After screening another selection of incredible films from Cuba in London and beyond, the 2025 festival is over!

We are delighted that we have had such positive feedback about the programme, and increased our audience by more than a third over last year in London alone. It once again confirms our view that UK audiences want to see Cuban cinema which is sadly rarely screened here.  It also showed that the contemporary film industry in Cuba is thriving, despite the immense difficulties it faces.  

This year Screen Cuba had a focus on women in front of and behind the camera, showing the ground breaking ‘Portrait of Teresa’ amongst others, and also more generally on films that have had a significant social impact in Cuba, such as ‘Behaviour’. We aimed to expand the reach of the festival, by expanding the venues and screenings in London, the number of films (19 this year!) and extending venues outside London which included cinemas in Aberystwyth, Pontypridd, Oxford and Nottingham and 7 screenings in total. 

Furthermore, having already established a fund for projects of the Cuban film institute ICAIC, such as the restoration and digitalisation of classic films, in 2024 we were able to fund for ICAIC the restoration of two early short animations by Juan Padron about Elpidio Valdés, which we screened this March in London. We hope to raise even more funds this year for ICAIC projects.

We were very pleased to welcome two guests from Cuba – Gladys González Martínez, the Vice President of the Cuban film institute, ICAIC; and Silvia Padrón, director of La Manigua children’s film and cultural centre in Havana. Both of these film specialists helped Screen Cuba reach out to new audiences, participating in events at The Garden Cinema, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) and Birkbeck University. As Gladys said when introducing a film: “together we can do amazing things!” And we also took the opportunity to help our guests forge more links with the film industry in the UK. 

Our success was possible thanks to relationship we built between Screen Cuba collaborators; the support we received from our patrons, as well as from our main sponsors and organisations, individuals, and volunteers, who promoted the Festival or contributed to its costs; and above all, to the audiences.  The Garden Cinema, ICA and Birkbeck university also deserve big thank yous for providing us with great spaces in which to screen the films.

However, right now Cuba’s film industry needs support as the illegal US blockade against the island is tightening. That’s why we are inviting you to donate to our special fund to support ICAIC projects to preserve their cinematic heritage at bit.ly/ICAICdonate.

You can also help ICAIC by ordering our official Festival poster commissioned from Roberto Curbelo Perez (Potto), a graphic artist in Havana and other merchandise here such as ICAIC screen print film posters, Elpidio Valdes screen print poster, Juan Padron book and Vampires in Havana mugs.

We look forward to your continuing support for the future.

Best wishes from Dodie Weppler and Trish Meehan, Festival Coordinators

WHAT THE AUDIENCE SAID

“A great initiative … let’s hope in these bleak times cinema and art can be a bridge”

“Guantanamera begins as a romantic comedy…but en-route, we discover a much richer story of love, lust, power and poverty.  It is an insight into the Cuba of the ‘90s, and the humour and resilience of her people. A wonderful watch.”

“Clandestinos is a thrilling, utterly romantic and tragic film.”  

“A fiercely honest but never sentimental portrayal of a boy’s love for his mother despite her disastrous parenting… Superbly acted and beautifully filmed, Behaviour grabs the heart. I loved it.”

“I personally found Santiago Alvarez‘s work and life absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking…And yes it was a very hard watch, but we need to see the reality of conflict…those visual images on the effects of war and our climate will be forever etched into my brain.”

“Brilliant film!” (Memories of Underdevelopment)

 “This is a great film festival – hope we can see more from Cuba”