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Almería Western Film Festival

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Almería Western Film Festival
Event logo (2022–present)
LocationTabernas, Almería, Spain
Founded2011
Hosted byCity of Tabernas
Festival dateEarly to mid-October
LanguageEnglish, Spanish
Websitealmeriawesternfilmfestival.es

The Almería Western Film Festival is an annual film festival held every October in the Spanish city of Tabernas in the province of Almería. The event was created in 2011 to celebrate Almería's ongoing history as one of the Western genre's iconic shooting locations.[1] As of 2024, the AWFF lays claim to being the only festival dedicated to the genre in Europe.[2] It is a member of the Andalusian Association of Audiovisual Festivals (ASFAAN).[3]

History

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Tabernas Municipal Theater
Tabernas Municipal Theater in 2024
AddressCalle Rodriguez Carmona, 2–22[2]
Tabernas, Almería
Spain
OwnerCity of Tabernas[2]
Capacity499[2][4]
Construction
Opened1959[2]
Renovated2002[2]
ArchitectAntonio Góngora Galera[2]

Host city

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Main article: List of films shot in Almería

Almería has been a backdrop for films of multiple genres, but it is particularly associated with Westerns, of which more than 170 had been filmed there as of 2022.[5] Among the most famous are Sergio Leone's Dollar Trilogy,[6] Terence Hill and Bud Spencer's original trilogy,[7] many Zorro adaptations including the 1975 Alain Delon starrer, the pilot of the 1990 TV series and the 2024 Paramount+ miniseries,[8] as well as the meta film 800 Bullets, which is set in the Almería Western industry.[9][10]

The host city of Tabernas is the main settlement in the Tabernas Desert, where many exteriors for these films have been shot.[9] Three historic Western sets are located nearby: Fort Bravo, Mini Hollywood and Western Leone. The inaugural edition was organized in partnership with Fort Bravo, but subsequent ones have involved the area's other studios as well.[11][12][13] The festival's main downtown venue is the Tarbernas Municipal Theater, and supporting attractions take place in the city's public squares, such as the Glorieta de España.[2][14] The 2024 edition was attended by 7,600 persons.[15]

Organizers

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The festival was founded in 2011 by private citizens and Western enthusiasts César Méndez and Danny García, who actually hailed from Catalonia and invested €30,000 to kickstart the proceedings.[16][17][18] The city upped its support and the provincial government jumped on board in the gathering's sophomore year, when it moved from September to its current October spot.[19]

In 2014, control of the AWFF was wrested away from its founders by then Tabernas mayor Mari Nieves Jaén, who wished to secure her city's rights over the event after the former had made overtures to San José de Níjar and the provincial capital of Almería City to relocate parts of the festivities there.[18][20] Méndez and García vouched to refrain from legal action, but kept the existing logo and launched the rival Almería International Western Film Festival, which took place at the es:Teatro Apolo in Almería City in September 2014. However, it did not last beyond that one edition.[21][22]

Traditions

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The festival traditionally kicks off with a parade through the streets of Tabernas, featuring period dress, horse carriages and children from the area's schools.[23][24][25] Western-themed exhibits, panels, and live performances supplement the screenings.[23] The inaugural musical guest was Dave Bourne, the pianist from the series Deadwood.[16] Kirkpatrick Thomas of Spindrift accompanied a showing of their musical film Ghost of the West during the 2014 edition, and came back with the band to open their 2017 European tour.[26][27]

Since 2012, one of festival's main attractions has been the Premio Tabernas de Cine ('Tabernas Film Prize'), given each year to one or several distinguished contributors to the genre.[28] Each laureate gets to unveil a forged metal chair—in the shape of a film chair—bearing their name, which is then displayed alongside those of previous honorees on the Paseo Tabernas de Cine, a dedicated section of the city's main artery, Avenida de Las Angustias.[29]

In 2016, the career award was splintered into two categories, with the Premio Tabernas de Cine now reserved for living personalities, while a separate award was introduced for figures who have passed away, called Premio Leone in Memoriam ('Leone Memorial Prize').[30] The latter is presented to the recipient's relatives at Mini Hollywood, which houses sets used on the director's For a Few Dollars More. In the award's first years, the function took place at the venue's saloon.[12] In 2021, an Old West cemetery was recreated on the lot to host the ceremony, and each laureate is now commemorated with a prop grave to his name, which the fans can help dig and decorate with candles.[31]

