The Curtocircuíto International Film Festival returns to the city with a new edition featuring an innovative program and a strong commitment to equality. It will be held from October 1 to 6 and will screen more than 40 films from 16 different countries, 65% of which are directed by women.

Among the most prominent names are filmmakers such as Elena López Riera, Marina Lameiro, Gala Hernández, Sandra Schäfer or Rainer Kohlberger. The event is organized by the City Council of Santiago de Compostela together with the Deputación de A Coruña, the Axencia Galega das Industrias Culturais (AGADIC) and the Instituto de la Cinematografía y las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), among other entities.

The programming of the new edition is committed to the diversity of genres and approaches, and places special emphasis on works directed by women, with 27 of the 41 films of the festival made by female directors. This year, Curtocircuíto will develop its activities in four venues in the Galician capital: the Teatro Principal, the Sala Capitol, the Auditorio Abanca and the Faculty of Communication Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela. The festival’s screenings will be grouped into the Cosmos, Planeta GZ and Supernova sections, each with a unique proposal that explores different approaches and themes.

Cosmos: the most international and daring section

The official section of Curtocircuíto, Cosmos, seeks to break the barriers of film genres with a selection of 25 films that bet on the coexistence between traditional narratives, experimental cinema and film essays.

It will be the most international, with pieces from up to 16 different countries such as the United States, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Georgia, Iran, Bangladesh, the Philippines, South Korea, Andorra and Spain. Some of the outstanding titles are ‘Radikals’, by Alvin Belarmino; ‘Here I sit in a can flying over the world’, by Gala Hernández; ‘The Brides of the South’, by Elena López Riera; or ‘The Electric Kiss’, by Rainer Kohlberger.

Galician cinema in the spotlight

For yet another year, Planeta GZ celebrates Galician cinema and its variety with nine films, most of them directed by women, which explore the relationship between human identity and the rural landscape.

Among the proposals are ‘Exposed’, by Nela Fraga; ‘Queimar cando morra’, by Inés Pintor; and ‘O patio’, by Ariadna Cordal.

A commitment to emerging cinema

The last section of the festival, Supernova, reserves a space to elevate the emerging Galician cinema. It is composed of seven pieces characterized by formal and narrative experimentation.

Some of its films are ‘Muiño d’Abaixo’, by Cris Souto; ‘.jpeg’, by Anxo González; ‘A mirada delas’, by Clara Maseda; or ‘Pura’, by Carmen Méndez.

From the cinema to the depths of the sea

One of the great novelties of Curtocircuíto is its central theme inspired by the ocean depths, which is not only present in the visual campaign, but permeates much of the festival’s programming. This year’s poster, designed by Iñaki López, reflects this line with a series of images of marine abysses that invite you to dive into the unknown.

For all this, the event will address concepts such as depth, water, darkness or silence with different proposals.

An edition marked by audiovisuals

The twenty-first edition of Curtocircuíto also includes a musical program with a lineup of audiovisual shows marked by the avant-garde and exploration, with an outstanding roster of international and national artists.

Among them, 33EMYBW (Shanghai), a visual production company that draws inspiration from modern dance music and folklore to create experimental sounds. Also participating will be London-based Joey Holder, whose work explores the interactions between humans and machines through immersive multimedia installations.

One of the most anticipated shows is ‘Pitch Blender’, a collaboration between multimedia artist Zoë McPherson (France, Ireland) and Italy’s Alessandra Leone, both from the SFX label. This audiovisual show fuses rave energy with artistic experimentation and explores the limits of electronic music with cybernetic sound design.

Also from Italy comes Ricardo Giovinetto with ‘Femina’, his first solo project. This work, which has been shown at prestigious festivals such as Ars Electronica and Mutek Montreal, combines audiovisual performance with artistic installation. For his part, Japanese DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu, considered one of the best in his field, will offer an eclectic set that mixes genres to create mind-blowing sound experiences.

The sea as inspiration in artistic proposals

The central theme of the festival will be present in these shows. Among the proposals is ‘The Dance of the Witches’, a collaboration between musician Emil Sáiz and visual artist Judith Adataberna, inspired by the underwater images of the mythical French filmmaker and biologist Jean Painlevé. This piece combines live guitar sounds with visual textures that explore the subconscious and human perception.

Another notable one is ‘URHO’, an audiovisual performance created by artist Iván Torres Hernández, who documents life aboard the Finnish icebreaker of the same name. It presents an immersive experience with documentary images, sounds generated by synthesizers and handmade instruments and enlivened by Andrés Rodrigues and Xoán-Xil. Curtocircuíto also features other artists from the Galician and national scene such as Bromo (Paloma Peñarrubia and Azael Ferrer), Javi Álvarez, Irene de Andrés and Mwëslee.

Sale of season tickets

To buy the festival passes or individual tickets, just click on this link. You can check the program on the festival website.