The INSTAR Film Festival, organized by the Hannah Arendt Institute of Artivism, will hold its fifth edition in Barcelona from October 29 to November 3, but will also take place in other cities such as Berkeley, Madrid, Munich and Paris. This film showcase, committed to international independent production, gives visibility to the voices of filmmakers working in contexts where freedom of expression and creation are threatened.

Through a diverse program, the festival aims to create a space for dialogue and exchange for filmmakers who produce their work in authoritarian contexts or who have been forced to live and work in the diaspora. Since its inception, the event has focused on independent Cuban cinema.

The festival will open on October 29 with two screenings: Wild Flowers (2022), by Karla Crnčević, a short film that reflects on family memory through images recorded by the author's father, and Three Promises (2023), by Yousef Srouji, a piece that documents the daily anguish of a Palestinian family during the Second Intifada in the West Bank.

On October 31 you will be able to see titles such as La historia se escribe de noche (2024), by Alejandro Alonso, which explores the impact of the great blackout in Cuba; Still Free (2023), by Vadim Kostrov, which captures the personal and political tensions in Russia; and Dreams about Putin, by Nastia Korkia and Vlad Fishez, a film in which several Russian people expose their dreams about Vladimir Putin, after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

In addition, Sana Na N'Hada's Nome (2023), which tells the story of the struggle for independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, will be screened on November 1, and on November 2, several short films will be presented in competition, including Petricor by Violena Ampudia; Smoke of the Fire, by Daryna Mamaisur; Souvenir, d'Heidi Hassan; Dreams like paper boats, by Samuel Suffren; and Parole, by Lázaro González.

The festival will culminate on November 3 with two screenings: Only the Moon Will Understand (2023) by Kim Torres, about the town of Manzanillo, Costa Rica; and Ramona (2023), by Victoria Linares Villegas, a story that follows an actress who feels unable to play the role of a pregnant teenager living on the outskirts of Santo Domingo.

Also, it's good to know that most of the films will be available online through the Festhome platform.

Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in these creative resistance films at the INSTAR Film Festival. Screenings will take place from October 29 through November 3, with times varying by day. The general admission ticket is priced at 7.5 € and, if you want to buy it, you can do so from the Zumzeig website.