Main awards history

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Year Best Film Audience Award Best Actor Best Actress Premio Tabernas de Cine
(career award, contemporary) 		Premio Leone in Memoriam
(career award, posthumous)
2024 The Dead Don't Hurt Sergio Leone:
The Italian Who Invented America 		C. Thomas Howell
for Ride 		Mireia Vilapuig
for Escanyapobres 		Fabio Testi Sergio Leone
2023 Godland Call Me Mule Elliott Crosset Hove for Godland José Luis Alcaine Joaquín Romero Marchent
Rafael Romero Marchent
2022 Utama The Long Rider Luis Zahera
for The Beasts 		Marina Foïs
for The Beasts 		Gianni Garko Bud Spencer
2021 Old Henry Karnawal Tim Blake Nelson
for Old Henry 		Diane Lane
for Let Him Go 		Franco Nero Ennio Morricone
2020 The Savage State The Dutchman John Cusack
for Never Grow Old 		Sônia Braga
for Bacurau 		Ángel del Pozo Sergio Sollima
2019 The Sisters Brothers Infierno grande John C. Reilly
for The Sisters Brothers 		Marián Álvarez
for The Silent War 		Alex Cox George Hilton
2018 Brimstone Dead Men Abigail Eiland for Cassidy Red Claudia Cardinale
Sal Borghese 		Carlo Simi
2017 Hell or High Water Escape from Patagonia Shakib Ben Omar for Mimosas Alberto Dell'Acqua
George Martin 		Tomás Milian
2016 The Salvation Red Clouds Francesca Eastwood
for Outlaws and Angels 		Terence Hill Fernando Sancho
Year Best Film Audience Award Premio Tabernas de Cine
(career award)
2015 Pueblo viejo The Homesman Sancho Gracia (In Memoriam)
2014 Sweetwater Algo más que morir Enzo G. Castellari
Giuliano Gemma (In Memoriam)
2014 6 Bullets to Hell La flor de lis Juan Manuel Torres Gómez[32]
2013 Django Unchained West of Thunder Mónica Randall
2012 Sal The Legend of Hell's Gate:
An American Conspiracy 		Sara Montiel
2011 Six Shooters The Warrior's Way Does not appear
  Breakaway event held in Almería City due to a dispute between the festival's founders and the Tabernas municipality. Thus, the career award won by Juan Manuel Torres Gómez (third-generation stuntman and president of the Almería Stuntmen Association) omitted the name of Tabernas.

References

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  1. ^ "Previous editions". almeriawesternfilmfestival.es. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Teatro Municipal de Tabernas". juntadeandalucia.es. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  3. ^ Rodriguez, Xerman (31 July 2020). "Principales festivales de cine Andalucía". 35mm.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Espacios Escénicos – Teatro Municipal de Tabernas". dipalme.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ^ Fagoto, Matteo (14 March 2022). "The other wild west in the Spanish desert". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Dollar's Trilogy". andaluciadestinodecine.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ "The congenial duo: Bud Spencer and Terence Hill". terencehill.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  8. ^ Martínez, Evaristo (7 February 2024). "Un actor de Óscar será El Zorro que ya se rueda en Almería". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Tabernas Desert (Alméria, Spain)". europeanfilmacademy.org. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  10. ^ "On Location in Almeria". western-locations-spain.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  11. ^ Martínez, D. (8 September 2011). "Tabernas se viste de cine con el Festival Internacional de Western". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  12. ^ a b "El AWFF entrega el premio 'Leone in memoriam' a Fernando Sancho". La Vangardia. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Almería Western Film Festival bate récords en visitantes y difusión durante su octava edición". almeriawesternfilmfestival.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Headquarters". almeriawesternfestival.es. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  15. ^ "El Almería Western Film Festival recibe 7.600 visitantes en su última edición, un 24 % más". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 24 October 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  16. ^ a b "El Almería Western Film Festival ofrece una segunda oportunidad a las películas del Oeste". 20minutes.es (in Spanish). 7 September 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  17. ^ Torrès, Laura G. (26 August 2011). "El 'Spaguetti western' vuelve al desierto de Almería con el primer festival de cine del Oeste". rtve.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  18. ^ a b Martínez, Enrique (19 June 2014). "Tabernas 'ata' su festival de cine del oeste". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  19. ^ "La chilena 'Sal' gana el premio del jurado del Almeria Western Film Festival". San Diego Union Tribune (in Spanish). EFE. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  20. ^ Martínez, Enrique (11 June 2014). "Duelo al sol por el Almería Western Film Festival". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  21. ^ Martínez, Evaristo (18 January 2014). "El festival de western de Almería rendirá homenaje a Bud Spencer". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  22. ^ Martínez, D. (12 September 2014). "Romero Marchent: 'El género del western no pasará nunca'". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  23. ^ a b Martinez, Evaristo (9 October 2015). "Bienvenidos al Oeste. Tabernas ya disfruta del Almería Western Film Festival". La voz de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  24. ^ Cox, Alex (12 October 2019). "From the Almeria Western Film Festival". Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  25. ^ "La magia del western toma las calles de Tabernas". canalsur.es (in Spanish). 10 October 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Tabernas, Ford Bravo y Mini Hollywood acogerán Almería Western Film Festival". Ideal. Europa Press. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  27. ^ D.M. (18 September 2017). "El Almería Western Film Festival se iniciará con un pasacalles". Diario de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  28. ^ "El Almería Western Film Festival concederá su máximo galardón al actor Gianni Garko". ABC (in Spanish). 22 June 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  29. ^ Maldonado, A. (9 October 2018). "Tabernas 'sienta' a sus premios en la avenida principal durante el Almería Western Film Festival". Ideal (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  30. ^ Garcia, Juan Manuel (14 October 2017). "El AWFF homenajea a Elisa Montés y a otras leyendas del eurowestern". filmand.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  31. ^ "El MiniHollywood inaugura un cementerio con las tumbas de Morricone y los premiados en el festival de cine de Tabernas". almeria360.com (in Spanish). 23 September 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  32. ^ García Felices, Rubén (5 December 2021). "Almeriense y actor de acción: 'Ya no se respeta a los profesionales del cine'". Diario de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
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