Brain Film Fest 2025

Fear has always been a fundamental human emotion. It is an evolutionary mechanism that allows us to survive in dangerous situations, but in contemporary society, it often manifests in more complex and subtle forms.

Today, our anxieties are related to both global challenges and personal issues: eco-anxiety, work, housing, freedom of thought, authoritarianism, fear of the other, but also social media, loneliness, ageing...

Interestingly, horror films exemplify how fear can also be a pleasurable experience. When we voluntarily expose ourselves to tense situations in a film, the brain reacts by releasing adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins, creating a feeling of excitement and even well-being.
At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental truth: fear not only paralyses us, but it also moves us. It activates us, alerts us to the need for change, and can be a driving force for personal and collective transformation.

The films of this edition that explore these themes can inspire viewers to recognise their own anxieties and use them as a force for change. Thus, this year’s edition not only addresses fear from a negative perspective, but also as an essential element for human growth and adaptation.

As Santiago Ramón y Cajal said, the human brain hides mysteries yet to be deciphered, and with this year's edition, we come closer to that "flapping of the wings of the mysterious butterflies of the soul that, who knows, one day may reveal to us the secret of mental life." That is, the functioning of thought, memory, emotions, and ultimately, consciousness and the deep mystery that still surrounds the brain and the mechanisms governing the human mind.

Check the complete program.