BCN Sports Film unveils its official selection: 85 international titles

The BCN Sports Film Festival is gearing up for its 16th edition, to be held in Barcelona from February 23 to March 3, 2026, featuring an official selection of 85 short films and documentaries from 30 countries around the world.

Across more than 31 hours of screenings, audiences will enjoy a diverse look at the world of sport through cinema — from intimate stories of personal growth to productions tackling major social, environmental, and equality challenges.

The selection includes European studio animations, documentaries about Olympic athletes and lesser-known disciplines, fictional works exploring the values of effort, and creative sports-themed spots. A line-up that reinforces the festival’s international, inclusive, and contemporary spirit.

Screenings will take place across various venues in the city — including the Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch, BCN Civic Centres, and several partner organisations — maintaining the festival’s commitment to free access to sports cinema and cultural inclusion for all audiences.

Organised by the Fundació Barcelona Olímpica, the BCN Sports Film is an international benchmark in the field of sports and cinema, and is part of the World FICTS Circuit (Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs).

In the coming weeks, the festival will announce the full programme and thematic blocks for an edition that promises emotion, reflection, and plenty of cinema made with sporting passion.

16th editionBCN Sports FilmCinemaedicio 2026festivalSport

Last News

El petit peó: the story of Arturito Pomar, the chess prodigy who captivated Spain… and paid a huge price

13/02/2026

The BCN Sports Film Festival presents a special screening of El petit peó (The Little Pawn), a documentary that revisits the figure of Arturo “Arturito” Pomar: the child who captivated a country in the post-war years and turned chess into a popular phenomenon, as the spotlight grew around him. Beyond the myth, the film raises an uncomfortable and very timely question: what happens when talent arrives too early and the environment (media, political, family) doesn’t support it? Pomar wasn’t just a promise: he reached the top level of competitive chess and left a lasting mark on the history of Spanish chess. A life on 64 squares: glory, pressure and loneliness El petit peó follows Pomar’s journey from “child prodigy” to the adult who kept competing for years. The film focuses on the fine line between talent and pressure, and on how exposure and expectations can shape an entire life. Screening with the director in attendance: come watch it in the cinema This session is for chess lovers… and for anyone who wants to understand what lies behind a brilliant mind when the spotlight turns on too soon. The screening will be attended by the director, Joan Gamero. Ticket booking

When your life becomes content: mental health, privacy and social media in Sabadell

12/02/2026

Laure: mental health and privacy comes to Cines Imperial (Sabadell) with a screening + talk featuring María Teresa Pérez, Dennis González and Raül Romeva live. There’s a side of elite sport that is rarely trained… but is felt just as strongly: exposure. The media, headlines, comments, memes, the “I’m judging you without knowing you”, the endless scrolling. And in the middle of it all, a simple but very hard question: how do you protect your mental health and your privacy when the world has an opinion about you 24/7? The BCN Sports Film Festival invites you to talk about it openly through the documentary Laure! Laure! Laure!, which captures the media rise of Laure Manaudou, French Olympic champion swimmer, and what remains when the spotlight fades: identity, pressure, public noise, and the challenge of staying yourself when everyone thinks they know you. A story that’s not only about sport (it’s about mental health and privacy) The film follows the meteoric rise of an athlete turned media phenomenon,

Catalan cinema at BCN Sports Film Festival 2026: where to watch it and how to book your ticket

12/02/2026

Catalan productions will have a very special place at the 16th edition of the BCN Sports Film Festival (February 23 – March 3, 2026): intimate stories, elite sport, inclusion, sustainability and social cinema… and, in several cases, with the presence of protagonists and creative teams. Below is a practical guide to which Catalan titles to watch, in which session, where and when — plus a clear reminder of how to get your ticket. Three highlights (with guests) EL PETIT PEÓ (THE

BCN Sports Film Festival side activities

10/02/2026

Talks and a professional session to go beyond the screen The BCN Sports Film Festival is not only experienced in the cinema. This edition features a programme of side activities designed for audiences to talk, debate and go deeper into the themes explored in the films: teamwork, sustainability, mental health, the female gaze in sports filmmaking, and work–life balance in professional sport. Below you’ll find all side activities open to the public (talks and a professional session), including dates, venues and participants. PROFESSIONAL SESSION (INDUSTRY) Mon 23 · 11:00 · Olympic Museum PAC Session — “How to address the legal side of making a documentary” A practical session for creators and professionals covering image rights, the use of archive footage, privacy issues and other common legal aspects of documentary production. Speakers: Cristina Calvet, lawyer specialised in

BCN Sports Film unveils its official selection: 85 international titles

Last News

El petit peó: the story of Arturito Pomar, the chess prodigy who captivated Spain… and paid a huge price

When your life becomes content: mental health, privacy and social media in Sabadell

Catalan cinema at BCN Sports Film Festival 2026: where to watch it and how to book your ticket

BCN Sports Film Festival side activities

ORGANIZERS

With the support

Media

COLLABORATORS

Collaborating festivals

With the collaboration of: