IFFI 2026: Spain to Showcase Four Films, Including Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Bitter Christmas’

Panaji: Spain will be the Country of Honour at the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), with four contemporary films set to showcase the country’s cinematic diversity through world, Asian and Indian premieres.

The selection includes Bitter Christmas (Amarga Navidad), the 2026 film by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. The drama explores the fine line between personal experiences and creative storytelling through the story of filmmaker Raul, who draws inspiration from a personal tragedy for his next script. After being screened at Cannes, Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals, it will have its India premiere at IFFI.

Juana Macias’s Looking For Michael (Persiguiendo a Michael) will have its world premiere. The comedy-drama follows a young woman diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who sets out to meet actor Michael J. Fox, with support from members of her music therapy group.

The Bad Son (El Mal Hijo), the directorial debut of actor Jaime Lorente, will have its Asia premiere. The film explores intergenerational trauma through the story of a man abandoned by his father during childhood who attempts to confront his family’s troubled past.

The fourth film, Trinidad (2025), directed by Laura Alvea and José Ortuño, will have its world premiere. Set in the late 19th century, the action drama follows a Spanish woman who escapes to the Wild West after being wrongly accused of a crime and joins a group of female outlaws.

The showcase will offer Indian audiences an opportunity to explore contemporary Spanish filmmaking across genres and themes.