The initiative, with the main support of Fundación Vital and backing from the Basque Government, Provincial Council of Álava, and Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, incorporates important novelties this year, including GFF vouchers, the "Amigos del festival" project, and ARKABIA as the new main venue, alongside other spaces like Izaskun Arrue Kulturgunea and Sala Baratza.
The event maintains its commitment to quality, diverse, and engaged cinema, with films from various countries that often don't find space in commercial circuits. This is complemented by one of the festival's hallmarks: the active participation of children and young people in shaping each edition, through the children's jury, dubbing workshops, and the selection of short films by local schoolchildren.
Mexico, cultural and cinematographic diversity. The program dedicated to the guest country will allow for the discovery of Mexico's cultural and cinematographic diversity. The festival will place a special focus on filmmaker Fernando Eimbcke, screening three of his most recognized films: Lake Tahoe, Temporada de patos, and Moscas. It will also feature two short film programs and the "AMBULANTE: Del espacio exterior al mundo interior" proposal.
The Mexican presence will also play a prominent role in the festival's image and activities. The festival poster is by animator Luis Felipe Hernández Alanis, specializing in "stop motion" technique. The artist will travel to Vitoria-Gasteiz to present the festival and conduct two workshops: one for children aged 9-12 using shadow play and light table to create live images accompanying the opening concert, and another "stop motion" "cut out" animation workshop at ARKABIA.
Before arriving in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the "Mugi-Mugi" workshop was held in Jalisco, with children from Zapopan participating at the INGENIA youth digital creation center, thanks to collaboration with "El Taller del Chucho", an animation studio promoted by Guillermo del Toro. Small stories have emerged from this experience to accompany the screenings and the edition's opening credits.
ARKABIA and new venues. The official inauguration will take place on Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 PM, at the Jesús Guridi Conservatory. The Banda Handi, conducted by Asier Zabalza, will perform two compositions by indigenous Mixe women, "La Sierra Negra", and a selection from the "Coco" soundtrack.
One of the main novelties is the incorporation of ARKABIA as the main venue. This Vital Fundazioa cultural space will host the closing ceremony, a significant portion of the screenings, and various workshops, strengthening the festival's presence in the city. The program will also be distributed across Izaskun Arrue Kulturgunea and Sala Baratza. Salburua and Zabalgana civic centers will host school sessions.
Workshops and activities. "Cucinema", an international workshop created in Italy in 2005 and present at over 50 festivals, will be held on Sunday, November 29, at 10:00 AM, in Sala Baratza. Participants will create a film by painting directly on celluloid, compose their own soundtrack, and engage in a culinary activity related to Mexican gastronomy.
Children's participation remains a fundamental axis. Fourteen children aged 6 to 12 will form the two juries, organized by age groups. They will award four prizes: best feature film and best short film for the over-6 and over-9 categories. The jury will announce the winners during the closing ceremony.
The dubbing workshop will return, where young people from Vitoria-Gasteiz will voice films in Basque for the official section, including the feature films "Jauregiko bizitza" and "Oihanean jaioa", as well as several short films. Students from Toki-Eder Ikastola and Errota Eskola have selected the short films for the official section.
The festival also revives the screen-printing space, now in its third edition, allowing participants to print the GazteFilm Fest image on their own garments. The Ortzadarra creative workshop engages children aged 9 and up in creating decorative elements for the festival's presence in the city.
In the programming focused on childhood portrayal, the film "Txakun txakür" stands out, recognized with the Irizar Award for Basque Cinema at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It will be screened on Sunday, November 29, at 5:00 PM, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair of the EHU, with its director, Elsa Oliarj-Inés, and part of the film's team in attendance.
New formulas for continued growth. This ninth edition also introduces two initiatives to strengthen the festival's relationship with its audience: GFF vouchers, offering ten sessions for 36 euros, and "Amigos del festival", a project to consolidate ties with attendees and foster a community around cinema and culture.
Co-directors Helena González and Ricardo del Conde explain: "We've had nine editions and want many more. The vouchers and "Amigos del festival" are a way of telling our audience that we want to keep seeing each other, and that the festival should also be a little bit theirs. It responds to that underlying desire to build community by being culture and making culture by being community." Individual tickets will cost 4.50 euros.
