If this is your first time organizing a Spanish Film Club, we strongly recommend aiming to secure and attract at least forty to fifty students per screening. Remember that simply advertising the event may not be enough to draw students to Latin American and Spanish films, as these films often have a different pace and rhythm from the mainstream content they’re accustomed to on platforms like Netflix. Cinema has lost ground with younger generations, but we believe the Spanish Film Club can become a place for students to come together and enjoy a shared film experience. Consistent encouragement and integration into daily campus life are key to making this event successful and creating a foundation for future screenings.

Here are our tips:

1) Start advertising way ahead of the event.
2) Include the films as part of one or several classes’ curricula, with credits, extra credits, and or group presentations. Screenings offering extra credit typically attract up to eight times more attendees than those without.
3) Include the Spanish Film Club as one of the extracurricular activities students need to attend each semester.
4) Partner with other academic departments to promote the film to students whom your department may not have access to.
5) Get professors to introduce the films and lead discussions afterward. They can make sure their students attend.
6) Ask students to write a review, paper, or diary entry on the films for credit or extra credit.
7) Involve students in the organization of the film festival. They can volunteer throughout the organization and promotion process, as well as at the event itself. They will bring their friends.
8) Organize a virtual Q&A with the filmmaker. That always attracts an audience.
9) Screen the films on different days of the week—some weekdays and some weekends, so people can at least attend one screening.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or recommendations that worked for your festival and you want to share them with us and future festival organizers, please send us an email at eric@pragda.com.