Malaga Cinema, Theatre and Music

A highly cinematic phrase for a highly cinematic province, and not just because it has provided the backdrop for all manner of Spanish and foreign films, not because it is the birthplace of actors of the calibre of Antonio Banderas; Malaga also plays host to a multitude of festivals and exhibitions in which the seventh art is the star of the show.

Without doubt, the best known of these is the annual festival of Spanish Cinema, now in its ninth year, which provides a key meeting point for the country’s film industry. Its red carpets have been trodden not only by a whole host of domestic film stars by also by Hollywood legends such as Robert de Niro. As of this year, the date of the event has been brought forward to March. The most demanding of cinema enthusiasts will find that all manner of films are catered for: full-length films, short films, documentaries… the city also hosts a Fantasy Film Week, during which a collection of the fines horror and science fiction films delight fans of the genre. These same aficionados can then head for Estepona to enjoy the town’s own International Fantasy Film Week as well as its Short Film Competition. In fact, short films are extremely popular in the province of Malaga, a fact witnessed by the numerous competitions held here, the best known of which is Benalmadena’s International Festival of Short and Alternative Films, which features short and full-length productions alike, and the Short Film Competition in Antequera. Meanwhile, those on search of something truly unusual should not miss the Scientific Film Festival, held every two years in Ronda, in which art and science join forces.

Those in search of more than just films alone will enjoy “Nomads, artists of movement”, a travelling exhibition which shatters the traditional concept of art as a static medium by bringing together all of the arts under one umbrella with the aim of making them popular with a wider audience. The idea first took shape in 2000, and each year since, over a period of several months, the Nomads have visited a number of towns and villages throughout the province, exhibiting short films, sculptures, paintings and comics, as well as organising a wide variety of workshops. The Nomads’ final port of call is the city of Malaga itself. All of the plastic, scenic and visual artists that make up the troupe mark the closure of the events by presenting their own different creations, delighting both the eyes and ears of their fascinated audience.

As far as cultural events are concerned, one area that simply cannot be ignored in the theatre. At any time of year, theatre goers are amply catered for in the shape of an extensive programme of events at Malaga’s three venues, the Canovas, the Alameda and the Cervantes, while a ticket for the Theatre Festival held each year at the latter is an absolute must.

Theatre and music in a more urban setting can also be found at the Moorish Moon Festival in Guaro, where a medieval town is recreated to commemorate the interaction between the Muslim, Christian and Jewish worlds that laid the foundations of Andalusi Culture.

Finally, music. A variety of styles, from rock, classical and jazz to flamenco, can be heard on the Costa del Sol and in other locations in the proximity of the province of Malaga. It is a veritable privilege to enjoy music in such monumental settings at Nerja Cave, whose rocky setting provides unique acoustic which are ideal for elegant ballet movements and the musical harmonies of the orchestras that come to play at the International Music and Dance Festival.

The aforementioned Cervantes Theatre in the city of Malaga also hosts dance and music shows. It is the venue for the Jazz Festival, at which some of the best-known artistes in the world perform, and a season of shows known as Music from around the world.

However, to really get to the roots of this corner of Andalusia, the irrepressible force of Flamenco simply has to be witnessed. Fans of the art have long delighted at the tower of Song Festival held in Alhaurin de la Torre, but 2005 also saw the first of the biannual “Malaga in Flamenco” seasons, two months of concerts, workshops, talks, exhibitions and discussions in which the art of Flamenco and its finest exponents are the stars of the show.