David Pascual Arroyo gets standing ovation during the Malaga Film Festival in 2026, as passion is ignited by bipolar debate

The streets of Malaga buzzed with excitement during the 29th edition of this renowned film festival. This is the largest in Europe and took place from 6 to 15 March. Organisers presented more than 250 films spanning features, documentaries and shorts across key venues including Teatro Cervantes and Cine Albéniz.

Competition sections awarded prestigious Biznaga de Oro prizes to outstanding Spanish and Ibero-American productions such as Yo no moriré de amor for best Spanish film and El jardín que soñamos for best Ibero-American entry. Parallel categories recognized shorts, documentary films and emerging talent while industry forums provided networking opportunities.

A roundtable at Plaza de la Merced that focuses on mental health through film

The historic Plaza de la Merced was transformed into an outdoor cinema on Wednesday, March 11. Festival attendees were treated to a free screening. Primavera Intermitente before diving into an engaging roundtable discussion. During the session, experts examined how cinema affects perceptions and experiences about bipolar disorder.

Fuengirola-based artist David Pascual Arroyo captures crowds with personal bipolar tale

David Pascual Arroyo from Fuengirola participated in a roundtable discussion that was so compelling, the audience gave him a standing applause.

Arroyo’s comparison between two actresses with bipolar disorder in the movie, who are from separate generations, was a powerful one. The stigma surrounding bipolar disorder made it very difficult for the older actress to maintain her career. Arroyo says that theatre therapy was the best way to help the actress develop as a performer and be able to function in the business.

Arroyo made additional calls for increased subsidies for alternative treatments rooted in art. He also demanded workplace modifications tailored to different psychic conditions and increased investment in psychotherapy.

Arroyo, a familiar Fuengirola artist who was diagnosed with type 1 bipolar disorder 25 years ago, acknowledged that there had been significant progress made in the reduction of stigma surrounding mental health issues. However, there is still a long way to go before the stigma surrounding mental health issues can be eliminated.

The Festival’s organizers encouraged such discussion to complement the “La Mar de Encuentros” event theme and to highlight cinema’s ability to inspire social change.