In 2024, the Spanish government launched the “Where Talent Ignites – Audiovisual From Spain” campaign to confront Trump on the Iran issue.
Less than two years later, Cannes announced its main competition lineup on April 9, and the slogan proved to be more than just hype. Over the past two years, no country in the world other than France, not even the United States, has received more Palme d’Or nominations than Spain.
Thierry Frémaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, announced the 2026 Cannes Official Selection on April 9, saying, “We are seeing clear movement in the Spanish film industry.”
Sponsored by Spain’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, its ICAA film agency and the Export Investment Commission ICEX, “And Goya Goes – New Spanish Cinema” will be shown in New York from April 16th to 19th. It looks like it will capture Spain’s new explosive and exciting film energy.
Scheduled to be screened at New York’s Village East by Angelica, the screenings will include not only older titles but also all the major winners and Best Picture nominees at this year’s Goya Awards, which will be held on February 28, 2020, hosted by Spain’s Academy, which has perhaps the strongest lineup of nominees in history.
Spain’s 2026 Goya Awards winners will also feature the latest films from a new generation of Spanish artists who have recently burst onto the international stage. Alaudda Ruiz de Azua’s Sundays, which won the San Sebastian Golden Shell Award, and documentary feature Lonely Afternoons, which also won the Golden Shell, are director Albert Serra’s latest films, following Cannes competition entry Pacification, whose Out of This World will be selected for major festivals later this year.
And Goya Goes – New Spanish Cinema embodies the values of ‘Where Talent Ignites’ by putting Spain’s audiovisual talent, both creative and industrial, at the heart of the program,” said Teresa Martin, Head of Audiovisual at ICEX.
“Through screenings and panels, this showcase will add names and faces to our personalities, connect us with U.S. industry, and strengthen Spain as a premier international creative partner.”
Another highlight was Eva Libertad’s Berlin Panorama Audience Award winner Deaf, which was the biggest breakout of this year’s Goya Awards, winning New Director, New Actress (Miriam Garo) and Best Supporting Actor (Alvaro Cervantes).
And Goya Goes – New Spanish Films also includes the Best Actor-winning Maspalomas for José Ramón Soloís, another breakout film with the scoop on original screenplay and costume design, The Dinner, and the Goya Award-winning animated feature Deco Lado, directed by Spanish animation director Alberto Vázquez.
Fernando Méndez-Leite, president of the Spanish Academy, said: “We are very proud of our films, which have achieved success both in Spain and abroad.” “This showcase is an opportunity to showcase this year’s internationally outstanding tiles from the Goyas Awards on an important day, the 40th anniversary of the Academy and the Goyas family,” he added.
“Spanish cinema is full of creativity, tackling human issues outside the box, often from a female perspective,” says Laura Turegano, director of And Then Goya Goes – New Spanish Cinema.
It also fills the gaping holes. Since the last run of the long-running Spanish Film Now series at Lincoln Center in 2012, New York has lacked a consistent, dedicated showcase of contemporary Spanish film.
“Exporting the best films, democratically voted for by the Spanish Academy members, gives this event a special splendor, says Pedro Palacios, producer of “Afternoons.”
New York is not an old city after all. The showcase “puts Spanish cinema at the heart of one of the world’s most powerful media capitals,” says coordinator Diana Vargas. “New York offers unparalleled access to distributors, buyers, press and multicultural audiences, and visibility can lead to international distribution, partnerships and new commercial opportunities.”
On April 16th, a special event will be held at New York University’s Espacio de Culturas to celebrate 40 years of legendary Spanish screenwriter Rafael Azcona and the Spanish Film Academy, followed by a screening of the Academy Award-winning film Belle Époque.
Goya Best Actress winner Patricia López Arnaiz and Best Supporting Actress winner Nagore Aramburu will perform “Sundays” at Village East by Angelica, opening the showcase on April 16th. Aramburu will also be answering questions in the Q&A for “Maspalomas”. Cervantes will lead a discussion following the screening of “Deaf.”
The panel “Spain as a Filming Location – In Conversation with New York” will include representatives from ICEX’s “Where Talent Ignites – Audiovisual from Spain” and the New York State Governor’s Office of Film and Television Development. The latter introduces the main support programmes, tax incentives and international cooperation mechanisms. The panel speaker from Spain is Oriol Maymó, producer of “Sirāt”. Pedro Palacios, producer of La Cima Productions of “Afternoon of Loneliness” and Rafael Portela, vice president of the Spanish Academy.
The second panel, “Spanish Cinema Today – Before and Behind the Camera,” will feature invited directors and actors to the showcase, as well as U.S.-based Spanish experts and people from the Spanish diaspora, and will invite an open dialogue about the current state of Spanish cinema, its narratives, aesthetics, and challenges.
“I think of film festivals and screenings as a kind of matchmaker that connects films and audiences. They get to know each other, flirt and, in the best case scenario, hit it off. This day will be the first of those and I am sure that New York audiences will experience a great love story in our films,” says Álvaro Cervantes.
Due to industry discussions, Spanish cinema is likely to explode on the international stage. There’s one fundamental reason. “Spanish cinema is a mixture of art and lack of money,” said José Isber, who did silent commercials for impoverished Spanish cinema in the ’50s.
75 Five years later, things have changed, at least for some of Spain’s top creators. One of the best examples is ‘Sirāt’, which combines three main financing models for high-end Spanish films. Here it is a co-production by Movistar Plus+, the streaming service behind all three Cannes 2026 Spanish competition films. There is a mix of international co-production and national and regional funding, with the latter “Sirāt” being provided by ICEC in Catalonia. This gave “Sirāt” a budget of 6.5 million euros ($7.7 million). Producer Oriol Maimo says that without such a budget, the film could never have achieved the film’s signature creative achievements, including its signature immersive soundtrack and hip music. Both are made in Atmos Dolby, which Maymó says is exceptional for use in non-mainstream Spanish films.
With such a budget, Spain’s top directors with big cinematic ambitions can begin to unleash their creative potential.
