We're back with an incredible cinematic lineup!
📅 From October 27th to November 8th, 2026
After the summer heat, we're refreshing your return to routine with details of the 9th edition of the FIlms by Women Madrid Festival, which will take place from Tuesday, October 27th to Sunday, November 8th. Madrid once again becomes the meeting point for the best international and national films directed by women, with a splendid selection of more than 70 feature films, either fiction, animation and documentaries. The vast majority of the titles will be premieres in Madrid or Spain.
In this ninth edition, we maintain our commitment to quality cinema that is diverse, pluralistic, and has its own distinct identity. Feature films from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Spain, France, Mexico, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, U.S., Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia… You're sure to find a film that will leave a lasting impression!
We'll have a fantastic lineup, featuring renowned directors like Margarethe von Trotta, Isabel Coixet, and Arantxa Echevarría, and internationally acclaimed professionals such as Estrella Araiza, director of the Guadalajara Film Festival… This is just a taste, come and meet them in person!
Films directed BY women (not FOR women or ABOUT women) are the cornerstone of the festival's programming. Since 2018, our priority has been to program excellent feature films for all audiences, paying special attention to new generations, who are the future of this art we love so much.
🎬 17 magnificent venues where the best cinema will shine
The program will unfold across the capital's finest cultural spaces:
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Competition at Cineteca Madrid: We're premiering 10 extraordinary recent feature films from a wide variety of countries. Don't miss this unique opportunity to attend the premiere of films already awarded this year at film festivals in Annecy, Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, San Sebastian and more.
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Spanish Competition at the Sala Berlanga of the SGAE Foundation: Want to catch up on what's happening in Spanish cinema? We've made it easy for you… Come to the screenings of the 10 best films of the season, directed by women and selected by our Programming Committee. You'll also have the chance to listen to and discuss them with the directors. A real treat you can't miss…
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Other sections in 15 participating venues: Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, National Library of Spain, Casa de América, Cine Doré of the Spanish Film Archive, Pedro Zerolo Cinematheque, Cinesa Proyecciones, DAMA-Audiovisual Media Copyright, Camilo José Cela University Graduate School, Telefónica Foundation Space, Goethe-Institut Madrid, Casa de México Foundation, French Institute of Madrid, Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Press Palace, and Sala Equis.
🇲🇽 This edition has its Focus on Mexico!
Did you know that films directed by Mexican women directors are among the best on the international and Latin American scene…? Come meet them in person and discover their wonderful films!
In this edition, our FOCUS MEXICO section will explore the current Mexican film scene, thanks to the collaboration of the Casa de México Foundation in Spain and the Centre of Mexican Studies in Spain from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma of México (UNAM-España).
The program includes six feature films (premieres in Madrid and/or Spain) directed by some of the most powerful female voices of the moment, which will be screened at the Film Academy and Cineteca Madrid. These will be complemented by the First Feature Films program, composed of another six feature films, which will be screened at the Casa de México Foundation in Spain cinema, as well as a roundtable discussion at the Telefónica Foundation Space.
📚 And much more! Professional and training activities
Our festival is also a space dedicated to learning, professional development, and debate: roundtables, colloquiums, masterclasses, and meetings with leading professionals in the Spanish and international film industry. All of this with the aim of promoting knowledge and equality at every stage of filmmaking… You can’t miss it!
🎉 Opening and Closing Galas
The festival will kick off on October 27th with the screening of one of the most anticipated films of the season; we suggest you stay tuned for this year's surprise. The Opening Gala will take place at Cinesa Proyecciones (Calle Fuencarral, 136), while on November 8th we will celebrate the Closing Gala and awards ceremony at the Palacio de la Prensa (Pl. del Callao, 4).
⚖️ Distinguished Juries for our 3 Official Awards:
For the International Competition, we have three outstanding professionals:
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Pablo Berger (director of, among other films, Robot Dreams), Spain
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Vanessa-Tatjana Beerli (filmmaker and president of the Ciné Tapis Rouge Association), Canada
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Samantha Hudson (actress and singer), Spain
As every year, for the Spanish Competition and for the 2026 New Director Award, to their first or second feature film, we have the expertise of three film journalists from the Blogos de Oro Association. We already know their names: Vicky Carras, Daniel Díaz, and Ylenia Cañadas.
We're so envious... what a feast of amazing films they're going to enjoy!
📺If you're not in Madrid... you can watch us on FILMIN and 8madrid TV!
If you don't live in Madrid, part of the program will be available online through the festival's tab on the FILMIN platform. And, once again, we have the valuable collaboration of the television channel 8madrid TV, which will broadcast a special series on female directors.
🏆 What’s new in 2026 thanks to our long-standing collaborators… and the three new ones joining us this year!
From the Films by Women Madrid Festival, we want to thank the public and private entities that promote the festival and are listed in the logos below for their continued support. Their collaboration, year after year, makes it possible to organize these 13 days, so important for culture, industry, and society.
Let's welcome three new companies joining the festival:
- The audiovisual company, EFD Studios ES, joins the festival with a significant in-kind prize for the director of the winning film in the Spanish Competition: €30,000 in film equipment rental for the co-production of the winning director's next feature film.
- Located in the heart of Madrid, opposite the Teatro Real, Ocean Drive Madrid maintains a close connection with culture and, in particular, with film, continuing the cinematic legacy of the building that once housed the historic Cine Ópera. True to this history, the hotel is committed to remaining a meeting place for creativity, talent, and contemporary culture. In this spirit, Ocean Drive Madrid is the Official Hotel of the Films by Women Madrid Festival, naturally reinforcing its commitment to film and to those who contribute to keeping the city's cultural scene alive.
- The audiovisual company RC Service will dedicate its contribution to the 2026 New Director Award, to their first or second feature films, with €3,000 in discounts on film equipment rentals, in addition to the attractive and enviable prize of a one-month artistic residency in Bangkok, with travel and living expenses included, courtesy of the Baturu Film Festival.
https://www.festivalcinepormujeres.com/premios
In the coming weeks, we will reveal the films and premieres that will be part of our program and share other activities and news from the festival.
🙏 Thank you for helping us celebrate talent and diversity on the big screen
From the Films by Women Madrid Festival, we thank the public and private entities that embrace the festival and that, edition after edition, defend culture and equality, making these 13 days of cinema, so important for the industry and society, possible.
