The program includes two sessions, on March 27 and 28, in which Duque, one of the leading figures in Spanish animation, will show her influences with an illustrated lecture, and a selection of his work, including a film performance
Elena Duque during the film performance of Curso de pintura rápida para principiantes (2023)
This week, the (S8) Mostra Internacional de Cinema Periférico kicks off its expanded 2026 program with a focus on Elena Duque (Avilés, 1980) in cooperation with the Filmoteca de Galicia (A Coruña). A filmmaker, programmer, critic, and professor, Duque’s work moves between animation and collage, employing analog formats and methods to explore issues such as identity and belonging. Currently, she is one of the leading figures in Spanish animation and also, a renowned programmer and researcher of contemporary cinema, working with festivals such as the European Film Awards of Sevilla, the Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR), and the Gijón International Film Festival (FICX). She also maintains a close relationship with the (S8), being the programme coordinator since its inception.
For Ángel Rueda, co-director of the Mostra, this focus “is an act of justice” given the artist’s connection to A Coruña, a city very present in a filmography which is “rich in formats and ideas, where everything shines and comes to life” and that has been featured in festivals and art centers around the world. This focus also opens a new relationship with the Filmoteca de Galicia, where the (S8) will be programming regularly.
Fist Fight, of Robert Breer (1964) an Winners Bitch, of Sam Gurry (2018)
TWO DAYS OF PROGRAMMING
The program, part of the Filmoteca Desencuadres series, features two sessions. The first one is on Friday, March 27th at 7:00 PM and is titled “By Magic: Experimental Animation According to Elena Duque.” In this session, she will explore the influences on her creative universe through an illustrated lecture format, featuring works by artists such as Jodie Mack, Isabel Herguera, Robert Breer, and Sam Gurry.
The second session is on Saturday the 28th at 6:00 PM, an opportunity to explore her work with the program “Cut, Sew, and Sing: The Brilliant Cinema of Elena Duque,” which includes opening credits, music videos, and pieces that have participated in international festivals such as La mar salada (2014), Valdediós (2019), Pla y Cancela (2017), Ojitos Mentirosos (2024), and the more recent film Portales (2025), which premiered at the Berlinale and in Spain at the Málaga Film Festival. The final piece will be Curso de pintura rápida para principiantes (2023), a performance film in which the artist interacts live with the projected image in its original 16mm format.
Valdediós (2019) and Portales (2025)
Pla y Cancela (2017) and La mar salada (2014), of Elena Duque
ONGOING ACTIVITIES OF THE (S8)
This collaboration with the Filmoteca de Galicia adds to the intense activity that the Mostra Inetrnacional de Cinema Periférico maintains throughout the year, participating in other film events such as DocLisboa, the Seminci film festival in Valladolid, and the FICX in Gijón. The (S8) also held another edition of the Corme analog film workshop, the Criaturas da Luz workshop at the Porto-Post-Doc festival, and educational events such as the one held at the school Julio Gurriarán in Valdeorras.
Another highlight was the BAICC on the Road tour in Canada last October, featuring works created during the artistic residencies that the Mostra has been promoting for the past nine years in partnership with AC/E (Acción Cultural Española) and LIFT (Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto), and which will soon open its tenth call for applications.
All this activity of programming, training and promotion of avant-garde cinema keeps the festival (S8) alive throughout the year, being a benchmark in the visual arts circuit worldwide and placing A Coruña and Galicia as a space for creation and meeting of artists, something that is recharged, multiplied and expanded with each new edition of the Mostra.
The (S8) keeps a busy program throughout the year. In the photos: Toronto, Lisbon and Valdeorras.
DATES OF THE 17TH EDITION OF (S8)
In 2026, the 17th Mostra de Cinema Periférico will be held in A Coruña between June 2nd and 7th, with screenings for schoolchildren as an early opening starting on May 7th, and once again with the sponsorship of A Coruña Provincial Council’s Department of Tourism and Culture, the Agency for Cultural Industries of the Xunta of Galicia (Agadic), the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Luis Seoane Foundation.
