Among the public and the Andalusian audiovisual sector there is a certain consensus around the good news: the Seville European Film Festival (Seff), which throughout this year had settled into uncertainty and had even seen its continuity threatened, has managed to complete its twentieth edition. With a reduced format of seven days and a program configured almost on the edgethe event concluded this Wednesday with good attendance numbers and general optimism from the organizers, although there was no lack of criticism either.
“This is a very atypical edition, of which I remain, above all, with the commitment of the Seville City Council to celebrate the Festival, which has been fulfilled,” says Manuel Cristóbal, former advisor of the Audiovisual Industry of the Community of Madrid. arrived in Seville only a few months before as a firefighter, called to put out the fire caused by a chain of events that he did not hesitate to describe as a “perfect storm”: first the departure of the previous director, José Luis Cienfuegos, to the Seminci in Valladolid ; then the announcement of the transfer of Seff dates to spring, which ignited indignation in the sector, and the dismissal of Cienfuegos’ replacement, Tito Rodríguez.
“There were months that were lost at the beginning of the year with the political and organizational changes, it was a perfect storm. But I must be happy and satisfied that in the end everyone wanted to row in favor,” adds Manuel Cristóbal, who was seen since his arrival as the last hope so that the Seville European Film Festival would not join the long list. of missing Spanish competitions.
30,000 spectators
This although, as he himself admits, the 2023 edition had its deficiencies: the first thing that had to be sacrificed was the competitive section of the Festival, as well as creating a less European and more national programming than on other occasions, with numerous titles that had already been been seen at other events, which has resulted in lower media attendance. However, Manuel Cristóbal does not hesitate to affirm that “it was the best we could do in those circumstances, and all thanks to a magnificent team.”
The organization even boasts numbers in its balance sheet: seat occupancy, which has been around “85 percent of capacity,” gives box office figures for the Cine Cervantes and the MK2 Cinesur Nervión Plaza theaters of around 30,000 people. “The almost one hundred films selected have managed to attract an audience made up of the general public, critics and journalists to the theaters,” states the official statement, which highlights the presence in Seville of figures such as Catherine Breillat, Pablo Berger, Antonio Saura, Carlota Pereda, Rafa Cobos, Víctor Clavijo, Julia de Castro, Federico Schmukler or Jacqueline van Vugt, to which is added “a varied range of parallel activities that have also had a notable reception and full capacity at many of their scheduled appointments.”
Where there does seem to be unanimous applause is in the area of professional associations and institutions, which have not missed any opportunity throughout the week to applaud Manuel Cristóbal’s management. Thus, Marta Velasco, on behalf of the Andalusian Film Academy, thanked “the festival team and Manuel Cristóbal for their effort and dedication towards the sector and the spectators in such a special edition as this one”, while the president of ASECAN, Lourdes Palacios applauded this “edition of the SEFF that the audiovisual sector demanded, favoring the encounter between the public and the theaters, facilitating the screening of Andalusian cinema alongside European cinema, and laying the foundations for a great next year.” For his part, the president of ANCINE, José Alba, highlighted that “the magic of cinema and Manuel Cristóbal as coordinator have made it possible for this edition to be as excellent as the best ones experienced to date”; the president of AEDAVA, Rogelio Delgado, emphasizes “the support of the professional film sectors, which are collaborating to keep the wonderful dream of SEFF alive”; while the president of AAMMA, Agus Jiménez, highlights her satisfaction with an edition that “has allowed us not only to maintain the Women in Focus space within the Seville Festival, but also to expand these important activities to give visibility to women in the world film”.
Looking to 2024
This consensus contrasts with the criticism expressed by the media and the Platform in Defense of the Seville European Film Festival, created precisely during the summer crisis that almost ruined the event. This platform, recognizing the effort made “to save this edition in a dignified manner”, nevertheless questions aspects such as the opening gala, the coincidence in dates with the Alhambra Monkey Week, as well as the delay in accreditations or the poor signage of the Festival spaces.
On the other hand, the platform considers through a statement that the programming, “although scarce, has met quality criteria” although “riddled with titles with imminent release, or with a long run in festivals” and “disproportionate” in its titles. Andalusians compared to Europeans. “We are sure that with a larger team, and more care, the results would have been much better,” they conclude.
At the moment, there are already dates for the next edition, from November 8 to 16, 2024, although the continuity of Manuel Cristóbal, who has a contract only for the current year, is unknown. “Now I am gathering opinions from around the world about where the Festival should go, and when we have them all the time will come to make decisions. For my part, I must say that I have been able to work with pleasure and I feel happy, but we must also listen to those who liked it less and respond to constructive criticism.”
“This edition will remain as an anecdote,” concludes Manuel Cristóbal, “but above all as a demonstration that in Seville there is great affection for the festival. That’s what I’ve felt.”
2023-12-02 23:45:49
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