{{Short description|Annual film festival held in Valladolid, Spain}} {{Infobox Film festival | name = Valladolid International Film Festival | image = Claqueta de la Seminci 2007.JPG | image_size = | caption = SEMINCI 2007 | opening = | closing = | location = Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain | founded = {{start date and age|1956|3|20|df=yes}}{{-}}(as Valladolid Religious Film Week) | awardsreceived = | awards = {{ill|Golden Spike (film award)|es|Espiga de Oro|lt=Golden Spike}} | films = | directors = Javier Angulo (2008–2022)<br>José Luis Cienfuegos (2023–2025) | producers = | writers = | starring = | host = | number = | last = 24 October–1 November 2025 | date = | language = | website = {{URL|seminci.com}} }}
The '''Valladolid International Film Festival''', popularly known as '''Seminci'''{{Refn|group=n.|{{IPA|es|seˈminθi}}, often mispronounced as {{lang|es|Seminchi}} ({{IPA|es|seˈmintʃi|}}).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/valladolid/201511/04/semana-internacional-chine-20151104192627.html|website=El Norte de Castilla|title=SEMana INternacional de CHIne|date=4 November 2015|first=Antonio G.|last=Encinas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elespanol.com/cultura/cine/20181022/letizia-reina-cinefila-prefiere-seminci-goya/347215861_0.html|website=El Español|title=Letizia, la reina cinéfila que prefiere la Seminci a los Goya|date=22 October 2018|first=Javier|last=Zurro}}</ref>}} (short for {{lang|es|Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid}}; {{translation|'Valladolid International Film Week'}}), is a film festival held annually in Valladolid, Spain. First held in 1956 as {{lang|es|Semana de Cine Religioso de Valladolid}} ('Valladolid Religious Film Week'), the Seminci is one of the longest-standing film festivals in Spain.{{Sfn|Jurado Martín|Nieto Martín|2014|p=105}} It stands out in the area of films d'auteur and independent films.
The Seminci conventionally takes place every October,{{Sfn|Jurado Martín|Nieto Martín|2014|p=117}} about a month later than the San Sebastián Film Festival, the most prestigious film festival in Spain.
==History== [[File:Exterior del Teatro Calderón de Valladolid durante la 66.ª Seminci (2021).jpg|thumb|The façade of the Teatro Calderón, the festival's traditional venue, during the 66th edition.]] The first edition of the festival began on 20 March 1956 under the name of Semana de Cine Religioso de Valladolid with the goal of promoting Catholic moral values in conjunction with the celebration of Holy Week in Valladolid. For the first two years it was not competitive and no prizes were awarded. In 1958 the Don Bosco gold and silver awards and the Special Mention appeared, which the following year were replaced by the Lábaro and the Ciudad de Valladolid Award, respectively.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://fipresci.org/report/seminci-a-60-year-old-journey-through-cinema/ | title =Seminci: A 60 Year Old Journey through Cinema | last =Lopez | first =Margarita | publisher =FIPRESCI | access-date =2024-01-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.elcorreo.com/pantallas/201510/23/festival-inauguraba-misa-20151021141038-rc.html | title =El festival que se inauguraba con una misa | date =2015-10-22 | publisher =El Correo | access-date =2024-01-22}}</ref>
The films to be shown were already selected according to quality and not quantity criteria, even if that meant having an insufficient number of films. Starting in 1960, the festival was renamed Semana Internacional de Cine Religioso y de Valores Humanos (the International Week of Religious Cinema and Human Values) and the theme of the films was expanded, accepting those in which human and committed values prevailed. That year the Golden Spike also began to be awarded, alongside the existing prizes and (since 1961) the San Gregorio Prize.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://diariodevalladolid.elmundo.es/articulo/valladolid/carteles-seminci-historicos/20221022123631437281.html | title =All the posters of the Seminci. A historic tour from 1956 to today | last =Garcia | first =Ricardo | date =2022-10-16 | publisher =Valladolid | access-date =2024-01-22}}</ref>
In 1973 the festival adopted its current name, due to the progressive increase in the films in competition and increased interest from producers. The end of the Franco dictatorship made it possible to leave behind the religious character.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2023-10-22/nueva-seminci-cambio-director_3758157/ | title =José Luis Cienfuegos takes the reins of the Seminci with a more punki programming | last =Medina | first =Marta | date =2023-10-22 | publisher =El Confidencial | access-date =2024-01-22}}</ref> The following year the Lábaro disappeared and the Espiga became the main award. Subsequently, the awards for best actor and actress (1979), best screenplay (1984), best first film (1989), the Jury (1991) and the best new director (1992), among others, were introduced.
