Ira Sachs warns of 'darkness over cultural expression' under Trump at Americana Film Fest

Independent filmmaker Ira Sachs is one of the main stars of the Americana Film Fest 2025, which this year celebrates its 12th edition in Barcelona.

The Filmoteca de Catalunya will be running a retrospective of the director's work this March, with screenings of his biggest hits as well as lesser-known works such as the debut ‘The Delta’ and Sundance winner ‘Forty Shades of Blue’.

Sachs has maintained a special sensitivity toward LGBTQI+ issues throughout his career, and in a press conference in Barcelona to launch the Americana Film Festival, he spoke about the current political scenario in the United States and lamented that “darkness is falling on cultural expression.”

The director known for films such as ‘Keep the Lights On’, ‘Little Men’ and ‘Passages’, applauded the Americana Film Fest, noting it has a “DNA of good taste,” especially highlighting its commitment to independent cinema, which he says, in economic terms, can work with “freedom.”

The Memphis born artist said that he is interested in bringing marginalized communities to fore in his works, giving them a voice. In this sense, he believes that independent cinema can maintain this voice, while more commercial films cannot do so “due to its link to capitalism and homophobia.”

Asked about how Donald Trump’s presidency could affect independent cinema, Sachs concluded that they are still thinking about “how to respond to it.”

The filmmaker lamented the "darkness" being seen over "cultural expression of all kinds" under Trump. "Elements of society are affected by an oppressive regime, these are noticeable in culture, art, and in oneself," he said.

Sachs is currently shooting a film that he expects to be released this summer, that is set in New York in the late 1980s, addressing the AIDS crisis, when this disease was an “unrecognized apocalypse.”

Americana Film Festival 2025

The 12th edition of the Americana Film Fest will screen 64 titles - 42 feature films and 22 shorts - between March 11 and 16 in Barcelona.

These are films that have been nominated for the Independent Spirit, the Critic's Choice Awards or the Golden Globes, which have been screened at festivals such as Sundance, Venice, Cannes and Berlin.

The works traverse a diverse array of genres and themes, ranging from buddy comedy to family drama, including science fiction, thrillers and romantic comedies.

The festival will be hosted by Cinemes Girona, Espai Texas, Zumzeig, Phenomena Experience and the Filmoteca de Catalunya.

The festival opened on Tuesday night with 'In the Summers', by Alessandra Lacorazza, winner of the Best Film and Best Direction award at Sundance and nominated for Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.

The closing film will be 'Ghostlight', directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson, who previously opened the Americana Film Fest in 2020 with 'Saint Frances'.

Check the festival website for the full programme.