Valencia film fest succumbs to cuts

The mayor of Valencia, Rita Barberá, has canceled the veteran film festival Mostra de cine "in the best interests of necessary adjustments and the economic situation."

The sudden axing of a festival that was due to hold its 33rd edition next March will be effective "over the next few years," said Barberá, of the center-right Popular Party (PP). "The event's budget, 1.7 million euros, [nearly all of which was financed by the city], will be saved and used for other necessary things."

This abrupt end comes on the heels of other well-publicized closures, such as Pamplona's documentary festival Punto de Vista and the threat of closure that dogs the Gijón film festival.

In reality, the shuttering of the Valencian event has a lot to do with its artistic director, Salomon Castiel. Castiel spent many years in charge of the Málaga film festival, until he was hired by the Valencian authorities in 2008.

"For next season we'd already closed a deal for a tribute to Sigourney Weaver, concerts with scores by John Williams and Bernard Herrmann and a prize for Richard Donner," says Castiel. But this summer, he was hired as cultural chief for the Málaga provincial authority. "I continued to work for the Mostra free of charge, because I was excited about the project and involved with the team, which managed to increase the number of spectators by 500 percent at the last edition. It was an international event, and I feel disappointed," says Castiel.

Sources from Mostra's management team said that even though the decision to make the cut may have been made days ago, Barberá was angry to read an interview with Castiel in the daily Las Provincias in which he stated: "I have not abandoned the Valencia project - on the contrary. I'm keeping on top of it during my free time."

"If this is true, it would have been enough to fire me," said Castiel, adding that he has no problems with the PP. "The PP rules the provincial authority of Málaga and they hired me. I hardly dealt personally with Barberá - my daily contact has been with Deputy Mayor Alfonso Grau, who always supported the Mostra."

This latest demise comes against a backdrop of uncertainty for the future of film festivals. "For years they handled enormous budgets and gave out exorbitant prizes," said one person who currently works at one of the larger festivals. "Punto de Vista only had 6,000 spectators and the Mostra, 20,000."

Spain has nearly 400 film festivals and related cinema events a year. "The crisis will put an end to the small things and scale back the larger ones," confirmed the head of another festival, who preferred to remain anonymous.

In terms of public institutions that have decided to close off the cultural money tap, Navarre and the city of Valencia are not alone. Following accusations of government wastefulness in connection with the new Niemeyer center in the Asturian city of Avilés and the sword that hangs over neighboring Gijón's Semana Negra book festival, the latter's film festival will be put to the test during its November edition.

At the other end of the spectrum, José Luis Rebordinos, director of the recently ended San Sebastián Film Festival, said he has not received any "worrisome messages." "We have the support of the institutions and all the political groups in the city council."