Since 2008, for 15 years, the festival was headed by Javier Angulo.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://variety.com/2008/film/features/valladolid-s-new-a-d-takes-the-helm-1117994238/ | title =Valladolid's new a.d. takes the helm | date =2008-10-17 | publisher =Variety | access-date =2024-01-21}}</ref> In 2023, José Luis Cienfuegos was named as the new director of the Seminci. He was previously the director of the Gijón International Film Festival (1995–2011) and the Seville European Film Festival (2012–2022).<ref>{{cite web | url =https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/442153/ | title =José Luis Cienfuegos • Director, Seminci | last =Rivera | first =Alfonso | date =2023-05-10 | publisher =Cineuropa | access-date =2024-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://variety.com/2023/film/global/valladolid-film-festival-jose-luis-cienfuegos-1235763574/ | title =Spain's Valladolid Festival Honors Berenice Bejo, Charlotte Rampling, Broadens Its Spanish Cinema Range, Bets on International Growth | last =De Pablos | first =Emiliano | date =2023-10-20 | publisher =Variety | access-date =2024-01-21}}</ref>
== Golden Spike == 100px|right Films compete for the {{ill|Golden Spike (film award)|es|Espiga de Oro|lt=Golden Spike}} ({{lang|es|Espiga de Oro}}),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Redacción|title="Minari" de Lee Isaac Chung y "Nowhere Special" de Uberto Pasolini competirán por la Espiga de Oro en la SEMINCI 2020 {{!}} Cine|url=https://www.mundoplus.tv/blogs/cine/2020/09/29/minari-de-lee-isaac-chung-y-nowhere-special-de-uberto-pasolini-competiran-por-la-espiga-de-oro-en-la-seminci-2020/|access-date=2020-10-01|language=es-ES|archive-date=2020-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023002813/https://www.mundoplus.tv/blogs/cine/2020/09/29/minari-de-lee-isaac-chung-y-nowhere-special-de-uberto-pasolini-competiran-por-la-espiga-de-oro-en-la-seminci-2020/|url-status=dead}}</ref> the top prize awarded at the festival. A list displaying some of the winners is as follows: {{Columns list| * 44th (1999): ''East Is East''.<ref>{{Cite news|website=El País|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1999/10/31/cultura/941320811_850215.html|first=Ángel|last=Fernández-Santos|author-link=Ángel Fernández-Santos|title='Oriente es Oriente' gana la Espiga de Oro y el director Kitano el premio al mejor actor|date=31 October 1999}}</ref> * 45th (2000): ''Requiem for a Dream'' & ''The Town Is Quiet.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/culturas/seminci/201506/26/requiem-sueno-mejor-pelicula-20150626122545.html|website=El Norte de Castilla|date=26 June 2015|title='Réquiem por un sueño', mejor película de la historia de la Seminci}}</ref> * 46th (2001): ''Italian for Beginners''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2001/11/03/actualidad/1004742001_850215.html|website=El País|date=3 November 2001|title=La película danesa 'Italiano para principiantes' gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci}}</ref> * 47th (2002): ''Sweet Sixteen''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2002/11/03/espectaculos/1036278003_850215.html|website=El País|first=Ángel|last=Fernández-Santos|author-link=Ángel Fernández-Santos|title=Ken Loach gana con 'Sweet sixteen' la Espiga de Oro|date=3 November 2002}}</ref> * 48th (2003): ''Osama'' & ''Crimson Gold''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/play/cine/abci-osama-y-sangre-y-comparten-espiga-valladolid-200311010300-217841_noticia.html|website=ABC|title=«Osama» y «Sangre y Oro» comparten la Espiga de Oro en Valladolid|date=1 November 2003}}</ref> * 49th (2004): ''3-Iron''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/television/2004/10/30/surcoreano-kim-ki-duk-gana-espiga-oro-seminci-hierro-3/0003_3162355.htm|website=La Voz de Galicia|first=M.A|last=Fernández|date=30 October 2004|title=El surcoreano Kim Ki-duk gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci