Screen Cuba 2026: Cuban Cinema Conquers London This March

Cuban cinema crosses the Atlantic once again. Screen Cuba 2026, the festival celebrating the island’s cinematic heritage, returns to London from March 15-28 with a program rescuing gems from the ICAIC (Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry) for new audiences.

A Festival of Resistance and Love

In its third edition, Screen Cuba embraces the theme “resistance and love” — a declaration that resonates with both Cuban cinema history and the island’s current moment. Screenings take place at iconic venues including Garden Cinema, the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), Barbican Cinema, and Birkbeck University, while expanding to cities like Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, and Nottingham.

Cuban Cinema Masterpieces

The Twelve Chairs (1962)

The program opens with the directorial debut of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, considered the father of modern Cuban cinema. This adaptation of the Soviet novel by Ilf and Petrov follows a madcap treasure hunt for family jewels hidden in one of twelve dining chairs sold separately. Filmed just two years after the revolutionary triumph — with breaks for the Bay of Pigs invasion — the film demonstrates Cuba’s ability to laugh at itself during radical transformation.

Lucía (1968)

Humberto Solás’s masterpiece explores Cuban womanhood across three distinct eras: the war against Spain in 1895, Machado’s dictatorship in the 1930s, and the literacy campaign of the 1960s. Each segment adopts a different visual style, from baroque melodrama to Soviet montage, with music by legendary guitarist Leo Brouwer. “Lucía is not a film about women, it’s a film about society,” Solás explained.

Up to a Point (1983)

Another gem from Gutiérrez Alea that addresses machismo with humor and intelligence. The story follows a screenwriter researching workplace discrimination at the docks while he himself falls into the patterns he criticizes. Mirtha Ibarra, one of the festival’s special guests, stars in this satire that remains relevant four decades later.

Capablanca (1986)

The biographical drama about world chess champion José Raúl Capablanca returns to screens after a recent restoration. The Cuban-Soviet co-production tells the story of the Cuban genius in Moscow in 1925, blending sports pride with a tragic love story. The film was lost to Cuba since the 1990s until a print was discovered in Moscow archives in 2024.

20 Years + Chico y Rita

The Barbican Cinema presents the animated short 20 Years (2009), a technically revolutionary stop-motion work featuring Omara Portuondo’s voice from the Buena Vista Social Club. It screens alongside Chico y Rita, the animated feature celebrating Cuban jazz.

Guests of Honor

Cuban actresses Mirtha Ibarra and Eslinda Núñez attend as special guests to introduce films and participate in Q&A sessions. Ibarra, renowned for her work with Gutiérrez Alea on Up to a Point and Strawberry and Chocolate, represents the living legacy of Cuban cinema. Núñez has worked in ICAIC productions since the 1970s.

ICAIC: Cuba’s Dream Factory

The festival reminds us of the crucial role of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry, founded in 1959 as the Revolution’s first cultural law. For over six decades, ICAIC has produced films that challenge conventions, explore Cuban identity, and have influenced the Latin American “Third Cinema” movement.

Practical Information

Dates: March 15-28, 2026

Main London Venues:

• Garden Cinema, Parker Street
• ICA, The Mall
• Barbican Cinema, Beech Street
• Birkbeck University Cinema

Screenings Outside London:

• Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Aberystwyth

All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. More information and tickets available at screencuba.uk.

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Cuban cinema continues to travel, telling stories that transcend borders and generations. Screen Cuba 2026 is a unique opportunity to discover — or rediscover — the works that defined a national cinematography.