Undergraduate Course: Exhibiting Spanish Cinema (ELCH10076)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Film festivals are not only of cultural value in themselves but also sites of cinematic, artistic, social, political and economic exchange (Mar Diestro-Dópido, 2021). Exhibiting Spanish Cinema provides an overview of the historical development and role of film festivals in the Spanish-speaking world (including those focused on minority languages). The course offers practical skills applicable to various events. This course could be immensely beneficial for individuals seeking to enhance their communication abilities in diverse contexts.
In addition to introducing the key role of film festivals in the dissemination and circulation of contemporary cinema, this course teaches students about the principles, pressures, and practicalities of festival curation and organisation using the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival as a case study.
The course also addresses key aspects of twentieth and twenty-first-century Spanish and Latin American history, culture, society, and politics, as reflected in films shown in past years at the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival. |
| Course description |
This hands-on course explores the dynamic world of film festivals, equipping students with the essential skills to plan, manage, and execute live cultural events successfully. Through real-world case studies, guests speakers and immersive practical exercises, students will gain insights into festival programming, logistics, audience engagement, sponsorship, and sustainability.
Key topics include:
-Film curation and programming
-Venue selection and event logistics
-Budgeting and sponsorship strategies
-Marketing, social media, and audience outreach
-Live event execution and post-festival evaluation
Designed for aspiring festival organizers, creative producers, and cultural enthusiasts, this course offers an opportunity to apply knowledge in real-time festival environments, fostering both practical experience and industry connections.
The course will be conducted in Spanish, with readings in Spanish and English and with core materials available online via Learn. Weekly tutorial discussions may be complemented by screenings and other activities will include group research and presentations and the creation of their own festival programme
In addition to weekly two-hour tutorials, students will have the chance to attend the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, and to incorporate their experiences of the festival into their coursework.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Students with an advanced level in Spanish (B2 or C1 on the CEFR) |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
35% A portfolio oral group presentation (week seven) . Students will present their proposal for a film festival; each student will be expected to speak for a minimum of five minutes with the support of a power point. «br /»
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65% Final project essay, 2000-2500 words (based on a film, director, region, or on marketing strategies and target audiences), due at the end of the module. |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided throughout the course, based on tutorial discussions and class engagement. Feedback will also be given on all assessed coursework. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the economic, political, social, aesthetic, and linguistic factors that influence the creation, curation and exhibition of film festivals, with particular reference to Spanish cinema.
- Identify and analyse why and how certain films are screened at film festivals.
- Utilise advanced knowledge of Spanish cinema, and in particular key figures (ie directors) and films, and the ways in which these reflect their place in twentieth and twenty-first-century history.
- Build and present clear, sustained arguments ¿ based on films, themes, and questions discussed throughout the course ¿ both individually and as part of a team.
- See the applicability of their own academic skills and learning to a practical, professional field.
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Reading List
Essential:
Mar Diestro-Dopido, Film Festivals : Cinema and Cultural Exchange .(Cambridge 2021)
Duncan Wheeler's 'The Malaga Festival: Cinema, Celebrity, and Culture.' Film Quarterly 1 September 2019; 73 (1): 85¿91
Jordi Balló and Ivan Pintor Iranzo. ¿Exhibition Cinema: A Crossroads Between the Cinema and the Museum in Contemporary Spanish Filmmaking.¿ Hispanic research journal 15.1 (2014): 35¿48.
Sergi Mesonero Burgos. ¿A Festival Epidemic in Spain.¿ Film International 6: 4, (2008): 8¿13.
Recommended:
María Antonia García de León, Teresa Maldonado:Pedro Almodóvar:la otra España cañi:sociología y crítica cinematográfica. (Ciudad Real 1989)
Guillermina Royo Villanueva:Tamaño natural:el erotismo Berlangiano-(Sevilla, Renacimiento 2021)
Miguel Angel Villena: Berlanga;vida y cine de un creador irreverente.(Barcelona,Tusquests 2021)
Fernando Canet and Duncan Wheeler: Creative, Critical and Commercial Practices in Contemporary Spanish Cinema.(Intellect 2014)
Santiago Fouz Hernandez and Alfredo Martínez Expósito :Live Flesh: the male body in contemporary Spanish cinema-( Lonlon Tauris 2007)
Santiago Fouz Hernandez :Spanish erotic cinema (Edinburgh University Press:2018) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On this option the students will be expected to:
think critically and reflectively about issues of cultural production and capital.
develop an active curiosity into the links between the theories and practicalities of cultural production.
develop confidence in public speaking and learn how to present a creative project, improving their oral and written presentation skills.
build practical team-work skills.
expand their individual research skills (in another language).
develop a practical understanding of how to use modern media such as podcasts, blogs etc.; develop interviewing skills.
Students will use and learn a number of techniques which will be useful for job applications and interviews in the future. |
| Keywords | Film Festivals,film studies,programme,film curation,regional cinema,cultural studies,cultura |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Marian Aldaz Arechaga
Tel: (0131 6)50 8305
Email: M.A.Arechaga@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Hope Hamilton
Tel: (0131 6)50 4167
Email: hope.hamilton@ed.ac.uk |
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