Carla Simón to Compete at Cannes 2025 with Romería

Spanish director Carla Simón will vie for the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2025 with her third feature film, Romería, a story about family memory and the impact of AIDS. The film is set to premiere in Spain on September 5.

Produced by Elástica Films, Ventall Cinema, and Dos Soles Media, Romería marks Simón’s first competition for Cannes’ top prize and makes her the second Spanish female director ever to compete in the festival’s main section.

Simón’s journey with Cannes began in 2018 when she won the Young Talents Award as part of the Women in Motion program for her debut film, Summer 1993, which also triumphed at Berlinale. The award included a €50,000 grant to support her future projects, signaling early Cannes backing for her career.

At the 78th Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24, 2025), Simón will compete in the Official Selection with Romería. Her direct entry into the main competition, without prior participation in parallel sections, is a remarkable achievement for a Spanish filmmaker.

Shot in Vigo, Romería completes a personal trilogy that began with Summer 1993 and continued with Alcarràs, winner of the Golden Bear at Berlin 2022. The film explores Simón’s paternal family roots, weaving an intimate tale of memory, loss, and the stigma of AIDS. The producers describe it as “a story that invites reflection on memory and family ties.”

In Simón’s words: “Romería is about memory, those fleeting family moments we may never fully understand. I tried to reconstruct my parents’ story through others’ accounts but couldn’t. Memory is fragmented, mixed with the silence left by AIDS’ stigma. Can we invent memories when none exist? This film recovers the legacy of a generation marked by heroin and the virus, a part of Spain’s history worth telling.”

The film follows Marina, an 18-year-old adoptee who travels to Vigo to meet her biological father’s family. Her arrival stirs long-buried memories, uncovered through her mother’s diary and a bond with her newfound cousin, as she pieces together her parents’ past.

A Historic Moment for Spanish Cinema

Only one Spanish female director, Isabel Coixet, has previously competed for the Palme d’Or, with My Life Without Me in 2003.

Simón’s Romería will see her face off against new works by filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, and Julia Ducournau. The film will hit Spanish theaters on September 5, with international sales handled by MK2.

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