Cines del Sur returns with over 40 films and a platform for international co-productions to boost Granada's journey towards becoming European Capital of Culture 2031

The Granada City Council is bringing back one of the city's most iconic festivals, which will hold its 12th edition from July 17 to 24, featuring over 40 films from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Granada's Mayor, Marifrán Carazo, highlighted that "the program's main new feature is the competitive section called 'Llaves del Sur' (Keys of the South), which reinforces the commitment to cinema dedicated to memory, sustainability, diversity, and human rights, linked to Granada 2031's European character."

Fundación ”la Caixa” strengthens its commitment to accessible culture and social action by collaborating on a festival that brings films of great artistic value to all audiences.‍Renowned Japanese director Naomi Kawase headlines the festival's program as a star guest______________________________________________________________________________________________________The International Cines del Sur Festival has unveiled the full program for its twelfth edition, which will take place from July 17 to 24 and will mark the definitive return of one of the major cultural events in Granada. Granada's Mayor, Marifrán Carazo, emphasized that "the revival of Cines del Sur is a firm commitment by the city to culture as a tool for transformation, dialogue, and international projection. This festival represents the values we want to project from Granada to the world and fits perfectly into the strategy we are developing to achieve the European Capital of Culture in 2031." Carazo also pointed out that "Granada has always been a bridge between cultures, and Cines del Sur precisely revives that historical vocation for encounter, opening a window to other realities and fostering understanding through cinema. Committing to its return was an obligation for a city that wants to lead through culture, creativity, and diversity." She added that "this festival brings back a program of enormous artistic quality, and once again positions Granada as a meeting point between cultures and a space for global dialogue through cinema. It is a project that connects directly with citizens, with our neighborhoods, and with new generations, and reinforces the idea of a city that believes in culture as a driver of social cohesion and development." In this regard, the mayor insisted that the festival's revival "is part of a long-term cultural strategy that looks to Granada's future with ambition, combining talent, institutional cooperation, and international projection around a common goal: to consolidate our city as a European cultural benchmark." The festival, promoted by the Granada City Council and framed within the Granada 2031 cultural strategy, will once again transform the city into a privileged showcase for films from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world, with a program marked by historical memory, ecological awareness, cultural diversity, and new audiovisual narratives.Over 40 films and a new window for international co-productions will be featured in the Official Competitive Section which will bring together some of the most outstanding productions in contemporary international cinema. Among them is the Mexican The Reserve, by Pablo Pérez Lombardini; the Brazilian film As Vitrines, by Flávia Castro; the Turkish film Early Winter, by Özcan Alper; the Tunisian film Exile, by Mehdi Hmili; the Chinese film The Sun Rises on Us All, by Cai Shangjun; as well as the productions Crocodile, from Nigeria, and Funky Freaky Freaks, from South Korea.These films will compete for the traditional Golden Alhambra and for the Audience Award, carrying a prize of 5,000 euros, where a significant new featureis that the 2026 edition incorporates the Keys of the South competitive section, conceived as a natural extension of the Official Section and dedicated to co-productions between European countries and territories of the Global South. The section will feature six films unreleased in Spain and Andalusia, including Becoming (Kazakhstan), Laundry (South Africa), Where the Wind Comes From (Tunisia), Nawi: Dear Future Me (Kenya), and the Iranian documentary All My Sisters.The opening of the festival will take place at the Generalife Theater with the Spanish premiere of the documentary Para vivir. El implacable tiempo de Pablo Milanés, directed by Fabien Pisani. The screening will be accompanied by a tribute concert to the legendary Cuban singer-songwriter, in one of the program's most anticipated events. The festival director, José Sánchez-Montes, emphasized the cultural significance of this new phase, stating that “Cines del Sur returns, maintaining its identity as a space for discovering other perspectives and ways of understanding the world. In an increasingly complex global context, the festival champions cinema as a tool for knowledge, reflection, and cultural exchange. Granada once again holds a privileged position on the international map of major festivals committed to diversity and creative freedom.” The festival is supported by the Junta de Andalucía, the Granada Provincial Council, the University of Granada, the Alhambra and Generalife Board, and with the collaboration of Fundación ”la Caixa”, an entity that is once again joining the revival of the event. On behalf of Fundación ”la Caixa”, Patricia Maldonado highlighted that “for our organization, it is especially important to support cultural initiatives that allow us to bring high-quality cinematic proposals, often difficult to access through regular commercial channels, to all citizens. Cines del Sur represents a unique opportunity to disseminate stories, realities, and voices that deserve to be known, while also promoting cultural participation and equal access to culture.” The screenings and activities will take place in some of Granada's most iconic heritage and cultural venues, including the Generalife Theater, where the opening ceremony will be held; the Isabel la Católica Theater, host of the closing ceremony; the Federico García Lorca Center; the Corral del Carbón; the Plaza de las Pasiegas and the Palace of the Counts of Gabia. Tickets will be on sale soon.The celebration of this new edition of Cines del Sur is directly aligned with the path towards Granada's bid for European Capital of Culture 2031, a city project that aims to place culture at the heart of its urban, social, and economic transformation. Granada 2031 represents a shared vision based on diversity, creativity, and cultural innovation as pillars of sustainable development and territorial cohesion, where initiatives like this festival reinforce the city's international profile and its role as a bridge between Europe and the Mediterranean.The festival culminates its program announcement by revealing the stellar presence of Japanese director Naomi Kawase, who will travel to Granada as a main guest and jury member. The filmmaker, celebrated for an intimate poetic style that masterfully observes time, fragility, and silences, will receive the festival's highest recognition: the Alhambra Honorary Award, which will be presented to her on July 17th at the opening gala, preceding the retrospective that the festival dedicates to her filmography.*The festival is made possible thanks to the support of the Granada City Council, the Junta de Andalucía, the Granada Provincial Council, and the collaboration of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, the University of Granada, and the Alhambra Board of Trustees, among other entities.*Screenings will take place in emblematic venues such as the Generalife Theatre (Opening), Isabel La Católica Theatre (Closing), Federico García Lorca Centre, Corral del Carbón, Plaza de las Pasiegas, and the Palace of the Counts of Gabia.Full program:https://www.cinesdelsur.org/