Malaga Film Festival charters planes amid high-speed rail suspension

Malaga Film Festival has resorted to charter flights to bring guests to the opening and closing ceremonies of the event.

The organisers of this annual event, which this year takes place from 6 to 15 March, have faced the challenge of finding alternative travel solutions due to the suspension of the high-speed rail in the province.

Despite the higher costs of charter flights, director of the event Juan Antonio Vigar has said that they have opted for this alternative at least for the most important dates of the festival. The opening and closing ceremonies receive the "largest number of gueests, around 120 from Madrid".

The convenience of flights lies in punctuality, so that special guests can walk the red carpet in Malaga on 6 and 15 March.

For the rest of the festival days, the organisers have secured private transfers to Antequera-Santa Ana, from where they will pick up the attendees coming from Madrid by train.

"This will also increase costs and arrival times," Vigar said, having come to terms with the need to increase the budget. "Well, the circumstances are what they are and, in the end, we decided that this was the best solution," he said.

"The situation in the Middle East has also complicated travel for some guests coming from India or Japan. We are looking at flight changes so that they wouldn't have to go through that airspace," Vigar said.

According to the director of the festival, Malaga Film Festival will have no important guests missing.