Building Bridges: IberoDocs 2025 preview
Welcome to a new era at IberoDocs. This essential festival's 11th edition is its biggest yet, and will expand to a new city and take place in the autumn for the first time
IberoDocs is about to deliver its 11th and biggest edition. While the raison d'être of the festival might seem quite obvious – as its title suggests, it celebrates the culture and history of Ibero-American countries through documentary film – its aims go much deeper than simply a showcase. “We want to bring these stories to Scotland in a way that helps people better understand themes like migration, identity, and belonging,” explains IberoDocs' director, Mar Felices, “while also building bridges between local communities and Ibero-American residents here.” And those communities are growing, with the festival expanding to Dundee this edition on top of its traditional venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
That’s not the only significant change. IberoDocs traditionally took place in the spring, but this year it’s slotting into autumn's lively film festival season. “September felt like the right moment,” says Felices, “especially to connect with students and younger audiences, as it aligns with the academic calendar. It’s also an exciting fresh start – bringing the festival into a new season and opening up opportunities for growth.”
Felices and her team have curated a diverse programme this year and will be bringing 15 Ibero-American artists to Scotland. The lineup includes 11 features, a shorts programme, networking events, live music, a masterclass and an art exhibition. The overarching theme, meanwhile, is Searching and the Sea. Felices explains more: “The films this year all touch on the theme of searching, whether that’s searching for identity, family, memory or belonging. The sea itself also becomes a metaphor – fluid, transformative, connecting cultures and histories across borders.” This theme is also evoked in the festival's new environmental strand, The Sea, which features four short films by female filmmakers that reflect on our relationship with the ocean.
Home Is Somewhere Else
Opening film Home Is Somewhere Else could hardly feel more timely and urgent. It’s an animated documentary exploring a trio of deportation and displacement stories in the US, told from the perspective of several young immigrants. “It felt essential to open the festival with [Home Is Somewhere Else],” says Felices. She’s not just talking about the content of the film, but also its form. “It connects beautifully with this year’s theme of transformation and fluidity through its use of animation, with each character's story told in a different visual style. That fits perfectly with our focus on creativity and diverse forms of storytelling.”
When I ask for another tip from the lineup, Felices suggests Inma de Reyes’ The Boys and the Suit of Lights, about a compassionate young Spanish lad who feels pressured by his family into becoming a bullfighter. “Inma is a Spanish filmmaker based in Edinburgh, and we’ve supported all her films over the years. This screening will be extra special because Noelia Blanca, who performs the film’s soundtrack, will be singing live at IberoDocs.”
What does Felices hope audience members will take away from this year’s IberoDocs as a whole? “More than anything, I hope people leave feeling connected – whether that’s to the films, to the Ibero-American community, or to each other. Our goal is to create spaces where cultural exchange feels natural and welcoming. Ultimately, I want audiences to discover stories they wouldn’t otherwise see, and to feel part of something bigger than just a film screening.”
IberoDocs, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, 10-28 Sep; full programme at iberodocs.org