Pedro Pacheco: a free perspective at the 70th SEMINCI 

There are perspectives that illuminate stories and photographs that expand free knowledge. At the 70th edition of the Valladolid International Film Festival (SEMINCI), that perspective was that of Pedro Pacheco, a member of Wikimedia Spain and part of the WikiPortraits initiative. He is one of those Wikimedians who, through their quiet work, contribute to making culture and cinema accessible to everyone.  

His participation in the festival was not only as a photographer: it was as a mediator between contemporary cinema and the Wikimedia Commons ecosystem, where each image is transformed into an open tool for better understanding the world. 

A festival that looks at cinema, and Pedro who looks at the soul of cinema 

‘SEMINCI is a festival that focuses less on glamour and more on cinema itself,’ recalls Pedro. That intimate essence connected with his way of seeing things: interested, respectful and always attentive to those who are building quality cinema today. 

The daily feature ‘Photo of the Day’ at the Patio Herreriano Museum of Contemporary Spanish Art in Valladolid allowed him to portray international and emerging filmmakers who did not yet have a visual presence in Wikimedia projects. That was one of his main motivations: to document relevant voices that will be part of the present and future of Spanish and international cinema.

But Pedro didn’t just stick to the main event. He also took part in parallel activities, such as the Women Filmmakers’ Meeting, where he captured memorable scenes in unique settings, such as the historic staircase of the Faculty of Law at the University of Valladolid (UVA). There, a director expressly thanked him for being there: ‘This will improve my photo on Wikipedia.’ 

Documenting SEMINCI for Wikimedia Commons: a commitment to free culture 

Covering SEMINCI was not just a photographic challenge. It was a conscious contribution to the ecosystem of free knowledge.  

‘Many people with profiles on Wikidata did not have photographs. Now they do,’ he explains proudly.  

Thanks to this work, his images are now available on Wikimedia Commons, where anyone, any media outlet or cultural institution can freely reuse them, always taking into account the conditions of the licence granted. 

Moments that remain 

Choosing just one moment is difficult, but Pedro has some particularly fond memories:  

• The presence of French director Mia Hansen-Løve  
• The powerful atmosphere of the Women Filmmakers’ Meeting  
• Reuniting with Wikimedian and photographer Rubén Ortega  
• The camaraderie that developed with local photographers and the SEMINCI team itself 

The value of sharing: a satisfaction that cannot be measured in likes 

For Pedro, knowing that his photographs will be freely available is ‘a great personal satisfaction.’ Contributing to the common good without expecting immediate rewards is an act of generosity that defines those who support Wikimedia projects.  

Pedro also reminds us of something fundamental: no photo makes sense on its own. ‘Images are valuable when there are volunteers who write articles, complete Wikidata, review and improve them.’ A global network of invisible hands makes it possible for each portrait to come to life in multiple languages and projects.  

This emotion connects with the philosophy of Wikimedia Spain: to contribute to culture and cinema without barriers.  

The photograph that sums up a story 

From dozens of images, Pedro chooses one: the portrait of Vladlena Sandu, a director born in Crimea whose film Memory addresses the horrors of war from childhood, based on her experiences in Chechnya.  

Her work received the Tiempo de Historia Special Award, and Pedro’s photograph accompanies it today on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.  

You can see it here: Vladlena Sandu – SEMINCI 2025  

And here you can explore all the photographs taken by Pedro Pacheco during the 70th SEMINCI, freely available on Wikimedia Commons: Categoría completa en Wikimedia Commons 

And here, you can view the category using a visualisation application developed by Kevin Payravi from WikiPortraits: Gallery view

A contribution that strengthens the ecosystem of free knowledge 

Pedro Pacheco’s work during the 70th SEMINCI is an inspiring example of how free photography and individual commitment can improve global access to knowledge. If you want to see how many images from the 70th SEMINCI are being used on Wikimedia, visit this link.  

Wikimedia Spain would like to express our deepest gratitude for his dedication, sensitivity and enormous contribution to Wikimedia Commons.  

Thanks to people like him, the visual memory of Spanish and international cinema is now richer, more open and more widely shared.