While coronavirus continues to play havoc with the scheduling of cinemas all across Scotland, those clever clogs over at the Catalan Film Festival haven’t let that interfere with their 2020 edition. In fact, the organisers have risen to the challenge admirably, crafting an eclectic programme jam-packed with exciting new talents, established cult classics and plenty of political flavour. The best part? All titles are available to view online, anywhere in the country.

From 8pm on Thursday 19th November until midnight on Sunday 6th December, the Catalan Film Festival will be bringing a full programme of features, shorts and Catalan classics to homes across the UK. The theme of the festival will concentrate on the recovery and reconstruction of Spanish and Catalan historic memory, meaning there are plenty of political thinkers to wrap your brains around, as well as a section dedicated exclusively to the work of female directors.

Some of the award-winning highlights of the exciting programme include:

  • Schoolgirls, directed by Pilar Palomero and winner of the Málaga Film Festival award, which concentrates on what it was like to grow up as a young female during the 1990s in Spain
  • My Mexican Bretzel, directed by Núria Giménez Lorang and winner of IFFR Rotterdam Found Footage Award, which has been called “the cinematic discovery of the year”
  • Josep, an animated film directed by Aurel and official selection candidate for Cannes Film Festival, which concentrates on the life of artist and Spanish Civil War resistance soldier Josep Bartolí
  • The Year of the Discovery, a documentary directed by Luis López Carrasco and Grand Prize winner at IFFR Rotterdam and Cínema du Réel Festival, which captures many zeitgeist elements of a turbulent time for working class people in Spain and further afield

Of course, those four selections merely scratch the surface of the goodies on offer, so head over to the official site to check out the full programme.

Finally, one of the hugely attractive facets of the festival is its affordability. Film enthusiasts can snap up a festival-wide pass – allowing them access to all titles on offer – for just £10, while weekend passes are a snip at £5 and shorts programme passes are a mere £2.50. An incredibly inclusive pricing structure for a festival designed to be enjoyed by everyone.