April 10-20, 2008

The Festival is back!

This is the sixth edition of the Spanish and Portuguese film festival Lumen organizes in cooperation with the Spanish and Portuguese embassies, Instituto Cervantes, the Portuguese film institute ICA and local Spanish and Portuguese organizations.

From 10 to 20 of April we show films specially imported for the festival and some advance-premières of films that later will be released in Holland. The festival offers this year a very up-to-date review of Spanish and Portuguese cinema. From Spain several films are shown that won prices in February’s 2008 Goya awards ceremony. Opening film LA SOLEDAD won the award for best picture and best director. Maribel Verdù (finally) won a Goya for best actress for her leading role in SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS. EL ORFANATO won the award for best new director and best original screenplay and TADEO JONES Y EL SÓTANO MALDITO won the award for best short animation film.

From Portugal highlights are CRISTOVÃO COLOMBO - O ENIGMA, the latest film from director Manoel de Oliveira (who turns 100 this year), the award wining beautiful documentary AINDA HÁ PASTORES? about the disappearing shepherds tradition in Portugal and the short animation CÂNDIDO winner in Cinanima. Advant-première films are CAÓTICA ANA, the latest film of master Julio Medem, and PUDOR.

This year again there will be guests coming over from Spain and Portugal specially for the festival. Confirmed are director Eusebio Pastrana, whose debut feature SPINNIN’ is in the festival, director Jorge Pelicano of AINDA HÁ PASTORES? and Portuguese animation filmmaker Zepe, director of CÂNDIDO, will be a guest at the special session with animation films from Spain and Portugal.

On Sunday 13 of April we celebrate the "Fiesta de Cine" with three films - SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS, MANÔ e 7 VÍRGENES, live flamenco music and "tapas", all with a very nice price. And to help you say farewell to the festival, Filmhuis Lumen will show on the next three days after the closing day of the festival the film FADOS. A film from a Spanish director, Carlos Saura, about portuguese music. Hard to find such an Iberian film.

And of course after the screenings you can relax in the Lumen cafe in a Spanish and Portuguese atmosphere.