The 34th edition of the UVigo Underwater Film Week will take place from November 3 to 5 at the Afundación auditorium in Vigo, featuring a program with a dozen screenings of international, national, and local productions. The initiative will also host a morning session for hundreds of schoolchildren from the province, offering them a glimpse into marine depths and the challenges facing ecosystems.
The week includes the world premiere on November 5 of 'O bosque de carrumeiro' (The Scavenger's Forest), a piece produced by the Social Council, CIM, and the Vice-Rectorate for Extension of the UVigo, showcasing the diversity of brown algae forests in Galician waters. During the presentation, the Vice-Rector for Students and University Life, Dolores González, highlighted UVigo's open character and social responsibility, noting that the festival "continues to grow" after 34 years of activity.
Cristina Iglesias, deputy coordinator of Afundación venues, emphasized sustainability as a key pillar of their social work and expressed gratitude for UVigo's collaboration. This year, screenings will be arranged for approximately 320 schoolchildren on October 3rd, with a session dedicated to Galician productions.
The opening day, November 3rd, will feature 'Dhanguethi. Recordos de Alif Daaal' by Jorge Martínez Vázquez and 'Tesoros del Caribe' (Treasures of the Caribbean) by Ana Salceda, who will also participate in a subsequent talk. Salceda, a filmmaker and journalist from Vigo, directs the Big Fish initiative focused on marine conservation.
On Wednesday, November 4th, the event will host screenings from the International Underwater Film Cycle of Donostia-San Sebastián (Cimasub), including 'Norway, welcome to the darkness' by Sonja Bader, 'The Tiny Wonders of Anilao Philippines 2025' by Valera Sakhnenko, 'O reto dos lixos mariños' (The Challenge of Marine Litter) by Sara Lizarra, and 'Shark Preyed' by Marco and Andre Spinelli. Ricardo Beiras, a professor of Ecology at UVigo, will be a guest speaker on this day.
The final day, dedicated to Galician productions, will showcase the short films 'A lamprea de mar no río Miño' (The Sea Lamprey in the Miño River) by Manuel E. Garci, 'Baixo as augas da Mariña, Ortegal' (Under the Waters of Mariña, Ortegal) by Carlos Gil Fernández, and 'O regreso dos xigantes: rorcuais no Atlántico galego' (The Return of the Giants: Fin Whales in the Galician Atlantic) by José Irisarri and Jorge Martínez Vázquez. The world premiere of 'O bosque de carrumeiro' will conclude the festival.
Elsa Vazquez, director of CIM and co-director of the Week, highlighted the richness of Galician productions and the importance of protecting marine biodiversity. The creators of 'O bosque de carrumeiro', Xaime Beiro, Silvia Iglesias, and Jorge Martínez, will lead the post-screening discussion.
