HSBC Spanish Film Festival 2024

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Tue 11 Jun 2024 - Wed 10 Jul 2024

Boasting the largest lineup to date, the HSBC Spanish Film Festival returns this June-July. See festival dates at the end of the article for various states. Presented by Palace, the curated lineup features films from Spain and Latin America, and this year's special presentation includes a collection of films that encapsulate the themes of 'Sexual Liberation and Empowerment'. Also in the mix, is a Focus on Female Filmmakers that celebrates Spanish women in film, with a significant selection of work from first-time directors to celebrated auteurs. Unm Amor , a special presentation, is a striking new drama from one such director - the prolific Isabel Coixet. It's a searing drama of passion and power in rural Spain. Coixet's collection of work enjoys the Spotlight at this year's festival and highlights ongoing themes of love, loss, identity, and resilience. See here for the Program .

Your Opening Night film is The Movie Teller - a moving tribute to cinema and the magical power of storytelling. It follows a young woman's coming-of-age in the rugged heart of Chile's Atacama Desert in 1966. Typical of these special Opening Night events, depending on your cinema (check your program ), you could be having a full-on fiesta with drinks, tapas and music prior to the film followed by an after party or a Reception with the same offerings prior to the film but no after party or a Bebida, to enjoy a glass of wine, sparkling or mocktail on arrival.

A classic that's been fully restored - The Holy Mountain is your Closing Night offering. Making its 50th Anniversary, this production was partly funded by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and follows a character known only as 'the Thief'. He meets an alchemist who leads him on a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain, where a group of powerful and eccentric individuals seek immortality and enlightenment. You'll be saying 'hasta la vista' to the Festival with your choice of wine, sparking wine or mocktail before this 4K presentation.


Your Centrepiece film The Teacher Who Promised The Sea is based on the incredible true story of Antoni Benaiges, a Catalan teacher who brought progressive teaching methods from France to the rural village. This emotional drama traverses the past and present, and shines a light on the power of education and historical memory.

Other Special Events includes drinks before the special screening of a delicious documentary - Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines . It takes a deep dive into the world of wine and winemaking in the region. Featuring over thirty interviews with representatives of both big brands and artisan wineries, historians, journalists, cultural representatives and award-winning oenologists, you will have never before seen access to the entire wine-making process, and the contribution of new generations to the historic wineries of Rioja. Other special events are as follows.

Spanish Film Festival Sangria Preview

Taking you back to the beginning and prior to the start of the festival, celebrate the upcoming 2024 festival with a special preview of the biographical drama Jokes & Cigarettes , a week before the festival officially opens. It follows the early days of the famous Catalan humourist Eugenio, a chain-smoking comedian known for his deadpan delivery, smoked glasses and trademark total black attire. Before the film enjoy a complimentary glass of Sangria, receive a copy of the program and be the first to see previews of the major highlights.

120 Years of Salvador Dali commemorates 120 years since his birth. Dali is arguably one of the most versatile and prolific artists of the 20th century, and this program of three films charts his early experiential film works, Hollywood collaborations, plus an insightful, posthumous documentary, exploring his life and legacy. The collection includes In Search of Immortality , which uses archival footage, interviews and insights from experts for a comprehensive look at Dali's creative process, his eccentric personality and the profound impact of his work on the art word including his complex relationship with his muse and wife, Gala.

Spellbound , a Hitchcockian psychological thriller following a psychiatrist (Ingrid Bergman) who helps an amnesiac (Gregory Peck) uncover his true identity, leading to a tale of murder, mistaken identity, and psychoanalysis. It includes a surreal dream sequence by Salvador Dali. Un Chien Andalou + L'Age d'Or is a 1929 avant-garde short film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. It's a surrealistic exploration of the subconscious inviting viewers to interpret its dreamlike narrative and delve into the depths of the human psyche. A tale of a man and a woman who are passionately in love, but their attempts to consummate it are thwarted by their families, the Church, and bourgeois society.

As you can see, this year's festival has a standout selection of new Spanish cinema and more, and it pays to be a Palace Movie Club Member to enjoy the savings. Membership is free with discount tickets and exclusive access to special events, unless you want to go 'Premium' at a cost from $13.50 for that extra complimentary ticket, a discount ticket for your guest as well and membership offers and rewards, not included in the free membership. Stay in touch via Facebook for updates.





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