José Luis Cienfuegos, director of Seminci, dies at 60 | Culture | EUROtoday

The world of Spanish cinema mourns José Luis Cienfuegos, who died out of the blue at the moment from an aneurysm (stroke) on the age of 60 and a key determine within the consolidation and renewal of movie festivals in Spain. Known for its programming rigor, its sensitivity in the direction of impartial cinema and its absolute dedication to cultural dissemination, Cienfuegos leaves behind a deep and lasting mark. To date, he served as director of the Valladolid International Film Week (Seminci), after holding that place on the Gijón Festival and the Seville Festival. “After three decades dedicated to directing some of the most important festivals in Spain, culminating in the 70th edition of Seminci, José Luis Cienfuegos died today in Madrid at the age of 60,” the Seminci social networks introduced a couple of minutes in the past.

Born in Avilés, Cienfuegos started his profession within the press division of the Gijón Festival. In 1995 he made the leap to directing the competitors, the place he spent 16 years. During that point he turned the Asturian occasion into the gateway to our nation for probably the most daring and stimulating filmmakers. In 2012 he went on to direct the Seville Festival, additionally making it a spearhead for these authors who have been setting the heart beat of up to date cinema, and strengthening their ties with the Spanish and European trade. 2023 was the yr that marked his arrival in Valladolid, surely the best problem of his profession.

“For three editions, he expressed his unmistakable stamp in the direction, being faithful to the history and spirit that have characterized Seminci, also leading the festival to a necessary renewal,” says the assertion from the occasion directed by Cienfuegos. “So until the 70th edition, without a doubt one of the most successful in the long history of the contest, a perfect exponent of the conception it had of festivals: places of dialogue and knowledge through ambitious and heterodox programming, establishing vibrant bridges between creators and the public, and above all, useful and relevant spaces for the industry and filmmakers.”

Beyond the screens, he was an important agent within the movie sector in Spain, and a tireless employee who by no means put his title earlier than the tasks he defended. His legacy is that of a life devoted to movies discovering their place, and making those that made them really feel that somebody really believed in them. Not in useless, when he was fired from the Asturian pageant, greater than 400 filmmakers from world wide supported a press release in his favor. “Cienfuegos adopted a multifaceted look, highlighting the fundamental role that distributors, producers, critics and the media have in promoting auteur cinema,” concludes the Seminci letter. “It radically transformed the way festivals were held in our country, making them livable places in which cinema became the pillar for the celebration of culture and life.”

The metropolis of Valladolid has additionally given the information. The City Council has expressed its condolences for the demise: “In these moments of pain the city is next to his family, his friends, and all the colleagues of the Festival and the world of cinema,” the City Council expressed by way of a message printed on the social community weight. “He was a lover of life and people and an enthusiast, as well as a person full of enthusiasm. Seminci and the city of Valladolid will always remember José Luis Cienfuegos,” he added.