Málaga Film Festival Reveals Lola Flores and Carlos Saura-Inspired Poster for Its 30th Edition in 2027

The Andalusian festival returns from 26 February to 7 March 2027, celebrating three decades of cinema through a collaboration linking flamenco, photography and contemporary art.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The 30th Festival de Málaga will take place in Málaga, Spain, from 26 February to 7 March 2027.
• Its commemorative poster draws on Carlos Saura’s portrait of flamenco performer Lola Flores, with contemporary artistic involvement from Javier Calleja.
• The artwork originated in a 2021 edition of 85 pieces and includes a hand-finished work donated to the festival.
• Saura’s handwriting and Calleja’s returning acento boquerón motif connect the 2027 design with the festival’s artistic history.

MÁLAGA, Spain — The Festival de Málaga is turning its 30th edition into a celebration of Spain’s artistic heritage, unveiling a 2027 poster that brings together filmmaker and photographer Carlos Saura, flamenco legend Lola Flores and contemporary Málaga artist Javier Calleja. The festival will take place from 26 February to 7 March 2027, offering visitors another reason to plan a cultural trip to the Andalusian city.

Rather than commissioning an entirely new image, the festival has built its anniversary identity around a work already connected to its history: a hand-finished edition of Saura’s Lola Flores, Sevillanas 1992. The poster combines Saura’s original image and handwriting with a contemporary artistic treatment developed through Mármol&Fa, the art publishing and cultural management project led by Alicia Gutiérrez Mármol, with Calleja’s involvement. The result links cinema, photography, painting and flamenco in a single visual statement.

From a film-set portrait to a festival anniversary

The underlying image originated when Saura photographed Flores during the making of his film Sevillanas. It later formed the basis of an art edition released in 2021 comprising 85 works: 70 serial reproductions and 15 individually worked pieces known as fotosaurios. In the latter, Saura brought photography and painting together, reflecting a cross-disciplinary approach that became particularly important in his later visual work.

One of those 15 works was given to the festival by Gutiérrez Mármol and Anna Saura, the filmmaker’s daughter, in connection with the screening of Anna’s documentary Carlos Saura. Ese niño de la fotografía at the 2025 festival. The donated piece has now become the central artwork of the 2027 anniversary campaign, creating a connection between a family tribute, the festival’s collection and its forthcoming milestone edition.

According to the festival’s official announcement in English, Anna Saura sees the work as especially representative of her father’s interests in cinema, photography, painting and music. She also noted that its larger format marked a new phase in his artistic practice. Carlos Saura died in 2023 at the age of 91.

Visual details connect generations of Málaga creativity

The poster incorporates lettering based on Carlos Saura’s own handwriting, preserving his personal mark within the festival’s visual identity. The central image of a flamenco dancer is rendered through energetic strokes in a palette dominated by blue, black and white, echoing the sense of movement associated with the performance tradition that fascinated the filmmaker.

Another small but distinctive element is the return of the acento boquerón, an unconventional graphic accent on the word Málaga introduced by Calleja for the festival’s 20th edition. Its reappearance ten editions later is an intentional reference to the city and to the event’s evolving design history. Calleja previously created the festival poster a decade ago, making his contribution to the anniversary particularly resonant.

Gutiérrez Mármol, a University of Málaga art history graduate who previously managed Calleja Studio and worked on projects including Routart, said the selection was particularly meaningful because the work had first entered the festival’s artistic holdings before being chosen as the face of its 30th edition. Her current project, Mármol&Fa, focuses on contemporary art editions.

An anniversary rooted in the city’s cultural calendar

The design was presented at a Málaga press conference attended by the city’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre; culture councillor Mariana Pineda; and festival director and Málaga Procultura manager Juan Antonio Vigar. Anna Saura, Lolita Flores representing the Flores family, Javier Calleja and Alicia Gutiérrez Mármol also participated. Representatives of regional and provincial authorities and festival sponsors were present, including Atresmedia Cine, Fundación “la Caixa”, CaixaBank, Fundación Unicaja, Cervezas Victoria and Repsol.

Vigar described the poster as an expression of the festival’s commitment to connecting creative disciplines while recognising major figures in Spanish culture and remaining open to contemporary voices. In his view, the 30th edition is both a chance to consider the festival’s history and an opportunity to shape what comes next.

For cultural travellers, the anniversary adds a distinctive narrative to a visit to Málaga: the work of a major Spanish filmmaker, one of flamenco’s most recognisable performers and a contemporary artist from the host city converges in the identity of a film festival. The wider programme and practical visitor information can be followed through the Festival de Málaga website (Spanish-language homepage, with English-language option). Further information about the city is available from Málaga City Council (primarily Spanish), while Málaga Procultura (Spanish-language website) provides information about the municipal cultural organisation behind the event.