Spanish cinema has just had its best year ever with record attendance and box office earnings. So what can go wrong? With films like Spanish Affair and El Niño generating millions at the box office and delighting Spanish filmgoers, it is hard to believe that anything can be wrong. But to some people in the film world, all of this success hasn't translated into recognition or invitations and nominations to the most important film festivals or major film awards. (The last Spanish film to be nominated for an Oscar was The Sea Inside, which also won the award in 2004) According to some, it appears that in the industry's attempt to raise flagging attendance, they have sacrificed some of the elements that captures the attention of serious film lovers and critics.

The only film to achieve some sort of success among film cognoscente in 2014 has been La Isla Mínima or Marshland as it is called outside of Spain. Is the only movie to have been received into the European film festival circuit of Venice, Berlin, and Cannes. Of course there is San Sebastian also, but since this is a homegrown festival there is always ample Spanish presence, in fact Spanish-Franco film Magical Girl won the Golden Shell award. But why is it that Spanish movies have such a hard time breaking through the selection process to the major festivals?

Looking back, the last Spanish film to appear in the official selection of Berlin was Dictado or Childish Games by Antonio Chavarrías. In Venice, Alex de la Iglesia's 2010 Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) was the last Spanish film to appear there. Almodóvar's 2011 film La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) appeared in Cannes and since then no other Spanish film has been part of the official selection there. There have been some Spanish co-productions present like last year's Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) or No Llores, Vuela (Aloft) but these were films partially financed from Spain but didn't count on a large participation in the cast or crew.

Independent film producer, Álvaro Longoria from Morena films (Che), believes that the Spanish industry's attempt to capture more audience together with the growing participation of Spanish television networks bankrolling major films are having a negative effect on independent film production. Movies like El Niño highlight this trend with its slick eye-candy cinematography, similar in look to Michael Mann's Heat, is becoming more and more common.

With Spanish television networks becoming increasingly more important in financing films, their objectives are very different from traditional producers. Maximizing audiences on the big screen and later reaping profits on the small, the order of the day for the networks is making Hollywood blockbuster-like movies and if it's not pulse thumping action then simple, yet entertaining stories will suffice. Taking a look at the types of movies that dominated the box office in 2014 as our reference, it appears as though 2015 will continue with this trend.

Longoria believes that Spanish language productions from Spain will have a more difficult time finding space in more important film festivals and independent Spanish movies will be made in other languages, like English, in an effort to get the funding necessary to film and subsequent box office. Right now in Spain according to certain people in the industry is that there are two types of movies being produced here: very commercial or very small scale independent productions.

But what's the problem if Spanish films are breaking records? For most films, the Spanish market is a small part of their overall income and for many, finding distribution in other countries is the key for the financial success of most films. For many, Film festivals are the ideal place for films to find distribution—especially if a film is among the 20-30 films in the official selection. Even if a movie makes it to a film festival that alone doesn't guarantee it distribution in other countries. Since there are over 300 films on the program of a large festival; if a film is not part of the official selection it will be very hard to get noticed.

While Spanish film is living a golden moment it is important to note the difficulty some producers and directors  are having in getting their works filmed and hopefully a balance will be reached in guaranteeing the continuance of Spanish independent film—in Spanish.    

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes or simply "Goya" (1746-1828) is one of Spain's most famous and recognized artists. His mastery of art allowed him to bridge the romantic with the modern; considered the last of the Old Masters, he was able to change his style with the times in a way that few other artists have been able to accomplish. Today, the National Arts Club in New York is showing one of his seminal works, the Los Caprichos (Caprices) series of prints in its entirety.  Subversive and critical, Goya was never afraid to air his opinion through his art and deftly aired his feelings through his work—even as court painter—and with Los Caprichos we can see how he pushed the limits (and buttons) of Spanish society in an era of instability and unrest.

