In 2023 the Valencia Film Archive drew a total of 73,530 spectators across all venues and events, a clear indicator that audience participation in the festival continues to rise. This uptick marks a notable 17% increase from the previous year and reflects growing engagement across the network of headquarters in Valencia, Alicante, and Castellón, complemented by educational programs from Filmoteca d’Estiu, Cinema Jove, and the Instituto Valenciano de Cultura.
Across the region, Valencia remains the primary hub for film spectators, with daily screenings taking place at Sala Berlanga and a variety of other venues. The Alicante Film Library, housed at Teatre Arniches as part of the Valencian Cultural Institute network, also reports steady growth, supported by data from the Valencia Film Archive.
Arniches Film Archive welcomed 2,292 attendees in 2023 through 36 screening sessions, including five didactic sessions that drew 483 students. The prior year saw 1,649 attendees across 33 sessions, signaling a 39% rise in audience volume as the program expanded its reach and educational offerings.
Figures that speak for themselves
Rising attendance is a clear sign of the region’s vibrant cinema culture. In Alicante, the schedule has shifted toward fewer screenings on a single day for efficiency, with Thursdays traditionally hosting screenings and occasional tweaks in the number of passes. The pattern reflects a broader evolution in programming choices over time rather than a simple increase in showings.
Alicante does not host a Summer Film Library as expansive as Valencia’s or Castellón’s multi-venue setups, yet it still recorded 5,539 attendees in 2023, almost doubling the prior year’s totals. The growth underscores a robust demand for local film experiences, even in more compact festival formats.
Film Library in Valencia
In 2023 the Berlanga Room in Valencia reached 38,394 spectators across 454 screenings, averaging 85 attendees per session. This performance follows a box office peak in 2022 when 34,968 viewers attended 437 sessions, representing a 9.8% year-over-year rise.
Similarly, the Summer Movie Archive, hosted in the gardens of the Palau de la Música in Valencia, welcomed 12,025 spectators from August 4 to September 2, with an average of 462 attendees per session. This reflects a 4% increase from the 2022 edition, which hosted 11,561 spectators at an average of 444 per session. In total, 11 films were shown over 26 sessions, underscoring a dynamic, community-centered program that balances classics with contemporary titles.