por «Hierro 3»}}</ref> * 50th (2005): ''In Bed''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2005/10/30/espectaculos/1130623202_850215.html|title='En la cama', de Matías Bize, sorprendente ganadora de la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci|website=El País|date=30 October 2005|first=Casimiro|last=Torreiro}}</ref> * 51st (2006): ''The Optimists''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/166892/0/semici/espiga/oro/|title=La Seminci otorga la Espiga de Oro a la película serbia 'Optimisti'|date=28 October 2006|website=20minutos.es}}</ref> * 52nd (2007): ''{{ill|14 kilometers|es|14 kilómetros}}''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/300317/0/52seminci/espiga/Olivares/|title='14 kilómetros' gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci|date=3 November 2011|first=Mónica G.|last=Pérez|website=20minutos.es}}</ref> * 53rd (2008): ''Estômago: A Gastronomic Story''.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Estomago' wins at Valladolid |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/estomago-wins-at-valladolid-1117995159/|date=3 November 2008|website=Variety|first=John|last=Hopewell}}</ref> * 54th (2009): ''Honeymoons''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2009/biz/markets-festivals/valladolid-goes-for-honeymoons-1118010729/|first=John|last=Hopewell|date=2 November 2009|website=Variety|title=Valladolid goes for 'Honeymoons'}}</ref> * 55th (2010): ''Certified Copy'' & ''No Return''.<ref>{{Cite web|website=La Razón|date=30 October 2010|url=https://www.larazon.es/historico/9691-copia-conforme-y-sin-retorno-espiga-de-oro-HLLA_RAZON_339400/|title=«Copia Conforme» y «Sin Retorno» Espiga de Oro de la Seminci}}</ref> * 56th (2011): ''Come as You Are''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2011/10/29/actualidad/1319839202_850215.html|website=El País|title=La belga 'Hasta la vista', espiga de Oro de la Seminci|date=29 October 2011}}</ref> * 57th (2012): ''Horses of God''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publico.es/culturas/espiga-oro-caballos-dios-nabil.html|date=27 October 2012|website=Público|title=La Espiga de Oro para 'Los caballos de Dios', de Nabil Ayouc}}</ref> * 58th (2013): ''Tokyo Family''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1959378/0/tokyo-kazoku-yamada/pelicula-ganadora/espiga-oro-seminici/|date=26 October 2013|title=La película japonesa 'Una familia de Tokio', de Yoji Yamada, gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci}}</ref> * 59th (2014): ''The Farewell Party''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/a3023892/palmares-de-la-seminci-de-valladolid-2014/|website=Fotogramas|title=Palmarés de la Seminci de Valladolid 2014|date=27 October 2014 }}</ref> * 60th (2015): ''Rams''.<ref>{{Cite web|website=El Día|url=https://www.eldia.es/cultura/2015-10-31/4--Hrutar-valle-carneros-Espiga-Oro-Seminci.htm|date=31 October 2015|title="Hrútar" (El valle de los carneros), Espiga de Oro en la 60ª Seminci}}</ref> * 61st (2016): ''Like Crazy''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/cultura/cine-00128/noticia-locas-alegria-paolo-virzi-gana-espiga-oro-seminci-2016-20161030103141.html|website=Europa Press|date=30 October 2016|title=Locas de alegría, de Paolo Virzì, gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci 2016}}</ref> * 62nd (2017): ''The Nile Hilton Incident''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/cultura/the-nile-hilton-incident-de-tarik-saleh-espiga-oro-la-62-seminci/10005-3421988|website=EFE|title="The Nile Hilton incident", de Tarik Saleh, Espiga de Oro de la 62 Seminci|date=28 October 2017}}</ref> * 63rd (2018): ''Genesis''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/culturas/seminci/lectura-palmares-seminci-20181027102120-nt.html|website=El Norte de Castilla|title='Genèse' y 'Yomeddine' triunfan en la 63 Seminci|date=27 October 2018|first=Samuel|last=Regueira}}</ref> * 