The 13th annual Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival returns to Manchester from March 15-25 and will host the UK premiere of Goya Award winning Salvador on its opening night.

The festival, which will showcase up to 100 Hispanic films including features, shorts and documentaries from Spanish and Latin American cinemas, will also present the first UK showing of Aguistin Diaz-Yanes' big-budget box office hit Alatriste on March 23.

Manuel Huerga, director of Salvador - which picked up best adapted script Spain 's Goya Awards in January- is one of many directors attending the festival, along with Ferpect Crime's Alex de la Iglesia, La Noche De Los Girasoles' Jorge Sanchez-Cabezudo and Backwood's Koldo Serra.

Linda Pariser, the festival's director adds: 'Every year, people in the UK have been expecting these kind of films. UK audiences are really starting to wake up and recognise there is a place for Spanish and Latin American films here.'

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