"They Will Be Dust" is a bold, moving by acclaimed Catalan director Carlos Marqués-Marcet, starring Ángela Molina and Alfredo Castro in a deeply human story of love, loss and reconciliation.

The opening ceremony of this year's Black Nights FIlm Festival (PÖFF) on Friday, November 7 at Alexela Concert Hall features a live performance by Maria Arnal.

Arnal is one of Catalonia's most distinctive voices and winner of the Gaudí Award for the music she created for "They Will Be Dust."

The film also marks the launch of the festival's Catalan Focus, celebrating the region's dynamic cinema with 28 feature films and 3 shorts, ranging from timeless classics to acclaimed new releases. PÖFF's 2025 program is one of the most extensive Catalan showcases ever presented at an international festival.

According to Joan Ruiz, coordinator of the Catalan film promotion agency Catalan Films, the Catalan audiovisual industry is experiencing one of its most exciting periods. In recent years, Catalonia has produced over 100 feature films annually, with around 1,400 festival selections worldwide each year. By dedicating this year's Focus to Catalonia, PÖFF is celebrating a film community whose distinctive voice, artistic ambition and co-production strength resonate internationally.

"This year's Special Focus captures both the energy of today's creators and the legacy of a rich cinematic past — from Barcelona's role as a creative hub and its resilience during the Franco era, to the innovation, rebellious spirit, and international reach that define Catalan filmmaking today," said PÖFF programmer Javier Garcia Puerto.

"It is the most complete showcase ever presented — a true panorama of Catalan cinema's diversity, context and future."

Three Catalan films will have their world premieres in Tallinn: Júlia de Paz Solvas's [Good Daughter] in the Official Selection – Competition, Lluís Miñarro's "Emergency Exit" in Rebels with a Cause, and Amanda Sans Pantling's "Miss Jobson" in the doc@PÖFF International Documentary Competition.

Two children's films in the Just Film competition — "The Treasure of Barracuda" and "Leo and Lou" — will also be screened for the first time outside Spain.

Oliver Laxe's "Sirât," winner of the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, is also representing Spain in the Oscar race for Best International Feature, while Carla Simón's "Romeria," which also premiered in Cannes' Official Competition, is likewise shortlisted for the European Film Awards.

The historical drama "Magellan," co-produced by Catalonia and directed by Lav Diaz, represents the Philippines in the International Feature category at the Oscars. Isabel Coixet's romantic drama "Three Goodbyes" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and Irene Iborra Rizo's stop-motion film "Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake" debuted in Annecy and is also shortlisted for the European Animation Award.

The program also includes an eight-film retrospective dedicated to landmark works in Catalan cinema history — from Francisco Rovira Beleta's Oscar-nominated "Los Tarantos," which is considered one of the greatest flamenco films ever made, to Agustí Villaronga's raw and controversial horror film "In a Glass Cage," and Pere Portabella's experimental classic "Umbracle," by one of Catalonia's great cinematic rebels.

All the retrospective films have been newly restored.

The 2025 Black Nights Film Festival takes place from November 7 – 23.

More information about the Catalan program at this year's festival, including screening times, can be found here.

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