64th (2019): ''Öndög''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/10/26/actualidad/1572089899_158036.html|date=26 October 2019|website=El País|title='Öndög' gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci}}</ref> * 65th (2020): ''Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/castilla-y-leon/noticia-seminci-preparations-to-be-together-triunfa-65-edicion-tres-premios-incluyendo-espiga-oro-20201031140400.html|website=Europa Press|date=31 October 2020|title='Preparations to be Together' triunfa en la 65 edición con tres premios, incluyendo la Espiga de Oro}}</ref> * 66th (2021): ''Last Film Show''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/seminci-2021-last-film-show-se-alza-con-la-espiga-de-oro-en-valladolid-4874224|website=Cinemanía|title=[Seminci 2021] 'Last Film Show' se alza con la Espiga de Oro en Valladolid|date=30 October 2021}}</ref> * 67th (2022): ''Return to Dust''.<ref>{{Cite web|website=rtve.es|title=El chino Li Ruijun, galardonado con la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci con 'Return to Dust'|date=29 October 2022|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20221029/li-ruijun-espiga-oro-seminci-return-to-dust/2407419.shtml#Echobox=1667068492}}</ref> * 68th (2023): ''The Permanent Picture''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/valladolid-film-festival-laura-ferres-ken-loach-1235772328/|website=Variety|title=Valladolid: 'The Permanent Picture,' 'The Old Oak' Win Big as the Spanish Festival's Reboot Wins Applause|first1=John|last1=Hopewell|first2=Pablo|last2=Sandoval|date=29 October 2023}}</ref> * 69th (2024): ''Misericordia''<ref>{{Cite web|website=rtve.es|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20241026/premios-festival-cine-seminci-lista-ganadores/16304492.shtml|date=26 October 2024|title='Misericordia', del cineasta francés Alan Guiraudie, gana la Espiga de Oro de la Seminci 2024}}</ref> * 70th (2025): ''Magellan'' & ''The Mastermind''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/11/01/espiga-de-oro-ex-aequo-para-the-mastermind-de-kelly-reichardt-y-para-la-produccion-espanola-magallanes-de-lav-diaz-cadena-ser/|website=Cadena SER|access-date=1 November 2025|language=es|date=1 November 2025|title=Espiga de Oro 'ex aequo' para 'The Mastermind' de Kelly Reichardt y para la producción española 'Magallanes' de Lav Diaz|first=Pepa|last=Blanes}}</ref> }}
== Recognition == In 2016, the Seminci was recognized with the Castilla y León Prize for the Arts, the highest institutional award from the region of Castile and León.<ref>{{cite news |title=Herrera apela al legado histórico de León y de Castilla para reivindicar el potencial de la comunidad |work=Diario de León|url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/castillayleon/herrera-apela-legado-historico-leon-castilla-reivindicar-potencial-comunidad/201704211332001677937.html |access-date=21 July 2020 |date=21 April 2017}}</ref>
== Notes == {{reflist|group=n.}}
==References== ;Citations {{Reflist}} ;Bibliography * {{Cite journal|title=Nuevas propuestas, viejos circuitos: El papel de los festivales de cine españoles en la consolidación de los nuevos realizadores|trans-title=New proposals, old circuits. The role of spanish film festivals in the consolidation of new directors|url=https://repositorio.uam.es/bitstream/handle/10486/675727/SECUEN_39_6.pdf?sequence=1|last1=Jurado Martín|first1=Montserrat|last2=Nieto Martín|first2=Alberto|location=Madrid|publisher=UAM Ediciones|journal=Secuencias: Tevista de Historia del Cine|issue=39|year=2014|pages=100–122|issn=1134-6795}}
==External links== * [http://www.seminci.com/ Official website]
{{Authority control}} {{Coord|41|39|14|N|4|43|28|W|region:ES-CL_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title}}
Category:Film festivals in Spain Category:Valladolid Category:1956 establishments in Spain Category:Awards established in 1956 Category:Organised events in Castile and León Category:October