Goya was a skilled at expressing criticism through his art subtly employing details and references offering the viewer the possibility to choose between different interpretations. This skill is best demonstrated in his portrait Charles IV of Spain and His Family  (1801). Goya uses Velazquez's immortal "Las Meninas" as his model but in this painting there is a claustrophobic feeling as we see Goya smothered, in the background, by the royal family. Goya pulls no punches in dressing the family in extravagant clothing and, most notably, places the queen in the center of the image since it was believed that she was the real power behind the throne.

One aspect of his work that is lesser known (along with his work in tapestries) is what he accomplished in etched works. There are two series of prints which are the most well known: Los Caprichos (1797-1799) and the Disastres de la Guerra (1810-1820). In the Disasters of War, a series of 82 prints, Goya protests against the violence of the Peninsular War; he even illustrates the reverses of the liberal cause in Spain due to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Incredibly, this was accomplished while still exercising his role as court painter producing many memorable portraits during this time.

Los Caprichos

His other series, which is now on display at the National Arts Club in New York City, Los Caprichos  or "Caprices" is a damning view of what he considered to be the follies of Spanish society. The idea for this project originated in the 1780s thanks to his relationship with some of Spain's most important Enlightenment influenced intellectuals of the day like Fernández de Moratín y Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez. As part of this group Goya was able to share is ideas with other like minded thinkers on subjects that were driving Spanish society like religious fanaticism, the prevalence of superstitions and the continued use of the Inquisition as method of control.

With the coronation of Carlos IV in 1788 and the French Revolution on the other side of the Pyrenees, Spain became a more intolerant place and Goya would not begin his etchings due to tension of the time and the sensitive nature of his material. During this time many of his friends, like Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, were exiled and others imprisoned. Because of these happenings, Goya withdrew to the Court not willing to take a chance to stand out too much.

In 1793, is is believed that Goya suffered a stroke while travelling to Seville and his physical condition suffered greatly as a result. Now deaf, he also had problems walking and maintaining his balance. Having come close to death and now suffering the physical effects of his illness, Goya's life and work would forever be changed. He became more in touch with himself and more determined than ever to point out the wrongs of society as a way of creating change.

His experiments with aquatinted etchings produced the 80 illustrations known as Los Caprichos: 80 bitter, dark and critical images that take on Spanish society—this series would also foreshadow the style and tone of his Black Paintings at the end of his career. The illustrations do not follow any particular order but there they do appear to go from theme to theme. The first part of the Los Caprichos is dedicated to erotic satire while the second part criticizes the social conventions of the day. The second half of the Los Caprichos is also the most expressive and haunting.

It is in the second half that we begin to see Goya's extravagant  and sometimes grotesque allusions to the inequalities of Spanish society. In one print, #42 Tú que no puedes (You Who Cannot Do It), shows two farmers  each carrying donkey on their back. The title of this print comes from a popular saying that goes: Tú que no puedes, lleváme a cuestas (You who cannot do it, carry me on your shoulders) which is used with someone asks for help from someone in the same situation or worse. This print is an allegory of how the peasant population must carry the burden of supporting the Spanish nobility (the two donkeys) and clearly illustrates the inherent unfairness of society. In the latter part of Caprichos, known as Brujerías (witchcraft) or Sueños (dreams), we see the full force of Goya's imagination and vision. From his romantic beginnings, Goya shows us a new and grotesque conception of his art. Using these illustrations he gives form to his repulsion of the evil that he perceives in the world employing monsters, deformed fairies and tormented faces.

Goya began to sell this series in Madrid on February 6, 1799 in a perfume shop since traditional book stores and galleries didn't want to have anything to do with this controversial work. Their worries would soon be shared by Goya himself due to threats of having to go before the Spanish Inquisition. After only 14 days of being on sale, he withdrew his book of prints only selling 27 of the 300 copies printed. Goya, now fearing for his well being, sought a way out of his predicament.

As an artist moving between the worlds of the Enlightenment and the nobility, his artistic freedom had reached its limits with the threat of having to go before the inquisition hanging over his head. As a way of saving his work (and himself) he sought the help of his patron, King Carlos IV to who Goya offered to turn over all of the unsold copies and plates. Amazingly, in exchange for this, Goya was still able to negotiate a lifetime pension for his son, Javier. Since then, there have been limited editions printed with last one done during the Republican period in 1937 for a total of 20 editions since their original publication in 1799.

