The Athens Hispanic Film Festival – FeCHA returns for its 8th edition, between May 27 and June 5, to highlight for one more year the cinematic wealth of Spanish-speaking countries. The 8th FeCHA will take place at the open-air cinemas Ellinis Cinemax Europa Cinemas, Aello Cinemax, while screenings will be hosted by the Cervantes Institute of Athens and the Hellenic American Union.
The program of the 8th FeCHA includes 17 feature films, a tribute to the Peruvian director Roberto Bonilla and a selection of the best Spanish-language short films of recent years in the beloved section cortoFeCHA.
The official opening night film is «Bajo Terapia» screened in the presence of the film’s director and producer Gerardo Herrero and producer Mariela BesuievskyIn the film three married couples undergo an unusual group therapy. Their psychologist, although she is not with them in the session, has left them folders with instructions on what to do. The film is based on the award-winning play by Argentine writer Matías Del Federico, which was first performed in Argentina in 2015, and has since been performed in more than 15 countries around the world. Herrero and Besuievsky produced the 2010 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, The Secret in Her Eyes.
The 8th FeCHA will have its closing with the film «Radical» (Radical), by Christopher Zalla, which won the Audience Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Based on a true story, the film tells the story of a teacher in a corrupt and violent Mexican border town who tries a radical new teaching method to unlock his students’ curiosity and potential, perhaps even their intelligence.
The 8th FeCHA will be honored with the presence of 4 more Spanish-speaking filmmakers and creators. On the occasion of the premiere of the Spanish film with the biggest commercial success at the Spanish box office last year, «Campeonex» the Festival will welcome the film’s director and screenwriter, Javier Fesserand co-screenwriter Athenea Mata.
This year’s Festival guests also include Alejandro Marín, director of the film «Te Estoy Amando Locamente» and the screenwriter of the filmCarmen Garrido Vacas. The film won a Goya Award for Best Song and was nominated for four more awards, including Director and Original Screenplay.
Guests Gerardo Herrero, Javier Fesser and Alejandro Marín come to the festival with the support of the Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) program.
The highlights of the 8th Athens Hispanic Film Festival – FeCHA include the Mexican film “Cassandro” by Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams, starring Gael García Bernal. The film is based on true events and premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. It tells the life of Saul Armendariz, a gay amateur wrestler (Luchador), who becomes world famous after creating the character of Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre”. The film is based on true events and premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. It tells the life of Saul Armendariz, a gay amateur wrestler (Luchador), who becomes world famous after creating the character of Cassandro, the “Liberace of Lucha Libre”.
With 11 Goya Award nominations and one award (Best Supporting Actor for Jose Coronado’s performance), award-winning director Victor Erice’s, «“Cerrar los Ojos”will solve the mystery of a famous actor’s disappearance when the mysterious case of his disappearance and possible murder comes to the surface through a television show. In the film “Adios Buenos Aires“, German Kral, director of the film “Last Tango”, takes us to Argentina in the early 2000s. He will tell us the story of Julio Färber, a member of the five-piece tango band, Vecinos de Pompeya and of his attempt to leave the country. But the financial crisis and a new romance with a feisty female taxi driver will make it difficult for him to leave.
Special reference to award-winning Spanish movie of Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastian Vasquez,”Upon Entry“, a film that explores the ease with which power can be abused by people in positions of responsibility and the flaws of the United States’ immigration system.
As every year, the 8th Athens Hispanic Film Festival – FeCHA begins with an ambitious series of pre-festival screenings of feature films and short films with free admission. The screenings will be hosted by the Cervantes Institute and the Hellenic-American Union.
Among them is the screening of the film “The Revolt” by Lucero González, a cinematic journey of fifty years of the life of the feminist group of activists, Revuelta. The screening is done in collaboration with Lesbians* on the verge and the Embassy of Mexico, as part of Athens Pride Week.
The Festival also includes a tribute to the Peruvian director Roberto Bonilla, Roberto Bonillathe free screening of the film“Tito, Margo and I”by Mercedes Arias and Delfina Vidal, Panama’s official submission for the 2023 Academy Awards in the International Film Category and a selection of the best Spanish-speaking short films of recent years in the favorite section of the cortoFeCHA Festival.