social cinema
The Alicante Film Festival showcases a Ukrainian short films cycle on Tuesday, organized in collaboration with Filmmakers-Ukraine. This program highlights contemporary Ukrainian cinema and signals support for Ukraine during difficult times. The event, held at the University of Alicante, brings together local filmmakers from the province who will present their work and discuss their creative journeys. The festival also collaborates with the Alicante Audio-Visual Association, and the full festival program will be announced in due course.
Starting at 17:30, the Ukrainian shorts cycle screens a lineup that includes veterans’ drama from directors Rainer Ludwig and Tetyana Chernyawska; Not Now by Andrew Liuko; Carousel by Ihor Podolchak; and Forgiven by Yurii Martashevsky. These shorts are presented in partnership with the Filmmakers-for-Ukraine platform, part of Crew United, which connects people across Europe and provides assistance to Ukrainians amid the current crisis.
Created through collaboration among associations, institutions, and many colleagues within the film industry, the online platform aims to offer clear, up-to-date information about available aid across European nations. The support centers on Ukrainian filmmakers and their families, while also extending to disadvantaged groups and minorities in Ukraine, including BIPoC communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, Roma, people with disabilities, children, the ill, and the elderly.
social cinema
In parallel, Alicante City Council’s Equality Department partners with El Corte Inglés to launch the annual Social Cinema cycle next week. Each year this program highlights a pressing social issue, and this cycle focuses on the visibility and experience of women in sport. Festival director Vicente Seva notes the ongoing challenges and remaining barriers to equality, acknowledging how women athletes have historically faced undervaluation and erasure. The aim is to spotlight the dedication, sacrifice, and achievements of elite female athletes through cinematic storytelling.
The program opens on May 24 at the Cultural Space of El Corte Inglés with the feature film Girl on the Hook, featuring the story of Encarna Hernández. At nearly 99, she still imagines herself playing basketball as she did in 1931, when she earned the nickname Girl with the Hook. Each day she reads the newspaper, saving the sports pages for posterity as a personal archive that documents the evolution of women’s sport.
On May 25, a documentary about a woman who conquers mountain marathons despite external voices questioning her appearance will be shown. The work, directed by Sarah Menzies, is titled Mirnavator. Behind it, the documentary Skater by Cindy Whitehead features the trailblazing first woman to appear on the cover of a skate magazine, illustrating how female skaters have carved out space in a male-dominated field.
A notable moment in the festival’s lineup includes a screening of a documentary about the Spanish rhythmic gymnastics group that clinched gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, titled Golden Girls. This feature, directed by Carlos Beltrán, was shot in 2006 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the team’s historic achievement and to celebrate enduring camaraderie among the gymnasts.
Concluding the schedule, on May 27 the festival screens two works by Paqui Méndez that bring visibility to remarkable women athletes who have earned international championships and Olympic medals. The program, titled Invisible Champions and Unlimited Champions, follows the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of female athletes who have broken barriers and shaped their sports with courage and resilience.
Throughout the festival, audiences will witness a curated blend of documentary and narrative storytelling that seeks to illuminate social issues, celebrate female athletic achievement, and foster a sense of community and solidarity among filmmakers and viewers alike. The event emphasizes the power of cinema to reflect real-life experiences, spark conversation, and inspire action in support of Ukrainian cinema and broader social causes. (Citation attribution: Alicante Film Festival organizers and partner institutions.)