An ambitious new Hispanic film festival launched in Aberdeen last week has been deemed a huge success by organisers.
The city's first Spanish and Latin American Film Festival took place at The Belmont Picturehouse from March 9-13.
A partnership between the University of Aberdeen and The Belmont, with support from Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Screen, the aim of the festival was to promote the city as one of the UK's leading Hispanic cultural centres.
Organisers were inspired to create the festival in reflection of the growing community of native Spanish and Latin Americans drawn to the North-east by the oil and gas industry and to study at its universities.
Films such as Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning gothic fairytale, and Francisco Vargas's much-lauded El Violín were shown as part of the week-long event, with all screenings either sold out or near sell outs.
Plans are now underway to make the festival an annual event with ideas for expanding next year's festival already being explored.
These ideas include the introduction of additional parallel Spanish and Latin American cultural events around city.
Organiser Dr Nerea Arruti, a lecturer in Hispanic Studies at the University of Aberdeen said: "The festival was created to reflect the growing interest in Hispanic culture in Aberdeen, as a result of native Spanish and Latin American's being drawn to the city by the oil and gas industry.
"The great success of the inaugural event has led to plans already being put in place to make the festival a firm fixture in the city's cultural events calendar.
"The partnership between the University of Aberdeen and The Belmont has been confirmed again for next year's festival along with assistance from the University's Cultural Engagement Programme and support from Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Screen.
"With this strong level of enthusiasm and support for the event we anticipate next year's festival will be bigger and better with more film screenings and parallel cultural events around the city being discussed."
ENDS