The Caprichos exhibited today in New York is a copy that was donated to the National Arts Club in 1994 by an heir of artist Robert Henri. This copy is a ninth edition that was printed between 1908 and 1912. The last time the the complete Caprichos series was seen in New York was in a 1994 exhibition held by the MOMA. To see the Caprichos you will need to hurry since this exhibit will only last for the month of January—a wonderful opportunity save yourself a trip to the Prado Museum in Spain to view the complete series. Los Caprichos is open to the public at the National Arts Club in the exhibition "Francisco de Goya y Lucientes: Los Caprichos" until January 31 and, best of all, admission is free.   

Art and culture abound in Spain. However, photography is still sometimes forgotten. This is a pity since Spanish photography possesses some exceptional photographers as well as an internationally recognized photo exhibition called "PhotoEspaña. Tourism-wise, photography is also very popular in Spain. This is partly due to the many views and varied landscapes that make photography so interesting. Spain is a true source of inspiration for photographers and those interested in photography.

• Spanish photography began on Nov. 10, 1839 when 'Ramón Alabern y Casas' took the very first photograph in Barcelona, Spain.
• 'Chema Madoz' is a well-known Spanish photographer of this century. His style is characterized by surrealistic black and white photographs of everyday objects that he tries to capture in a curious and amazing way.
• 'PhotoEspaña' is one of the most famous international photo exhibitions in the world with more than 600,000 visitors each year.

To fully understand the photography of Spain requires a dive into history. This begins early in the year of1826 when Frenchman "Joseph Nicéphor Niépce" invented the process of heliography. Heliography means drawing with the sun. It is a process in which a copper plate is smeared with light-sensitive asphalt in a camera obscura that then captures sunlight and projects it onto the plate. This produced the very first photograph in history. This photograph was taken from the window of his study and has an overall exposure time of up to 8 hours! In the year 1829, 'Joseph Nicéphor Niépce' came into contact with 'Louis Daguerre' and from then on photography made real leaps and bounds.

t is therefore safe to say that the beginnings of photography are due to them. When 'Joseph Nicéphor Niépce' died in 1833 'Louis Daguerre' continued his experimentation and with success! So in August of the year 1839 he presented his invention for the first time: daguerreotype. Daguerreotype is a method in which you have developed a photograph within only half an hour. Using this method, "Louis Daguerre" also created his first self-portrait. The daguerreotype method was first used in Spain on November 10, 1839 by 'Ramón Alabern y Casas' in Barcelona. It is a photograph depicting the buildings 'La Lonja' and the house 'Xifré'. Eight days later, a second daguerreotype was made in Madrid of the Royal Palace.

Over the years, thanks to many developments in photography, several styles of photography have emerged. These developments have also come through in Spain. An example of a photography style of the last century can be seen in the well-known Spanish photographer Chema Madoz. His photography style is best known for his surrealistic black and white photographs and focus on photographing objects from everyday life. His photographs are original and give the viewer a curious and amazing look at these objects. One of his most famous photographs is that of a spoon from which the shadow of a fork is visible. In addition, the photograph depicting a burned match as a liquid thermometer is also very well known.

Besides 'Chema Madoz,' there is another well-known Spanish photographer who takes almost exclusively black and white photographs. Her name is 'Isabel Muñoz' and she mostly represents bullfighters, dancers and parts of the human body in her photographs. Other well-known photographers are "Ramón Masats," "Ouka Leele" and "Kike Calvo," each of Spanish descent and the recipient of several photography awards.

PhotoEspaña

Some of these awards are presented at the international festival "PhotoEspaña. For example, in recognition of the contribution and development of photography by Spanish photographers, there is the "Bartolomé Ros Award. This festival annually showcases photography and fine art. It takes place in Madrid during the months of June and July and attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year. The festival is known as one of the most prestigious international venues for the representation of photography. The heart of the exhibition is located around "Paseo de la Castellana," but there are exhibits throughout the city. In total, more than 74 exhibits can be found during this period in various museums such as 'Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía,' 'Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza' and 'Círculo de Bellas Artes. 'PhotoEspaña' has an overarching theme each year in which all the exhibitions together showcase the latest trends in the world of photography and visual arts to the public and to subject matter experts.

