festival

You know the drum. There’s a film festival on and these are the films that rate four stars or more.
In 1966, John Lennon was determined to leave the Beatles to become an actor, and arrives in Almería to shoot ‘How I Won the War’. Antonio, a school teacher in the small Spanish town of Albacete, learns that Lennon is visiting and decides to undertake the journey to meet his hero. On his way, Antonio meets two runaways; Juanjo, a 16-year-old boy who is escaping his home, and Belén, a 20-year-old pregnant girl reluctantly planning to go home to her mother. Together they travel to reach a destination where they will learn more about themselves and one another than they could have imagined.
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Show Timings:
After losing his mother to senseless violence, 12- year-old Lucas embarks on a brave journey to meet the grandmother he never knew. But the graceful, elderly Martina has no idea Lucas is on his way-she is terminally ill, and after thirteen years has decided to return to the region where she spent happy times with her husband. During his travels, Lucas meets up with Kayemó, a young man with a money problem and a gun, who reluctantly agrees to accompany him to his destination. Together, Lucas and Kayemó will discover there is only one destiny, the one you choose for yourself.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:
Diego, a young and successful photographer, lives comfortably in the glamorous but shallow and excessive world of fashion. His deeply committed partner Fabrizio works as a paediatrician. However, Diego is not ready to commit to their relationship…until a tragic accident turns his world upside down; Fabrizio is now in a coma. Unexpectedly, and right at this inopportune time, Diego’s estranged son Armando shows up. Both of them have to adapt to each other; Armando to the unknown, homosexual world of his father, and Diego to the closed attitude of his teenage son.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:
Claudia has grown up alone for almost her entire life. She fends for herself, living in a small room in a run-down neighborhood of Guadalajara. One day, she falls ill with appendicitis and winds up in hospital. In the bed next to her is Marta, a woman with four children and an endless lust for life, in spite of her terminal illness. Each of her children are very distinct from one another, but all love her profoundly. Claudia is gradually drawn into the family unit, forming a special bond with each one of them and filling a long-empty void in her life. As Marta’s illness advances, Claudia takes on a role within the family, keeping Marta company on regular hospital visits, accompanying the children to school, helping around the house, and even going on holiday with them.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:
In order to escape from the squalid barrio in which they live, young Guatemalan teens Juan, Sara and Samuel make the decision to attempt the 1,200 mile-long arduous border crossing into “The Golden Cage”, i.e. USA, via Mexico in search of a better life. In order to blend in with the group and protect herself from the harm a woman can suffer on the journey, Sara initially disguises herself as a boy named Oswaldo. Not long after their departure, the group encounter Chauk, an Tzotzil Indian who speaks virtually no Spanish. Despite Juan’s fervent and passionate opposition, Sara insists they allow Chauk to join the gang. A harsh road follows as the four children show inspiring bravery in the face of relentless danger and obstacles, both natural and man made.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:
Paula is desperately in love with Jorge, a once divorced literary genius who keeps his feelings held close to his heart. Jorge is nominated to win a prominent literary award, but is only eligible if he completes his current novel. Much to Paula’s dismay, he decides to spend some months living away in his lakeside cottage to complete his writing. Although she accepts the move, Jorge’s lack of passion wears on Paula’s mind, and the limits of her loyalty begin to present themselves. She gradually loses interest in the relationship and gains enthusiasm for her own writing and her compelling thesis supervisor. Her withdrawal initiates a reversal, sparking Jorge’s desire for her and a relationship tug-of war is initiated.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:
After a relationship break-up and being fired from his TV job, Siminiani embarks for India in search of material for a new feature. Anticipating a renaissance of his life, he travels from Delhi to Calcutta, with stops in various striking locations, both urban and rural. As he desperately seeks deep connections between his past and present, he decides he needs a female companion. But when he realizes that she is back in Madrid, his Indian soul searching comes to an abrupt end, and a new journey commences back in Spain.
????? IMDB
Show Timings:

Melbourne Schedule

@Palace Cinema Como

Wednesday 30 April

Thursday 1 May

Friday 2 May

06.30pm Scorpion in Love (Q&A with Álex González)

Saturday 3 May

Sunday 4 May

Monday 5 May

Tuesday 6 May

Wednesday 7 May

Thursday 8 May

Friday 9 May

Saturday 10 May

Sunday 11 May

Monday 12 May

Tuesday 13 May

Wednesday 14 May

Thursday 15 May

Friday 16 May

Saturday 17 May

Sunday 18 May

@Kino Cinemas

Thursday 1 May

Friday 2 May

Saturday 3 May

Sunday 4 May

Monday 5 May

Tuesday 6 May

Wednesday 7 May

06.15pm To Fool a Thief (Special Event)

Thursday 8 May

Friday 9 May

Saturday 10 May

Sunday 11 May

Monday 12 May

Tuesday 13 May

Wednesday 14 May

Thursday 15 May

Friday 16 May

Saturday 17 May

Sunday 18 May

@Palace Westgarth

Thursday 1 May

Friday 2 May

Saturday 3 May

Sunday 4 May

Monday 5 May

Tuesday 6 May

Wednesday 7 May

Thursday 8 May

Friday 9 May

Saturday 10 May

Sunday 11 May

Monday 12 May

Tuesday 13 May

Wednesday 14 May

Thursday 15 May

Friday 16 May

Saturday 17 May

Sunday 18 May

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