Outcrop Visible Alacant MOVA: a festival of cinema and beyond in 2024
Outcrop Visible Alacant MOVA began in 2019 as a platform to make sexual, identity and gender diversity visible through cinema, gradually widening to other performing arts and returning to Teatre Arniches for this renewed edition from May 2 to 7, offering eight artistic proposals.
Organized by the Valencian Institute for Culture and Diversity in Alicante, this fourth edition pursues two clear goals. First, to honor the memory of the LGTBIQ+ community and to remember important venues and generations that came before, while balancing that memory with fresh offers from today. Second, to present diverse realities in an intersectional way, recognizing that identities can intersect in many nuanced ways and that someone can be gay or lesbian, belong to a Gypsy community, live with disability, and have a modest income at the same time.
The leader of Diversitat notes culture as a central pillar in the fight against hate speech and shares this perspective during the festival’s presentation, underscoring MOVA 2023 as a year of new features. A notable addition is the inclusion of an exhibition featuring fanzines, photographs, and documents from past decades, especially the 1980s and 1990s, organized under the initiative LArmari de la Memoria. This public service project, started by the Generalitat Valenciana, aims to save, digitize, and disseminate essential documentary collections. It seeks to create a lasting memory of LGTBIQ+ people, their actions, assets, and the spaces that form the cultural map of the Valencian community.
Exhibitions and public programming arrive together under the banner of memory and visibility. The event features an exhibit titled Other People’s Days by Bob Pop, presented as part of the festival’s ongoing exploration of personal narratives and public life.
In Alicante, the festival designs a route through spaces that have served as dissident hubs. The top floor of the Arniches hosts the main exhibition, accompanied by a city map that marks venues significant to the LGTBIQ+ community, some of which have already disappeared. On Friday, May 5, a public workshop invites attendees to expand the map, followed by a route on Saturday that traces the network of places tied to the community. These locations include spots of entertainment, associations, and other venues that illuminate where people came from and where they are headed, according to MOVA coordinator and Bilbao Zinegoak Festival programmer Paul Guillen.
Presented at Teatre Arniches, MOVA also highlights an exhibition called Alicante: spaces for a dissident memory. The top-floor display is complemented by a city map that records relevant sites related to this community, some of which are no longer in existence. The event invites visitors to engage with the memory project and reflect on the paths that have shaped the community over the years.
Contents highlight a vibrant day two opening gala organized by Lady G. Gypsy Queen, followed by live music from Noelia La Negrifla, a renowned flamenco singer and visible lesbian figure. The program then shifts to a performance by Bob Pop and a monologue that chronicles lived experiences, opening with a nod to linguistic precision and featuring the IVC delegate in Alicante, Alice Garijo. Attendees are encouraged to arrive a little early to enjoy the full experience.
Cinema continues to occupy a central place in the program, with screenings that include films linked to personal and collective journeys. Notable inclusions address themes of emptiness, friendship, and community, with appearances by artists such as Adrian Silvestre and Toni Diaz, among others. A modern lesbian comedy by Zaida Carmona is also featured, showcasing contemporary storytelling with wit and heart.
How the festival presents neighborhood theatre on stage forms a thread through the event. The production blends autofiction, feminism, and political themes as it journeys through classical myths with a lesbian protagonist. The aural and visual storytelling together highlight family dynamics, youth culture, and the ongoing push for broader acceptance in society.
In this edition, MOVA continues to be a space where cinema, performance, and community engagement converge to reflect diverse experiences. The festival invites audiences to rethink public memory, celebrate resilience, and recognize the evolving landscape of gender and sexuality in contemporary culture. These elements together create a program that invites dialogue, curiosity, and a sense of belonging for viewers across the region and beyond.