We have good news for movie fans: whilst it will be subject to some Covid restrictions, the Malaga Film Festival will take place in 2021! The event is one of the largest festivals in Malaga, and it will happen between Thursday 3rd June and Sunday 13th June this year. The event will play host to some of the best of Spanish cinema, and will provide an opportunity to enjoy some truly incredible films; after a year where so many festivals and other social occasions have been either postponed or cancelled, this is great news for Brits living in Spain looking to let their hair down and enjoy some high-end movies. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Malaga Film Festival in 2021:
What Covid Restrictions Will Be in Place?
In order to adhere to the region’s social distancing requirements, the cinema screenings will only have a 50 percent capacity this year. As a result, if you want to watch a particular showing then you are highly advised to book ahead to ensure that you aren’t disappointed.
Unlike in previous years, there will also be no red carpet as this year’s event, and there will also be no social events in order to limit any unnecessary mixing. This is something to consider before booking your tickets, especially if you have been to the festival before, in the pre-covid world. Things might look a little different this year, but there will still be plenty of great cinema to enjoy!
Will We See Anyone Famous?
Many people choose to attend the Malaga film festival for the opportunity to see a few famous faces. The Malaga Film Festival has yet to release its official VIP attendee list, but as the Gala Presentation Night has already sold out, it’s likely that there will be plenty of celebrities in attendance: given this is a Spanish film festival, and because of coronavirus travel restrictions, it is likely that the vast majority of attendees will be Spanish, with a smaller-than-usual cohort of international stars in attendance.
If you’re more interested in celebrity spotting than movies then our advice is to stand in the square in front of the Cervantes Theatre, outside the Albeniz Cinema and outside the AC Palacio Hotel, which is where many of the rich and famous attendees to the festival stay.
How Many Films Will Be Presented This Year?
This year there are just over 150 films being presented and shown at the Malaga Film Festival. 19 of these have made the shortlist to win the festival’s grand prize, and two of these have been created by Directors from Malaga. The Latin American theme that the festival has adopted in the past will continue into 2021, and therefore you will also be able to enjoy films made in Central and South America as well as in Spain.
You can see traditional fictional story telling, shorts, and documentaries, meaning that the Malaga Film Festival offers something for everyone. You can watch the film in a wide variety of locations across Malaga city centre, meaning that you can choose a location that is convenient for you as well as the film that interests you the most.
And if you’re unable to secure tickets for the event you want? Don’t worry! This year you can watch all of the events at the Festival on a giant screen in Plaza de la Constitución. This includes the opening and closing galas, photo calls and prize-giving ceremonies.
Getting Tickets for the Malaga Film Festival
You can secure tickets to see films at the Malaga Film Festival either from the box offices at the venues involved in the festival, or online. The addresses to secure your tickets are detailed below:
Cerantes Theatre box office: 11am until 30 minutes before the last film.
Albeniz Cinema (Calle Alcazabilla): 3.45pm until 30 minutes before the last film.
Tickets for most of the films available cost €3.50 at the box office or from €4.40 if you choose to buy your ticket online, due to the admin fee that is added. If you want to see one of the 17 films officially in the running for the award, then the ticket price increases to 6 euros.
Most of the films are in Spanish, as the Malaga Film Festival is a celebration of Spanish culture and film-making, but if you’re a non-Spanish speaker, you can look through the list of films available to see which of them have been produced in English. You can see the full programme of all the films being shown this year here.
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