Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival to Return for 13th Edition

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) is returning for its 13th edition, welcoming film fans from across Scotland with a programme of cinema screenings, guest appearances and cultural events. The festival runs from 1 October – 5 November 2026 in Edinburgh, Tranent, Glasgow, Stirling, Ayr and Manchester, featuring a total of 16 films from Spain and Latin America offering a snapshot of the best brand-new Spanish-language cinema for 2026. The majority of the films are Scottish premieres.

ESFF 2026 celebrates the role of the community, and the idea that shared experiences make life richer, because success and happiness are not only based on individual achievements but also on the connections people build with others.

ESFF's two opening films, Band Together by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and Lust for Life by El Langui, show how people can support and elevate one another and achieve much greater things together.

Daniel Sánchez Arévalo will be in attendance for both Band Together screenings on Friday 2 October (18:15) and Saturday 3 October (16:00) at VUE Omni Centre. Lust for Life producer Rodrigo Espinel will also present and discuss his documentary on Thursday 1 October (18:15) at Edinburgh Filmhouse.

Sánchez Arévalo and Espinel will also join a roundtable about the current state of Spanish cinema on Saturday 3 October (11:30) at the French Institute of Scotland.

The programme includes other films that test the power of communal efforts across different periods of Spanish history: surviving exile from the Spanish Civil War in Karmele by Asier Altuna (in attendance, Wednesday 7 October, 18:00 at the French Institute); overcoming the challenges of caring for a parent with Alzheimer's in I Won't Die for Love by Marta Matute (in attendance, Saturday 10 October, 15:30 at Filmhouse); and resisting the temptation of bribery from a corrupt businessman in The Righteous by Fer Pérez and Jorge A. Lara (the latter in attendance, Saturday 10 October, 19:00 at VUE).

ESFF will also host a special preview of The Black Ball from the Cannes-awarded directing duo Los Javis, celebrating the legacy of Federico García Lorca, and co-written by Alberto Conejero (in attendance, Sunday 11 October, 19:30 at Filmhouse).

This year the Basque Window, in collaboration with the Etxepare Institute, includes Maspalomas, a queer dramedy by Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregui (Friday 9 October, 20:15 at Filmhouse), and Gaua, a folk horror fantasy by Paul Urkijo (Thursday 8 October, 20:30 at Filmhouse).

The Latin American Window will feature A World for Julius by Rossana Díaz Costa, an adaptation of the homonymous book by the late Peruvian author Alfredo Bryce Echenique, in collaboration with the Peruvian Embassy of London.

Two hidden gems of Spanish cinema are also on offer: the documentary The Disenchantment by Jaime Chávarri (Tuesday 6 October, 18:15 at the French Institute) and the flamenco musical Carmen by Carlos Saura (Friday 9 October, 19:40 at the French Institute).

The latter will be preceded by a special event co-organised with Cinetopia Salon featuring drinks and tapas and a special flamenco show by TuFlamenco.

All films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles. For hard-of-hearing (HOH) audiences, all screenings of Lust for Life and Band Together in Edinburgh and across Scotland will feature HOH captions provided by Edinburgh-based accessibility experts Screen Language.

Special Events

Following ESFF's tradition of supporting the study of Spanish as a foreign language in the UK there are many events for young students.

This year, A World for Julius and Nena by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa will be available online with an access code, ready to be viewed from the comfort of the classroom for all UK schools. Lust for Life will be screened in Edinburgh and Tranent for special school screenings.

In a new collaboration with Scottish charity The Welcoming, which supports asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Edinburgh, ESFF will host a special workshop centred on the richness of the many languages spoken by people of all ages and backgrounds, and how these languages connect to their cultures, memories and sense of belonging in Edinburgh.

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

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: £13 full price, £11.50 concession

French Institute of Scotland, W Parliament Square, EH1 1RN. Films: £10 full price, £8 concession

VUE, Omni Leisure Building, Calton Square, EH1 3AU. Films: £10 full price, £8 concession

Glasgow

Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB. Films: £12.25 full price, £9.50 concession

Tranent

The Fraser Centre, 3 Winton Place, EH33 1AF. Films: £7 full price, £6 concession

Stirling

Macrobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA. Films: £6 (Pay What You Can)

Ayr

Merlin Astoria Cinema, Burns Statue Square, Ayr KA7 1UP. Films: £6 standard / £3 concession. Free with Ayr Film Society membership

Manchester

HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN. Films: £11.15 full price, £9.15 concession

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