iW NEWS | "Spanish Cinema Now" Set For Next Month

The Film Society of Lincoln Center will present Spanish Cinema Now in New York City for its 17th year at the Walter Reade Theater, December 5-24. The annual showcase of new filmmaking from Spain will present festival prizewinners "Before the Fall," "Chef's Special," "Pretexts," Spain's best foreign language film Oscar-nominee "Blind Sunflowers," and 16 other new features, many in their North American, U.S., or New York premieres, along with a special program of short films. A sidebar offers a glimpse at the experimental films that emerged in Spain during cinema's early rise, while several recent classics including Pedro Almodovar's "Talk To Her" fill out the series's spotlight look at celebrated actor Javier Camara, who will attend several screenings. "Contemporary Spanish directors have led the way in exploring new approaches to traditional film genres," says Richard Pena, program director at the Film Society, in a statement, "and this year's selections for Spanish Cinema Now powerfully illustrate this tendency." For the full program, visit this website. [Peter Knegt]