Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
Article Source: Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival
Last Updated: 10 September 2025 13:34
The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) welcomes film fans from all over Scotland to its 12th edition. The festival is delighted to offer a packed programme of cinema screenings, guest appearances and cultural events, featuring a total of 17 films, including four debut features from Spain and Latin America and offering a snapshot of the best brand-new Spanish-language cinema for 2025. The majority of our films are Scottish premieres.
ESFF 2025 is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the reestablishment of Spanish democracy. As such, our opening event will be a roundtable entitled “50 Years of Democracy in Spain: Perils and Possibilities for a Changing Future” where Professors Nuria Capdevila and Oliver Escobar will reflect on the legacy of the Spanish transition and what we can learn from it, especially in today’s critical context for democracy everywhere.
Following on the spirit of this event, our opening film will be Breaking Walls by Borja Cobeaga, a delightful road movie set in 1989 featuring a group of reluctant fathers who must escort their young daughters from Bilbao to Berlin for a gymnastics competition. The director will present the film on Friday 3rd October at 18:10 at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, and it will be followed by a Q&A session.
Our film programme will go over different periods of Spain’s contemporary history: from highlighting classism in Francoist-era Valencia with The Good Manners by Celia Rico (in attendance, Sat 4th 18:00 at the Filmhouse), to navigating the intricate fight against ETA in the 1990s with Undercover by Arantxa Etxevarría. We also have the uphill struggle of internal migrants in Barcelona with The 47 by Marcel Barrena, the marginalisation and empowerment of a group of Spanish transwomen with Dressed in Blue by Antonio Giménez Rico, and the current challenges faced by refugees and their allies with Pheasant Island by Asier Urbieta (co-presented with festival partner French Film Festival UK).
As always, we welcome the debut films of new Spanish directors: Everything I Don’t Know by Ana Lambarri (in attendance, Sun 12th 18:00 at the Odeon), which follows the anxieties and frustration of a young woman trying to make it in the tech world; Dismantling an Elephant by Aitor Echeverría (in attendance, Fri 10Th 19:00 at the Fraser Centre, and Sat 11th 18:00 at the Odeon), depicting the relationship between an ambitious ballerina and her mother recently released form addiction rehab; and Away by Gerard Oms (in attendance, Sat 18th 17:45 at the Filmhouse), featuring Mario Casas’ breakthrough performance as an undocumented immigrant who strives to find a future in Amsterdam.
We are also pleased to bring you two recent films from Peru: Queens by Klaudia Reynicke, where two sisters have to choose between staying with their father and friends in Lima or migrating with their mother to the US; and Through Rocks and Clouds by Franco García Becerra, where an Andean shepherd boy who is excited for the FIFA World Cup is threatened by the social and environmental impact of corporate mining.
Last but not least, Professor Nuria Capdevilla’s celebrated audiovisual project CartasVivas will return to our festival this year featuring new stories from overlooked Spanish female intellectuals.
All our films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles. For hard-of-hearing (HOH) audiences, we will continue to work with local accessibility experts such as Screen Language for HOH captioning. Undercover, Breaking Walls and Dismantling an Elephant will be screened with HOH captions in Edinburgh, Inverness and Tranent.
Special events:
Following our tradition to support the study of Spanish as a foreign language in the UK, we have organised many events for young students. This year, Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles by Salvador Simó and The Footballest by Miguel Ángel Lamata will be available online with an access code, ready to be viewed from the comfort of the classroom for all UK schools. Breaking Walls by Borja Cobeaga will be screened in Edinburgh and Manchester for special school screenings. The CartasVivas screening in Edinburgh will also be open for students.
In a new collaboration with Scottish charity The Welcoming, which supports asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Edinburgh, ESFF will host a special workshop: “Recording Edinburgh as My Home”, with ESFF programmer assistant Dr Gustavo Herrera Taboada.
Finally, following our sold-out Basque Supper Club in May, ESFF will host a Valencian Supper Club at Tapa Restaurant in Leith as our closing event on Sunday 19th October at 18:30, featuring special cocktails and dishes inspired by Valencian cuisine.
Marian A. Aréchaga, Director ESFF said: “Spanish cinema is on a high, with the number of films produced in Spain rising steadily in the past few years. 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.”
