The 29th DocsBarcelona documentary film festival opens in Barcelona, this year placing an emphasis on international politics and local cinema. The organizers have announced an expanded program: for the first time, screenings will be held not only at familiar venues, but also at two new locations, as well as in more than ten municipalities across the province. The main highlight is a record number of Catalan projects: the lineup includes 28 films by local authors, underscoring the region’s growing role in the industry.
Three thematic focuses
The festival is built around three key topics. The first is ‘Más allá de los titulares,’ where documentarians seek to reveal the real faces and stories behind global conflicts. This section will host the premiere of A Fox Under a Pink Moon—an Iranian film about artist Soraya Akhalaghi, co-directed with Mehrdad Oskouei. The second strand, ‘Ciencia, tecnología y cine,’ presents works on scientific and technological developments, including Atlas de la Desaparición by Manuel Correa Correa. The third focus is urban themes, featured in the special Focus section.
Catalan cinema in the spotlight
Out of more than a thousand applications, 57 films were selected, six of which have already sold out. Catalan projects are represented by 19 feature films and nine short films. Among them is Corren las liebres, which tells the story of a woman named Noa who, after being released from prison, fights to get her children back. According to director Lorena Ros, the film shows not the touristy, but the real Barcelona, life on its outskirts. Other notable works include Bèstia by Helena Garza, Plató 3 by Maria Borrell, and Miss Jobson by Amanda Sanz Pantling. Organizers emphasize that these films cannot be imagined as a podcast or a TV report—their place is precisely on the big screen.
Awards, industry, and new formats
DocsBarcelona Pro, the industry section of the festival, is introducing two new awards this year: the ARTE European Talent Development Award (€10,000) and the Premi de Coproducció 3Cat (€15,000). From May 11 to 14, professional discussions and conferences for industry participants will take place. Special attention is given to international recognition: the Docs d’Honor award will be presented to Mark Cousins, and viewers will see the first episode of The Story of Documentary Film. Organizers note that documentary cinema is becoming increasingly relevant amid global uncertainty, and the festival serves as a platform for discussing pressing issues.
The expansion of DocsBarcelona and the focus on local stories reflect a recent trend, with Catalan and Barcelona-based projects gaining increasing attention. Similar processes are taking place in other areas as well: for example, the authorities of Barcelona and Catalonia have recently announced large-scale investments in housing renovation in vulnerable neighborhoods, which is covered in detail in the article about the largest apartment renovation program in Besòs – Maresme.
