Don’t miss the 10 must-see feature films in the Spanish Competition, presented by their female directors and/or lead actresses, the screening of the first three episodes of the series El Castillo, and 9 additional films by Spanish female filmmakers across the diverse festival’s sections.
DON'T MISS OUT ON TICKETS! THEY WILL BE ON SALE STARTING OCTOBER 1st HERE AND AT THE SALA BERLANGA BOX OFFICE.
The Films by Women Madrid Festival presents a lineup of Spanish feature films for its 9th edition. It is the perfect opportunity to catch up on the best Spanish cinema directed by women and to meet the creators in person; throughout the festival, at least one director, producer, or lead actress will be present each day to introduce the films. Don’t miss this unique chance to interact with them during the Q&A session with the audience following the screening!
Spanish cinema at the 9th edition:
- Sala Berlanga of Fundación SGAE:
- 10 feature films from the Spanish Competition within the Official Selection.
- Screening of the first three episodes of the highly anticipated series El Castillo.
- Sala Secuencia of DAMA, Derechos de Autor de Medios Audiovisuales: special screening of the film La buena hija by Júlia de Paz Solvas, introduced by the director.
- Biblioteca Nacional de España: Madrid premiere of the documentary about writer Carmen Laforet, Por qué no escribo nada by Isabel Fernández, followed by a discussion between the director and Cristina Cerezales, the author's daughter.
- Sala Equis: A showcase of the venue's best past screenings, including Verano 1993 by Carla Simón and Cinco Lobitos by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa.
- 8madrid TV. Thanks to this channel, you can also watch five films by our most acclaimed female directors from home, all airing during prime time.
- FILMIN. In the Festival Library section, specifically under the "Cine por Mujeres Madrid Festival" tab, you can watch a total of 46 titles by Spanish female directors: three from the current edition and 43 from previous ones.
Film lineup of Spanish female directors at the 9th edition:
1. OFFICIAL SECTION. SPANISH COMPETITION AND SERIES ON SCREEN SECTION
Sala Berlanga of Fundación SGAE
53 Andrés Mellado Street. Admission: €3.50. Tickets available online at www.salaberlanga.com and at the box office up to one minute before the film starts (Box office hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM).
As happens every year, thanks to the collaboration of the Fundación SGAE, Sala Berlanga will host a diverse selection of 10 feature films from 2025–2026, chosen by the Festival’s Programming Committee, that will compete for the 2026 Best Spanish Film Award and the Award for a Debut Spanish Female Director. The jury will consist of three film critics who are members of the Blogos de Oro Awards Association: Daniel Díaz, head of the outlet Cinedania.es since 2008 and a contributor to Noticine.com; Vicky Carras, a film critic and member of the film-loving group Moviementarios; and Ylenia Cañadas, who has served on the Critics', Méliès d’Or, and Youth juries at the Sitges Festival, as well as at other national festivals.
The 2026 Best Spanish Film Award consists of €30,000 in co-production support from EFD Studios, covering film equipment rental for the winning director's next production.
The Award for an Emerging Female Director, recognizing the first or second feature film by a Spanish female director, comprises two parts:
- The Baturu Award, which includes a one-month creative residency in Bangkok courtesy of the Baturu Festival, covering round-trip airfare (economy class), an apartment (30 days), and a daily allowance (1,000 baht per day).
- The RC Service Award, providing €3,000 in discounts on film equipment rental courtesy of RC Service for the winning director's next production.
The program is rounded out by a screening of the first three episodes of the series El Castillo, presented by its directors, Sandra Romero and Elena Martín Gimeno. This six-part Spanish crime drama series, written by Isabel Peña and Eduardo Villanueva, is based on the non-fiction book El Proxeneta by the renowned actress, director, and writer Mabel Lozano, who will also join us for the presentation and the post-screening discussion.
Sala Berlanga Program:
- La buena hija, Júlia de Paz Solvas, 2025. Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 5:30 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
- Pioneras. Solo querían jugar, Marta Díaz de Lope, 2025. Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 8:10 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
- Corredora, Laura García Alonso, 2026. Thursday, October 29, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
- Después de Kim, Ángeles González Sinde, 2026. Thursday, October 29, 2026, 8:00 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
- Yo no moriré de amor, Marta Matute, 2026. Friday, October 30, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
- Viva, Aina Clotet, 2026. Friday, October 30, 2026, 8:30 p.m.
- Cada día nace un listo, Arantxa Echevarría, 2026. Saturday, October 31, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
- Frontera, Judith Colell, 2025. Saturday, October 31, 2026, 8:30 p.m.
- Forastera, Lucía Aleñar, 2025. Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Introduction and post-screening discussion with lead actress Zoe Stein.
- Salen las lobas, Claudia Estrada, 2025. Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 8:00 p.m. Presentation and post-screening discussion with the director, lead actress, and producer. Madrid premiere.
- Series on screen: El Castillo, Elena Martín Gimeno and Sandra Romero, 2026 (series). Thursday, November 5, 2026, 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Presentation and post-screening discussion with the directors and the author of the book, following the screening of the third episode.
2. SPECIAL SESSIONS
This festival offers a great opportunity to champion and pay tribute to the work of Spanish female professionals who have helped shape the country’s audiovisual landscape, beyond just the recent feature films in the competition.
I. “Featured Auteur” / Sala Secuencia DAMA (Audiovisual Media Copyright Society)
Gran Vía de San Francisco, 8. Reserve a spot at www.damautor.es. Free admission until capacity is reached.
- La buena hija, (The Good Daughter), Júlia de Paz Solvas, 2025. Thursday, October 29, 2026, 6:30 p.m. Post-screening talk with the director
II. “Featured Writer” / National Library of Spain (Biblioteca Nacional de España)
Salón de Actos. Paseo de Recoletos nº22.Free admission until capacity is reached.
- Por qué no escribo nada, (Why I Don’t Write Anything), Isabel Fernández, 2025; a documentary about the writer Carmen Laforet. Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m. Presentation and post-screening discussion with the director and Cristina Cerezales (Carmen Laforet’s daughter). Madrid premiere.
3. PARALLEL SCREENINGS
Best of Sala Equis
Calle Duque de Alba, 4 Madrid 28012. Admission: €7.50. Tickets available online at https://salaequis.es/taquilla/ and at the box office.
Sala Equis is revisiting some of the most acclaimed screenings in the venue's history, including two magnificent films by Spanish female directors:
- Verano 1993, (Summer 1993), Carla Simón, 2017.
- Cinco Lobitos, (Lullaby), Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, 2022.
4. THE FESTIVAL AT HOME: 50 feature films
I. 8madrid TV: 5 feature films
Local TV channel 8madrid TV joins the festival once again, scheduling a special series featuring 5 films by Spanish female directors spanning various decades and themes.
- El palo, Eva Lesmes, 2000. Friday, October 30, 2026, 10:00 p.m.
- El crimen de Cuenca, Pilar Miró, 1979. Saturday, October 31, 2026, 10:00 p.m.
- Sé quién eres, Patricia Ferreira, 1999. Sunday, November 1, 2026, 10:00 p.m.
- Atlas de geografía humana, Azucena Rodríguez, 2007. Friday, November 6, 2026, 10:00 p.m.
- Vera, un cuento cruel, Josefina Molina, 1973. Saturday, November 7, 2026, 10:00 p.m.
II. FILMIN: 46 feature films on our festival's channel
In the FILMIN Festival Library, within the section dedicated to our festival, 46 films by Spanish female directors will be available: 3 from the current edition and 43 from the previous 8 editions.
