Homage to Catalonia is Scotland's freshest celebration of the best contemporary Catalan cinema. Back in 2017 in a new and improved format, Homage to Catalonia is both extended and brings an exciting range of Catalan film to Scotland.  

Edinburgh and Glasgow will play host to a total of fifteen features. The programme is a carefully curated mixture of short films and feature films to highlight the finest Catalan films. As well as feature films, the programme offers a week of poetry, spoken word, gastronomic events, talks and a particularly strong showing of short films.  

Thought-Provoking Documentary Films

Homage to Catalonia will open with the UK premiere of the controversial documentary 'Hacking Justice'. This Catalan-German film follows the defence of Julian Assange by Judge Baltasar Garzon, a prominent judge who after investigating human rights abuses in countries including Chile, Chad and Argentina decided to take the defence of Wikileaks founder.

The festival programme is packed full of political flavour and it includes the latest feature from the prolific politician, avant-garde filmmaker and living legend Pere Portabella, General Report II: The New Abduction of Europe. The film is a spellbinding investigation of the economic, political, social, and environmental crises currently affecting Europe.

As part of the Catalan classics strand, the festival will also feature Portabella’s predecessor film General Report on Certain Matters of Interest For a Public Screening (1976), which detailed the struggle within a post-Franco Spain during its transition to democracy.

To represent the new wave of Catalan filmmakers the festival includes the mind-blowing documentary Dead Slow Ahead by Mauro Herce. Described as “one of the most engrossing experiences I've ever had in a theater” by Emily Yoshida of The Verge.

One Fiction Feature, Uncertain Glory by Agusti Villaronga will bring the Catalan point of view on Spanish civil war. Based on the novel of Joan Sales, it was the first Catalan novel to depict the Spanish civil war from the defeated, republican side.

Beyond Film. Special Events

All guests participate in learning activities at Scottish Universities. One event garnering a lot of attention for good reason is the Mario Torrecillas Animation masterclass at Adam House on Friday 29th.

“When we heard about the work that the Barcelona-based studio PDA Films is doing with kids in deprived and war-torn areas around the world we wanted to have their story heard in Scotland” Says Alberto Valverde from Cinemaattic.

When it comes to a party, no one knows how to do it quite like the Spanish. With this in mind the opening cocktail party at Summerhall (Thurs 28), Edinburgh’s Big Night (Fri 29) and the closing party at CCA (Fri 6 Oct) will include Catalan gastronomy, Mediterranean beer galore,  typical Castellers (human tower) shows, live music and DJ sets exploring the roots of “rumba catalana” music.

A wave of Mediterranean heat will hit Scottish screens in September. Don’t miss it.

Homage to Catalonia is a festival supported by Institut Ramon Llull , Estrella Damm, Goethe Institut Glasgow and the Centre Catala d’ Escòcia with The Skinny as media partner and the help of Catalan Films, Memorial Democràtic, Scottish Documentary Institute, CCA Glasgow, Summerhall, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Grassmarket Community Project, Colla Castellera d'Edinburgh, Saramago, Marvin & Wayne, Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow

The region is experiencing a resurgence as one of Europe’s most creative cinema hubs according to Variety. Two Oscar nominations, two awards in Cannes and a special prize in the last Berlinale indicate that something is happening in Catalonia. 

A joint effort from Scottish and Catalan organisations brings us Homage to Catalonia. Coordinated by Edinburgh-based guerrilla film collective Cinemaattic, the festival will include visits from relevant directors, producers and artists as part of the eclectic line-up of events in some of Scotland’s top venues. Events will be held at popular venues including Summerhall, The Scottish Storytelling Centre or CCA Glasgow.  

Scotland and Catalonia, two ever compared nations -now more than ever-, seeking to better understand similarities and core differences throughout the Arts. A ‘timely’ festival, as the region gears up for another independence challenge on 1 October. The festival aims to debate relevant and central issues including political participation, democracy today and national security as most screenings are integrated with talks and panels.  

“This is a fantastic selection to find out what's going on both rural landscapes of Catalonia and its ever-inspirational capital Barcelona” says Alberto Valverde from Cinemaattic.