The Film Festival is finally returning to pre-pandemic attendance levels. The initiative, organized by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain, the National Cinema Association (AECINE), the Association of Independent Cinematographic Distributors (ADICINE) and ESCAC, counted 1,394,058 spectators during its twenty-third edition. An edition which, as usual, facilitated access to the big screen with a reduced price of 3.50 euros during the four days between November 4 and 7.
According to provisional data from consultancy Comscore Movies, this is the best attendance figure since 2019, with an increase in viewers of more than 63% compared to the June 2024 edition and 16% more compared to to the October 2023 edition. the second best week so far this year, just behind the premiere week of the year’s phenomenon, ‘Inside Out 2’, the June 21.
In terms of titles, three Spanish films appear in the top 10 most watched films at the Film Festival: The infiltrator, the room next door and the escape. The ten most viewed films of this edition, in order, were: Venom: The Last Dance, Wild robot, The Infiltrator, Terrifying3, Jury No. 2, RedOne, Smile 2, The bottom, The next room And Exhaust.
More than half a million more viewers than in the spring
Compared to the discrete data obtained during last June’s edition, where the second worst data of the decade was obtained with 832,128 spectators, the result of this last edition obtains 561,930 spectators more and exceeds the 1,198,062 reached in October 2023, which foreshadowed a recovery after the pandemic. The new data suggests a revitalization of theater attendance, leaving behind figures as discouraging as those of May 2022 – the first edition after the pandemic – which did not exceed 704,977 spectators.
It is worth remembering that after the pandemic there was a radical change in leisure habits in the audiovisual sector in Spain, where digital platforms prevailed among viewers’ preferences. This fact caused a marked decline in the number of spectators, especially those who were essential for cinemas, the adult public, who came week after week to see films.
Three years later, that gap has not been closed, but data like that released today could provide cause for optimism. In any case, it must be taken into account that the editions of the Film Festival organized in the fall tend to perform less well in terms of attendance data than those held in the spring. In 2018 alone, the spring edition was more numerous – 1.6 million – than the fall edition – 1.3 million.
The responsibility for this improvement in attendance data perhaps lies in the initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture with the aim of regaining the loyalty of the adult public. Thus, the “Tuesdays at the Cinema” initiative, launched in July 2023 and thanks to which those over 65 can go to the cinema for just two euros, has been a great success.
The Federation of Cinema Exhibitors quantified the increase in attendance on Tuesdays at 49% compared to the previous year. It went from 2.7 million to four million viewers. It also improved by 23% compared to 2019. In total, during these first months, almost a million viewers benefited from the program.
This initiative, organized by the Federation of Cinematographic Distributors (FEDICINE), the Federation of Cinemas of Spain (FECE) and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, aims to encourage attendance at cinemas. An objective which, despite the notable decline experienced in recent years, manages to revitalize Spanish theaters.