For centuries, Valencia has managed to construct exceptional buildings that are a clear part of its history. Valencia is characterized by its mix of ancient and modern architecture that blends beautifully without losing its folklore. The city was really put on the map when the City of Arts and Sciences, ´Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias´ was born. As such, Valencia is frequented by those who are interested and lovers of architecture. The Gothic building ´La Lonja de la Seda´, a 15th-century silk fair has even won a place on the World Heritage List. Now and in the future, Valencia will continue to pursue modern architecture. This will continue to change the image of Valencia and amaze people.

• Valencian architecture is best known for its mix of various architectural styles.
• Santiago Calatrava is an architect and engineer from Valencia. Much of his work is visible around the world. He draws inspiration from organic and human forms.
• The City of Arts and Sciences is one of Valencia's main tourist attractions.

Valencia 's architecture and growth is in constant flux. This is reflected in the wide variety of architectural styles. From the historic downtown to the hip cosmopolitan neighborhoods. Throughout the city are buildings of Modern, Romanesque, Gothic,- Renaissance, Baroque, and many other architectural styles. The city is a mix of modern and futuristic styles such as the Bioparc zoo and the Valencia street circuit; these are paragons of modern architecture. These styles blend seamlessly with the combination of classical architectural styles such as Valencia City Hall. The best way to see these designs is to explore the city on foot. This way you can easily find the hidden gems in Valencia's small streets as well.

Spanish architecture is extraordinarily rich and distinctive. Therefore, Spain is also home to a number of great and famous architects. After Gaudí, the designer of the ´Sagrada Familia, comes Valencian architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, the creator of the city of arts and science in Valencia. Calatrava was born July 28, 1951, in Benimàmet, formerly a municipality now fully integrated as an urban part of Valencia. He began his career by studying architecture at the Technical University of Valencia. He then moved to Zurich where he studied civil engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

Calatrava first received international acclaim through the bridge ´Bac de Roda´ in Barcelona. This was part of the 1992 Olympic Games. His designs are visible and recognizable all over the world because of his contemporary style. A style inspired by organic and human forms whose materials are selected with extreme care.

Valencia's modern architecture is visible in all its glory in the city of arts and sciences. Here there is a gigantic cultural center for culture and science that today is one of Valencia 's most spectacular sights. It is home to six unique and eccentric buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava. Entirely dedicated to the arts and sciences, it also functions as a stimulus for visitors' minds. They can thus learn more about the various aspects associated with science in a fun way. For example, here stands the center for music and drama, better known as ´Palacio de las Artes´. A building 75 meters high and 40,000 square meters wide that houses four different spaces for opera, music, ballet, and theater performances. It was built in the year 2005. This striking building is characterized by the different staggered heights of the floors, which are reunited by an enclosure of two symmetrical concrete shells. In addition to the center for music and drama, it houses a science museum, the largest oceanographic park in Europe and much more. Today the City of Arts and Sciences is one of the most famous places in Valencia and is largely the sight of innovation in architecture in Valencia.

It is named after a Spanish place and it is huge. Picasso' s "Guernica" painting is considered a very impressive painting. There is a story behind it, as well as in it. The painting holds you and makes you feel what the painter is trying to convey. 'Guernica' is different.

• Picasso's painting makes a lot of sense to you. It not only tells the story behind it, but makes you feel it. 'Guernica' by Picasso has traveled a lot but now hangs in the 'Museo Reina Sofia' in Madrid.
• The story behind it is about a bombing during the Spanish Civil War. It was the first terror bombing in Europe where the fascists wanted to break the resistance of the Republicans in this way.
• The painting is not realistic and has many underlying thoughts. Picasso mainly wanted to express different feelings with this.
• Picasso's real name is Pablo Ruiz Picasso, but he became famous only by the name Picasso. He lived to be 91 years old.

