As the annual Manila Spanish Film Festival draws closer, Instituto Cervantes has unveiled the official PELÍCULA>PELIKULA poster for its 25th edition, featuring an evocative image by acclaimed Spanish photographer García de Marina.
The highly anticipated PELÍCULA>PELIKULA will take place from October 5 to 11 at Power Plant Mall Cinema 2 in Makati, bringing another exciting showcase of Spanish, Latin American, and Filipino cinema to Philippine audiences.
Since its creation in 2002 by Instituto Cervantes, PELÍCULA has grown into one of the most anticipated annual film events in Philippine theaters. For its 25th edition, the festival will present more than 20 acclaimed films from Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines.
A Poster Looking Back—and Forward
At the heart of this year’s visual identity is a photograph by García de Marina, a renowned Spanish photographer whose surrealist work transforms ordinary objects into intriguing visual compositions.
The festival poster features a mannequin with two masks—one facing forward and another facing backward—symbolizing two directions in time.
As García de Marina explains, the image represents “one looking towards the past 25 years, and one looking towards the future.”
Born in Gijón, Spain, in 1975, García de Marina is known for creating surrealist images using everyday objects, including books, cups, and chess pieces. His minimalist compositions are given a dreamlike quality that creates a striking contrast between the ordinary and the unexpected, evoking the visual language of another celebrated artist, René Magritte.
Beyond the festival poster, García de Marina’s photographs will also enrich the catalogue of this year’s PELÍCULA>PELIKULA edition.
A Diverse Celebration of Cinema
This year’s lineup spans a wide range of genres and cinematic styles.
Among the featured titles are the drama Los domingos (Ruiz de Azúa, 2025), the documentary We the Hispanos (José Luis López-Linares, 2026), the classic El desencanto (Jaime Chávarri, 1976), and the animated feature Olivia y el terremoto invisible (Irene Iborra, 2025).
Through its collaboration with the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España, the festival will also present the film series “Premios Goya on Tour,” featuring seven recently awarded feature films:
- Sirāt (Oliver Laxe, 2025)
- Maspalomas (Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi, 2025)
- La cena (Manuel Gómez Pereira, 2025)
- The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar, 2024)
- Los Tigres (Alberto Rodríguez, 2025)
- El cautivo (Alejandro Amenábar, 2025)
- Mariposas negras (David Baute, 2024)
Beyond Spain: Latin American and Filipino Cinema
PELÍCULA>PELIKULA will also shine a spotlight on cinema from across Latin America.
The Official Selection includes the Brazilian drama Cyclone (Flavia Castro, 2025) and the Argentinian animated film Gigantes, una aventura extraordinaria (Gonzalo Gutiérrez, 2024).
Filipino cinema will likewise take center stage through “En corto: short films from the Philippines, Latin America, and Spain,” scheduled for screening on October 11.
And keeping with one of the festival’s most cherished traditions, audiences will once again have the opportunity to choose their favorite films through the Audience Choice Award.
After each screening, spectators can cast their votes for the films they enjoyed most. The tradition dates back to 2004 and has become one of PELÍCULA>PELIKULA’s most beloved features. The winning film will receive another screening during the festival’s closing ceremony.
Free Screenings and More Cultural Experiences
All festival screenings are free of charge, with films presented in their original language and accompanied by English subtitles.
Beyond the movie screenings, PELÍCULA>PELIKULA 2026 will also feature a range of artistic and cultural activities, including lectures, workshops, and concerts, creating opportunities for audiences to experience Spanish and Latin American culture beyond the big screen.
A Collaborative Celebration of Cinema and Culture
PELÍCULA>PELIKULA 2026 is a project of Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, and AECID Philippines, in collaboration with:
Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España; the Film Development Council of the Philippines; the Film Academy of the Philippines; National Book Development Board – Philippines; Intramuros Administration; QCinema; Quezon City Screen Commission – Screen QC; Embajada Argentina en Filipinas – Argentine Embassy in the Philippines; Embassy of Brazil in Manila – Embaixada do Brasil em Manila; the Embassy of Chile in the Philippines; Power Plant Mall; De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; UST Department of Modern Languages; UST Office of Alumni Relations; UST Alumni Association, Inc.; Mapúa University; Meridian International College – MINT College; FEU Manila – Institute of Arts and Sciences; CIIT; UPD Department of European Languages; and Boysen Paints Philippines.
For complete festival details and updates, visit the official Instituto Cervantes de Manila website or follow its social media channels, including Facebook at www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila and Instagram at @institutocervantesmanila.
As PELÍCULA>PELIKULA celebrates 25 editions, this year’s poster captures the spirit of the milestone perfectly: one gaze reflecting on a quarter-century of cinematic memories, and another looking ahead to the stories still waiting to be discovered.
