The Film Academy launched its inaugural film cycle, The Big Journey of the Big Screen, this Tuesday, bringing the Goya Awards 2023 to life with free screenings across nine Spanish cities: Palma, Barcelona, Bilbao, Girona, Malaga, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza.
The aim of this showcase is clear: to bring cinema into daily life for people everywhere and to invite audiences to discover the magic of film in a communal setting, explained Fernando Méndez-Leite, president of the Film Academy.
He described the cycle as a tribute to cinema’s roots—a love letter to neighborhood movie houses that once connected communities by sharing the best films of their era with the townspeople who filled every seat.
In a time when theaters across Spain face renewed challenges, the academy encourages reinvention, proactive adaptation, and a boost for audiences who deserve more from a night at the cinema.
The program features titles such as Five Little Wolves, Model 77, Piggy, Spring Blessing, On the Edges, Irati, and Manticore. These films will travel the country hand in hand with the cycle, visiting multiple cities to offer new audiences a chance to experience these stories in a live setting.
Goya Award winners Susi Sánchez, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, Telmo Irureta, Laura Galán, along with nominees Carmen Machi, Alberto Rodríguez, Zoe Stein, Christian Checa, and Eneko Sagardoy, will join the tour, meeting fans at each stop to share anecdotes and reflections about the films and the award journey.
Susi Sánchez, winner of the Goya for Best Supporting Actress for Cinco Lobitos, emphasized that some films carry a lasting life beyond the theater run, remaining relevant as viewers revisit them in community screenings and conversations.
Carmen Machi, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Cerdita, added that keeping cinema alive after festival and award season is powerful. The tour’s second life creates fresh connections between actors, filmmakers, and local audiences, drawing people closer to the art of storytelling.
The free trip is organized by the Film Academy’s Foundation in collaboration with Icárion, operator of World2Meet, and Iberostar Group’s travel division. The journey will begin in Málaga with the screening of Mantícora on May 25 at Cines Albéniz, with actress Zoe Stein in attendance.
The remaining dates for the cycle are listed below:
- May 31: Cerdita will be shown at the Global Omnium Auditorium at the Aquarium of Seville, with Carmen Machi in attendance.
- June 1: Modelo 77 will be presented in Valladolid, with Alberto Rodríguez, at the La Modelo Cultural Center in Barcelona.
- June 8: Cinco Lobitos will screen in Valladolid at the Paseo Central Campo Grande, with Alauda Ruiz de Azúa and Susi Sánchez.
- June 13: On the Borders will be shown at Zaragoza’s Pedro Cerbuna University Student Residence, featuring Christian Checa with Girona as the backdrop.
- June 16: Irati will be shown at Girona’s Truffaut Cinema, with Eneko Sagardoy in attendance.
- June 21: Cerdita will be presented at Valencia’s Filmoteca, with Laura Galán present.
- June 22: Azkuna Zentroa – Alhóndiga Bilbao (Hall 1) will host the Rites of Spring with Telmo Irureta.
- June 29: The cycle closes at Palma’s Aljub room of the Es Baluard Museum with a screening of Five Little Wolves featuring Susi Sánchez.