12 June—10 July 2024

Hosting the fiesta that is the HSBC Spanish Film Festival this June, Palace Nova Cinemas will bring the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema to Adelaide.

With a line-up of award-winning dramas, comedy, thrillers, short films and a fabulous feature documentary on Salvador Dali, the festival brings together the best of Spanish directors, actors and stories.

This year the themes of liberation, sexuality and empowerment are splashed throughout the festival with a special focus on female-led and directed films.

Opening night kicks off with a homage to the magic of cinema storytelling itself in The Movie Teller (La Contadora de Películas) directed by award-winning Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig. Set in a small Chilean mining village this coming-of-age story follows a young girl with a talent for storytelling. The main character is brought to life by three female performances including French/Argentinian actress Bérénice Bejo and new Chilean talent, Alondra Valenzuela.

Another gem on this year’s silver platter is the festival centrepiece, The Teacher Who Promised the Sea (El Maestro que Prometió el Mar). This Spanish historical drama is inspired by the true story of Antoni Benaiges, a passionate teacher working in rural Spain. Directed by Spanish filmmaker Patricia Font, the piece is sure to pull heartstrings.

The festival closes with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s avant-garde odyssey, The Holy Mountain (La montaña sagrad). Celebrating the films 50^th anniversary, we can jump into Jodorowsky’s greed-filled world to join his surreal figures on their quest for enlightenment in a fully restored 4k experience.

Explore the full program here.