A buzz filled the streets of Malaga during the 29th year of its famed film festival, one of the biggest in Europe, from March 6 to 15. 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 recognised shorts, documentaries and emerging talents while industry forums facilitated networking opportunities.

Powerful roundtable in Plaza de la Merced spotlights mental health through cinema

Wednesday March 11 transformed the historic Plaza de la Merced into an open-air cinema hub. Festival audiences enjoyed a free screening of the award-winning short Primavera Intermitente before diving into an engaging roundtable discussion. Experts examined ways cinema influences perceptions and experiences of bipolar disorder during the session.

Artist David Pascual Arroyo from Fuengirola captivates crowd with personal bipolar story

Fuengirola’s own David Pascual Arroyo participated in a compelling roundtable that earned him an immediate standing ovation from the assembled crowd.

Arroyo drew comparisons between two actresses in the movie living with bipolar disorder across separate generations. Stigma surrounding the condition hindered the older actress greatly, making it difficult for her to sustain her career. According to Arroyo, theatre therapy instead provided essential support for the performer, enabling her to develop fully as a functional person in the industry.

Additional calls from Arroyo urged greater subsidies for alternative therapies rooted in art. He also pushed for workplace adaptations tailored to people with different psychic conditions together with heavier investment in psychotherapy to minimise medication dependence in mental health treatments.

Having faced a type 1 bipolar disorder diagnosis 25 years earlier, the familiar Fuengirola painter Arroyo acknowledged substantial progress in reducing stigma against mental health differences. Nevertheless much remains to achieve before full acceptance becomes reality.

Festival organisers embraced such discussions to align with the event’s “La mar de encuentros” theme while reinforcing cinema’s power to drive social change.

Benalmadena has launched a push against vacant properties in the face of accommodation shortages. Local authorities unveiled a fresh study pinpointing empty homes across the town. Officials hope to somehow unlock these units for stable, long-duration rentals and so ease rocketing housing pressures in the area.

Public-driven initiative takes centre stage

Participatory budgeting saw the idea first proposed back in 2025, when residents voted to prioritise tackling unoccupied dwellings with so little available currently for rent. Quesada y Pastor Consultores handled a detailed analysis in which their work maps out vacant properties by neighbourhood while paying special attention to those ripe for re-entry into the rental market.

Councillors gathered with Stop Desahucios representatives (the anti-eviction advocacy group) at the Casa de la Cultura on March 14 while Benalmadena council led the discussions. Attendees explored the findings and brainstormed next moves to activate idle housing stock and get it back on the market for rental.

Focus on long-term rental solutions

Experts are hoping to identify specifically why so many properties sit empty and which ones could join the stable rental pool. Often in Spain, in the background of an empty property, there is a family will that has stalled due to expensive legal issues. Future proposals will outline practical steps to mobilise these homes as increased availability promises better access for locals facing tight markets rental markets.

Benalmadena is struggling with broader issues. Earlier 2026 reports flagged over 8,000 holiday rentals claiming 17 per cent of total stock in the town, mostly coastal. Complementary measures include potential IBI surcharges on prolonged vacancies and curbs on new tourist licences. This latest effort complements those by concentrating on private empty units rather than building new public stock.

Collaboration signals strong council commitment

Partnerships with social groups like Stop Desahucios are giving an appearance of transparency to these public proceedings. Authorities are stressing that joint work is being employed to hammer out policies matching real community needs. Improved long-term rental options could relieve affordability strains in such a tourist-heavy area.

It is hoped that success here might inspire similar drives elsewhere along Spain’s costas, where empty homes coexist with housing shortages.

Spain consistently ranks amongst the best places to live in Europe. It is no surprise that so many people decide to make it their home. However, when I speak to clients considering the move, the conversation often stalls at tax.

Some believe other countries offer more attractive tax regimes, and fear that by choosing Spain, they may be sacrificing financial security for lifestyle. However, with proper planning, many clients are in a better financial position after moving to Spain.

Recently, I worked with a couple in their early sixties who, after decades of holidaying in Spain and wanting to retire here, hesitated due to concerns about better tax options elsewhere. They consulted me to understand what the move entailed.

The timeline for our agreed plan began before they became Spanish tax residents. First, they were able to sell their UK home free of capital gains tax because it was their primary residence. Next, we withdrew the savings from their ISAs, which would not retain the same tax advantages once living in Spain. Finally, we reviewed their pensions; both were able to withdraw their 25 per cent tax-free lump sums before establishing Spanish residency. The result was transformational.

The couple had sufficient free capital to purchase their dream home in Andalucía outright and make it their own. Since they would be over 65 if they sold the Spanish home, they would be exempt from capital gains tax. We restructured their remaining cash into a Spanish-compliant investment to ensure steady growth, avoiding annual taxes from bank interest or ISAs. We could control their annual income to keep tax exposure low while maintaining flexibility. When we reviewed their inheritance position, we showed their children would inherit nearly tax-free under Andalucia’s rules, a better long-term position than the UK. Overall, their finances were arranged so that tax is applied only where needed and at low levels, ensuring full access to their wealth.

Many couples hold back from their ideal location due to fears of taxes, but taxes can often be managed through careful structuring. Time spent living where you truly want is irreplaceable. For many, it’s a life decision, not just about taxes.

Our approach is simple: Lifestyle first, tax second.

Prioritise your lifestyle and structure finances accordingly; when done right, both tend to fall into place.

As a Chartered Wealth Manager in Spain, I assist British expatriates seeking clarity before big decisions. Whether you’re contemplating a move or already relocated and uncertain about your arrangements, I’m happy to have an initial chat. A timely review can make a real difference.

To find out more or read Jett’s other articles, visit www.spectrum-ifa.com or scan the QR Code.

Jett Parker-Holland

+34 677124364

Jett.parker-holland@spectrum-ifa.com