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Semester 1

Exhibiting Spanish Cinema (Ordinary) (ELCH09032)

Subject

European Languages and Cultures - Hispanic Studies

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

In order to be eligible to take 3rd/4th Year Options, Visiting Students should have the equivalent of at least two years of study at University level of the appropriate language(s) and culture(s).

Course 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). 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

Students will be introduced to the basic principles and practical elements of curating and running film festivals, and to the history of Hispanic film festivals, and the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival in particular. Students will be encouraged to consider the current place of film festivals in the economic and cultural ecosystem of world cinema via a range of readings, before addressing the practical side of curating and running a film festival. In particular, there will be an emphasis on how to create and produce a successful inclusive and sustainable festival programme. Students will learn about many of the other components including cultural events and exhibits, music, photography, and illustration that might also make up a film festival. Students are expected to think of themselves as curators and will be introduced to the practical aspects of creating, curating, and running a film festival. This will include discussion of the film selection process of previous years of the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, considering how questions of representation intersect with issues of finance, prestige, and other industry pressures. These previous programmes include both films in Spanish (from Spain and Latin America) and some of Spains regional minority languages (Basque, Galician, Catalan). 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 the production of a podcast, and the creation of their own festival programme (or themed strand). In addition to weekly two-hour tutorials, students will have the chance to attend the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, either in person or online, and to incorporate their experiences of the Festival into their coursework.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

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