Neus Flores
This year, Galician film director Oliver Laxe won Jury Prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, thus elevating Spain’s filming global standing, while Catalan film director Carla Simón increased her international outreach and advocated for women in film at Women in Motion by Kering.
On May 25, 2025 Spanish cinema claimed a major #spotlight at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with critical awards and a strong institutional presence, confirming Spain’s rising #influence on the international film stage.
Spanish director Oliver Laxe won Jury Prize with his latest film Sirât an overwhelming story starring Sergi López and Bruno Núñez Arjona, it follows a father’s search for his missing daughter on raves across the deserts of southern Morocco. It is an impactful co-production between Spain and France. Jessica Kiang Berlin-based freelance film critic and programmer of Variety called the film a “brilliantly bizarre, cult-ready vision of human psychology tested to its limits“
On the other hand, acclaimed Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón owned the red carpet and delivered an inspiring address at the prestigious Women in Motion by Kering Talks during the Cannes Film Festival. Her appearance underscored her ongoing commitment to championing female voices in cinema, reflecting on her journey since first receiving Kering’s Young Talent Award in 2018—from Summer 1993 to her last film Romería—Simón called for continued female #solidarity within the industry, advocating for shared mentorship, mutual encouragement, and sustained institutional backing to ensure women’s stories are both seen and made.
The Croisette saw a steady parade of A‑list 2025 talent
Cannes Lions buzz brought celebrities like Bella Hadid, Heidi Klum, and Will Smith to nearby Martinez Bar and Carlton Beach, where stylish guests mingled over avant-garde cocktails. Also #cultural soirées—from Nespresso x Brut VIP events to the Global Gift Gala—spotted stars including, Tom Cruise who was promoting his new Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning film, Eva Longoria, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek.
In the midst of all this buzz, Spanish intercultural communicator and our own Washington Morning cultural author Neus Flores hosted her “Cultinclub” radio show Live at Radio France market booth for RCE while promoting her own new documentary Barnabands at Cannes Docs.
During the International Village meetings, she delivered real-time #interviews with emerging directors Miron Ashkenazy and Diego Kelmann, captured the after-hours atmosphere with journalist and author Ruby Boukabou and celebrity photographer Marco Barada, and provided listeners back home with #immersive festival commentary with María Fernanda Ordóñez Morla director of Fillos do vento: A rapa. Her energetic presence and insightful dialogue connected audiences with the heart of Cannes, thus blending #culture, fashion, and film in a very personal way (watch here in full).
Final Impressions
From Jafar Panahi’s film “It Was Just an Accident” which won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival -a victory celebrated as both a triumph for the director and a powerful political statement by Le Monde– to the sunlit Campari Lounge, and starlit red carpets, this year the festival stitched together art and atmosphere into a seamless Riviera fête.
Cannes 2025 transcended film alone—it was a celebration of global voices, craftsmanship, Spanish duende and above all, cultural exchange.
Article written for the Washington Morning by author Neus Flores
To read more cultural articles by Neus Flores please click here.
