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Festival coverage

Viva

2008

Blue Eyelids is among the films screening
Blue Eyelids is among the films screening

Celebrating the best in Latin American and Spanish film, the 14th Viva Film Festival runs, at the Cornerhouse in Manchester from March 6 to 16, and 20 of the films will also screen at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin from March 20-30 (see www.irishfilm.ie), and will then tour the UK. Click here for a full list of venues and dates.

This year again features a fantastic line up of fiction and documentary films, including Sundance Special Jury Prize winner Blue Eyelids, pictured right. As well as featuring the best new Spanish language films, the programme includes retrospectives, this year including a tribute to director Fernando Fernan Gomez, who died last November, and a retrospective of films produced by Lita Stantic.

There will also be a series of Spanish-themed events, plus guests including Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) and actors Ines Efron and Martin Piroyanski (XXY)

View complete schedule

Other years (10)

Latest reviews

  • El Baño Del Papa
    Review preview for El Baño Del Papa

    There is an energy to this low-budget film

    Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
    A man tries to build a public loo to cash in on a Papal visit.
  • Timecrimes
    Review preview for Timecrimes

    It may not be flashy but there are flashes of cleverness sparkling throughout.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    When a man accidentally travels back in time, he finds restoring the status quo is easier said than done. Plus read our exclusive interview with director Nacho Vigalondo.
  • [Rec]
    Review preview for [Rec]

    An engrossing and very terrifying experience.

    Daniel Hooper · 4 out of 5
    A news crew get trapped in an apartment block with a deadly virus and something else...
  • Under The Stars
    Review preview for Under The Stars

    Bittersweet has rarely felt so life-affirming.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    A self-centered trumpeter finds redemption in an unexpected place.
  • Doghead
    Review preview for Doghead

    Although the tone is a little uneven and the narratorial voice more of an affectation than any real use to the plot, there is a charm and verve to Amadeo’s film.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
    An emotionally disconnected teenager finds himself forming relationships after becoming stranded in Madrid.
  • Chaotic Ana
    Review preview for Chaotic Ana

    A glossy, superficial affair, leading up to a climactic sequence too laughable to impress in any way.

    Anton Bitel · 2 out of 5
    An artist who joins a commune tries to uncover her past lives to end a cycle of violence.
  • Blue Eyelids
    Review preview for Blue Eyelids

    The will they/won't they nature of the romance - as different in essence to your average Hollywood hug-in as chalk from chihuahuas - is beguiling for those who can cope without the usual romcom signposts.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A pair of lonely people come together in offbeat romance.
  • The Zone
    Review preview for The Zone

    At once a noirish thriller, a social drama, a morality tale, a coming-of-age story and a compelling allegory of 'fortress' USA.

    Anton Bitel · 4 out of 5
    Residents of an affluent Mexican city enclave seek vigilante justice.
  • La Antena
    Review preview for La Antena

    Sometimes cinema tickles the senses, sometimes it tugs at the heartstrings, sometimes it exercises the intellect – but La Antena transmits to all three at once.

    Anton Bitel · 4.5 out of 5
    Dystopian fairytale about a 'city without a voice'.
  • The Cat Pact
    Review preview for The Cat Pact

    Always a cat’s whisker away from cliché.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    Moggy hunting and romance on the rooftops of Barcelona.

A–Z of Viva 2008 reviews

Features

  • Twisting time
    Director Nacho Vigalondo talks exclusively about his mind-bending feature debut Timecrimes... and the upcoming Hollywood remake.
  • Jaume Balagueró on REC
    The Spanish director discusses his horror hit.
  • Festival frenzy
    Travel the world from the comfort of a cinema, thanks to a host of international festivals this month.
  • Rec revealed
    Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero talk about their monster Spanish hit.