Pablo Picasso created "Guernica" in 1937. The painting is a whopping 3.49 meters high and 7.76 wide and is made of oil paint, which Picasso used to create most of his paintings. 'Guernica' is considered the most controversial and impressive work of all Picasso's paintings. It is named after the Spanish town of Guernica in the Basque country (Basque: Gernika), where a bombing took place. This was the trigger and story for the painting.

During a major conflict in Spain (Spanish Civil War July 17, 1936 - April 1, 1939) between the Fascists and the Republicans, the Fascists sought to break their enemy's resistance through a series of bombings of the Basque town of Guernica. On April 26, 1937, one bomb was dropped by the German Luftwaffe close to the town's weekly market. People fled and took cover in shelters. When after a while everything was calm again, everyone came out to help the wounded and at that moment the entire squadron arrived to bomb Guernica. There was complete chaos and panic. Those who tried to flee through the fields were shot at by single-seater planes, shelters were not sheltered from the 250-kilogram bombs, and the bombing took no less than two and a half hours. All the panic and chaos of that day is reflected in Picasso's painting. And that is exactly what he wanted to achieve.

Pablo Picasso wanted to convey the feeling of the bombing, rather than just the image. The key words of the painting, as well as the bombing, are: panic, fear, death, sadness and, above all, chaos. It had to be felt when looking at the work. The surrealist painting consists of only black, white and gray to express the war and a background of lines and planes mixed together to emphasize the chaotic. The man with the broken sword represents a dead soldier and indicates death. The horse is the symbol of innocent casualties in war and shows how much fear there is at such a time. The mother with her dead child shows the grief for the victims of the war and the bombing, and the burning lamp at the top of the painting represents the explosions of the bombs.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso, that's the official name of the famous Picasso. So, according to the Spanish naming system, he had two surnames: Ruiz from his father and Picasso from his mother. Why he became famous only under the name Picasso is probably because at some point he started putting only this part of his name under his works. He was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, draftsman and ceramicist. Pablo Ruiz Picasso had mistresses all his life, including alongside his wife or primary partner, and he has four children by three women. Picasso was one of Spain's best-known painters and left behind many works.

Top 10 Film Festivals in Spain

You could say that Spain is a country you’d see in movie and a country in which you’d see a movie: its scenic landscapes have not only been captured in an impressive number of famous films, but they also capture a big variety of Spanish film festivals. You can find film fests here on just about any genre imaginable, from documentary, feminist, environmental, short film, gay/lesbian, fantasy, horror, advertising, international film… Spain holds more than 80 film festivals every year. That’s almost 2 per week.

Film Festival in San Sebastian

The International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain is the most prestigious festival in Spain and, in addition, one of the most important festivals in Europe, because of the leading films presented there and their international impact. It is the only film festival in Spain that is considered an A category event, one of only 13 in the entire world! The festival is held in Donostia-San Sebastian, one of the most beautiful northern cities in Spain, located on the coast of the Basque Country region. During this period, the city hosts well-known movie stars such as, Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mel Gibson, Demi Moore, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt and great directors such as Roman Polansky, Francis Ford Coppola and Pedro Almodovar.

The official awards for the San Sebastian Film Festival are: Golden Shell for Best Film, Silver Shell for Best Director, Silver Shell for Best Actress, Silver Shell for Best Actor , Special Jury Prize, Jury Prize for Best Cinematography, Jury Prize for Best Screenplay.

Film festival in Málaga

The film festival in Málaga is only for Spanish cinema and thus is not internationally oriented. The official name of the event is "Festival de Málaga Cine Español (FMCE)," and it has been carrying the Spanish film industry since 1998. As most know, Málaga is the hometown of the famous, international actor Antonio Banderas; one of the reasons the city has such a strong connection to Spanish film. Official awards of this festival are: the Golden and Silver Bignagas for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Music, Best Cinematography et cetera. In recent editions, the festival also admits Latin American Spanish-language films in the Territorio Latinoamericano (literally: Latin American Territory) section. The result of admitting Latin American films is a renovated boost in Spain of this lesser-known film sector as well as the sharing of ideas between the two.

