The 14th Mumbai Film Festival took place from October 18 to 25. Spain enjoyed a prominent presence at the event, as Antonio Méndez’s film 'Aquí y allá' won the Best Film and Best Director awards in the Official Section. Pablo Berger’s ‘Blancanieves’ was shown at the closing ceremony, and film director Antonio Chavarrías also participated in the festival with ‘El dictado’.
The Secretary General of the Spain India Council Foundation, Manuel Cacho, who was in India with the official delegation travelling with King Juan Carlos of Spain, presented the award for the best film shot abroad. The winner, ‘Zindagi na Milegi Dobara’, has been a huge success in the country and has generated an upturn in the number of Indian tourists visiting Spain.
Manuel Cacho handed over the award to the film’s producer, Ritesh Sidhwan, who was delighted to shoot in Spain because, in his words, the country “has it all: beaches, mountains, interesting festivals… and they made it so easy for us." Sidhwan added that "Spain is becoming increasingly popular as a filming destination. In fact, I have a script for a love story that I think would be perfect for Spain. I want to shoot there again, and many producers are thinking about it after the success of my film."