For more detailed information about the films see: www.edinburghspanishfilmfestival.com/en/
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Film Hub Scotland, Screen Scotland, the Spanish Embassy in London and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
Screening and Event Venues and Prices:
Edinburgh
Filmhouse (88 Lothian Road, EH3 9BZ)
Films: £12 full price, £10.50 concession
French Institute of Scotland (W Parliament Square, EH1 RN1)
Films: £10 full price, £7 concession
Odeon (118 Lothian Rd, EH3 8BQ)
Films: £10 full price, £8 concession
Tapa (19 Shore Pl, EH6 6SW)
Valencian Supper Club: £40
Tranent: The Fraser Centre (3 Winton Pl, EH33 1AF)
Films: £7 full price, £6 concession
Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, Royal College room 345 (entry through James Weir building on 75 Montrose St, G1 1XJ)
Films: £8 full price, £6 concession
Stirling: Macrobert Arts Centre (University of Stirling, FK9 4LA)
Films: Pay what you can: £6.50
Inverness: Eden Court Cinema (Bishops Rd, IV3 5SA)
Films: £9.50/£7 concession
Sponsored Links
Latest Renfrewshire News
Award winning show Stuntman comes to Paisley Arts Centre
Award-winning Scottish company SUPERFAN will bring their high-octane smash hit Edinburgh Fringe show Stuntman to Paisley Arts Centre on Wednesday 17th September!
READ MORE
Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025
Paisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MORE
Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025
Cineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MORE
Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on
Scotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MORE
Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie
Marston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour
Òran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MORE
M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction
M&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORE
Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland
Iconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MORE
20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORE
A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival
Love Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE
Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party
It might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MORE
Winners of the 2025 Love Paisley Star Awards unveiled
The winners of this year's Love Paisley Star Awards have been announced.
READ MORE
Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month
Business Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MORE
Young people bring colour to Paisley through new murals
Young people have created three vibrant new murals to transform an area of Seedhill, Paisley.
READ MORE
Iconic buildings across Renfrewshire set to welcome visitors for Doors Open Days 2025
Spectacular venues from across Renfrewshire will welcome visitors as part of this year's Doors Open Days.
READ MORE
Fresh new line up for one of the biggest FREE food and drink festivals in Scotland
Vikings, a pie eating competition, new celebrated chef and dog & duck shows set to bring new energy to Loch Lomond Food and Drink Festival this September.
READ MORE
From pouring pints to the red carpet: The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 crowns its hospitality stars!
The winners of the 2025 Scottish Bar & Pub Awards were unveiled on the 26th of August at a glittering, Oscars-themed ceremony held at the Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow.
READ MORE
Best Croissant Competition returns for 2025
The Edinburgh Butter Company has announced the return of its ‘Scotland’s Best Croissant’ competition on Monday 13th October.
READ MORE
GlasGLOW announces all new show for 2025, inspired by the legendary 80s campaign that made Glasgow smile
itison has confirmed that GlasGLOW will return to the Botanic Gardens from 24th October – 2nd November for its eighth year and with its biggest show yet... GlasGLOW's Miles Better!
READ MORE
Historic Environment Scotland launches Talking About Heritage
People across Scotland invited to take part in national conversation about heritage.
READ MORE
Tickets now on sale for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo closes the drawbridge on its 75th anniversary Show, as tickets for next year go on sale.
READ MORE
Beat the Street is returning to Renfrewshire
An interactive game encouraging people of all ages to get active and explore their local surroundings is set to return to towns and villages across Renfrewshire this autumn.
READ MORE
Momentum builds at Braehead with surge in sales, footfall and leasing
SGS UK Retail has announced that Braehead Shopping Centre is going from strength to strength, headlining outstanding sales and footfall growth for the year to date.
READ MORE
Primark celebrates 50 years in Scotland with a wee nod to loyal Scots in all stores today
Scottish shoppers will hardly believe it when they see it today as Primark finally relents on one of its biggest brand debates after 50 years.
READ MORE
Christmas at Crieff Hydro returns with magical line up of festive activities
Scotland's best loved family resort, Crieff Hydro, has unveiled details of a specially curated programme of events as it prepares to welcome guests over the festive period.
READ MORE
Scots Language Awards 2025 shortlist unveiled
The shortlist for the Scots Language Awards 2025 has been unveiled, with figures from Scottish literature, theatre, education and business all in the running for awards at the annual ceremony.
READ MORE
Innis & Gunn wins double gold at the World Beer Awards 2025
Innis & Gunn has claimed double gold on the global stage, winning best in Scotland for the second year running at the World Beer Awards.
READ MORE
Home town hero Callum Hawkins wins record breaking Paisley 10k
More than 5,500 people have taken part in the Paisley 10k and 3k Fun Run, setting a new record for the event.
READ MORE
Santa Claus is coming to Dobbies
From exciting encounters with Santa himself to hands-on workshops and joyful family moments, Dobbies is the destination for festive fun this Christmas!
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links