Sitges Festival

Besides the famous film festivals in Málaga and of course San Sebastian, Sitges in the autonomous state of Catalonia also has a film festival: 'El Festival de Cinema Fantàstic de Sitges / Catalunya'. It is one of the most famous film festivals. The Sitges festival first took place in 1967 in, how could it be otherwise, Sitges; a tourist city on the Mediterranean Sea, 40 km away from Barcelona. Sitges is a great place for all film lovers to admire the best new and upcoming films in special screenings. In past editions, the festival received as many as 50,000 spectators! Throughout the festival, some of the most famous directors, producers and actors have shared their new work. Some of the big names that have walked the red carpet of the Sitges Film Festival are: Vin Diesel, Tony Curtis, Guillermo del Toro, Jeroen Krabbé, Eli Roth, Joanna Cassady, Julia Adams, Guy Maddin, David Cronenberg and many more! In addition, these important films, among others, proudly celebrated their debut at this festival: Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), The Bourne Identity (2002), Kill Bill (2003), The Holy Mountain (1973), Mulholland Drive (2001), and many others. The film festivals in Spain put Spain on the map!

Young Spanish Musicians

Music is the backbone of this conglomeration of traditions, languages, geographies, and cultures that we call Spain. Spanish heritage is surprisingly rich and diverse, and the music here, in its most “classic” form, provides a special source of inspiration for many Spaniards. Spain has 45 symphonic and/or philharmonic orchestras, but we’ll be taking a quick peek at Spanish youth orchestras.

Limited space for text has obliged us to focus our list on 10 of these groups. We certainly have no intention of undervaluing those that don’t appear here. 

One of the most famous Spanish paintings

Las Meninas was created by Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. One of the most famous Spanish painters of the golden age, he created many portraits of the Spanish royal family. The Dutch name for Las Meninas is De Hofdames.

Velazquez

Born in Seville, Diego Velázquez began painting at a very young age. At 12, Velázquez was an apprentice painter with Francisco Pacheco. When he moved to Madrid in 1622, he attracted the attention of Spain's King Philip IV.

In 1629, Velázquez left for Italy for a year and a half to study his classical predecessors. All at the expense of Spanish King Philip IV. Upon his return, Velázquez became the court painter of the Spanish royal house. In 1649, he went to Italy again, but this time to procure art for King Philip IV.

Las Meninas is one of the first modern Spanish paintings. A modern painting makes you think about everything on the canvas.

At the center of the painting is the Spanish princess, she was the apple of the family's eye, and at the time the only living child of King Philip IV. It is unusual for a princess to be the center of a painting. At the time the painting was made, princesses were often married to cousins or uncles in the family, to ensure that there was a male heir to the throne.

Everything on the life-size canvas makes the viewer think. For example, the painter has depicted himself, at work, on the canvas. It looks like he is painting Las Meninas. This is not the only thing that makes the viewer think. For example, all the persons in the painting, are looking outside the painting. There is also a mirror painted on the canvas. In this mirror the faces of the royal couple can be seen. The viewer is like the royal couple, we look out over the artist's studio, and the viewer is portrayed.

The main question all this raises is, am I looking at the painting or is the painting looking at me? Find out the answer for yourself during a visit at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Spanish Art: Broadening your cultural horizons

Although stereotypically associated with sun, sea and sand, Spain offers much more than just a summer glow. From Velázquez to Dalí, Ribera to Miró and El Greco to Picasso, Spain has produced some of history’s most influential, revolutionary and highly-esteemed artists. So why not mix things up this year during your holiday to Spain and replace a day of soaking up the rays with a day of cultural enrichment!? In alphabetical rather than preferential order, the featured Top Ten Spanish Museums below will simply give you a taster of a country proud to exhibit and celebrate the enduring talents of its internationally-acclaimed artists.