¡Hola! all Spanish students at la Academia. Don’t miss the ¡Viva! Spanish and Latin American Festival – a feast of Spanish-language culture for you all! The whole Festival lasts 2 and a half weeks, and the best thing is that it’s right on our doorstep in Manchester.

The dates are 7th to 24th April, and there will be films from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.

These will include a bleak Spanish comedy Carmina y amén and a drama Ixcanul, focusing on Guatemalan women and in particular, a teenager who tries to escape her arranged marriage.

Some of the films are being shown in the UK for the first time, such as Álex de Iglesia’s dazzling spectacle Mi Gran noche, Asier Altuna’s Amama and Nicholás Muñoz’s Juntos y revueltos (Side by Side, Eye to Eye), a documentary about a Cuban cultural centre founded on the ideals of acceptance and inclusion.

Other must-sees include a preview of El Clan, a thoroughly gripping drama about a criminal family from award-winning director Pablo Trapero; and Sebastián Alfie’s Gabor, a remarkable documentary which tells the remarkable story of a blind cinematographer as he collaborates with a director to make a short film.

Film pricing:
The films are priced at: Off Peak (before 5 pm): £7 Full or £5 Concessions and Peak (from 5 pm): £9 Full or £7 Concessions. There are memberships that give reductions and there are also reductions if you see more than one film, so check it out here: http://homemcr.org/event/viva-spanish-latin-american-festival-2016/

The Festival will also offer theatre and a special presentation of work from Leonora Carrington, a surrealist artist, writer and filmmaker who originally came from North West England and lived and worked in Mexico. The full programme of events is here: http://homemcr.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Viva-2016-Festival-Calendar.pdf

Spanish students, what a great chance to practise your Spanish listening skills right here in Manchester!