International Film and Ecology Festival Cineco returns for its third edition this weekend, organized by the Mediterranean Foundation from Elche. It features nearly twenty environmentally themed short films projected between December 1 and 3, at the Kursaal Street headquarters, with free entry. Also this week, three films will be shown at the UA Headquarters in Alicante: It Will Rain Tomorrow Too and Once Upon a Time in Venezuela, complemented by additional activities.
Participants in the competition may vote to determine the winning short film, awarding the public prize. The winners will be announced during the three-day closing gala, which will be attended by notable figures in the industry, including the male lead from Five Little Wolves, Mikel Bustamante, a jury member who represents both science and cinema. Throughout the festival, interviews with international filmmakers and presentations by scientific distributors will help bring environmental topics closer to the audience.
Organized by Marcos Altuve, this year the competition enjoys support from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), Generalitat Valenciana, Mediterráneo Foundation, and the University of Alicante. Its primary aim is to use cinema as a dissemination tool to raise awareness and inspire action for ecology and environmental protection.
The festival increasingly reflects environmental themes across both documentary and fiction categories, with about 200 short films from 30 countries. Among the finalists are works from Spain, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the Netherlands, Italy, Chile, and Guatemala. “We are seeing a growing interest,” notes Altuve. “In the first year we received many entries focused on the environment; this year we are expanding the number of films and introducing a small submission fee to sustain the program.” The topics include water pollution affecting Venezuelan lakes, biodiversity loss in Colombia, urban growth pressures, oil exploitation and its impact on indigenous communities.
The Official Section features twenty short films, plus four entries in the Youth Cinema section, a new element that showcases young filmmakers aged 12 to 22 who have produced ecologically themed shorts.
Image from the short film “The Blue Crab (and a Wooden Camera)”
Three days
Each day features in-depth discussions on a central topic. Selected shorts connected to the theme will be screened, alongside talks by distinguished filmmakers and scholarly publishers. The lineup includes Ricardo Moure, José Bosque, Diana Salinero, Luis Cámara, Alonso López, Pablo Bernalte, Jesús Martínez, and Eva Marín.
The opening session on December 1st, titled Biodiversity, starts at 19:00 with a presentation by GNA Ecology Professor Eva Graciá, followed by a preview of the short Isolated, Marcos Altuve’s out-of-competition film, and the first batch of selected shorts.
On Saturday, December 2, the schedule continues with a morning and afternoon focus on Women in Film and Science, highlighting Cinema as an environmental tool.
The closing gala on December 3 at 19:00 will reprise the winning shorts and present their awards. The jury will include Esther Sebastián, Ricardo Moure, Francesc Gascó, Eva Graciá, Germán López, and Roxiris Azuaj, along with filmmakers Carolina Dávila, Manuela Blanco, Anabel Rodríguez, Israel Gil, Vicente Sanchis (director of FICIE, Elche International Independent Film Festival), and Mikel Bustamante.
Exposure
During the festival, the exhibition continues at the main entrance of the Mediterráneo Foundation building in Elche, featuring photographs by Sebastian Rodríguez (Ecuador) and Jesus Forest (Spain) under the banner We Are Soil.
Previous screenings in Alicante
To kick off the weekend, Cineco presents several programs in Alicante at the University Headquarters (San Fernando Street, 40). The schedule includes: Day 27: Tomorrow, a film related to Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent, nominated for the 2023 Goya Award as Best European Film. Day 29: It Will Rain, connected to Icíar Bollain, a three-time Goya Award winner in 2011. Day 30: Once Upon a Time in Venezuela, by Venezuelan director Anabel Rodríguez Ríos, nominated as Best Foreign Film at the Oscars; the director will participate in a post-screening discussion.
- Day 27: Tomorrow, related to Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent; nominated for the 2023 Goya Award for Best European Film.
- Day 29: It Will Rain, linked to Icíar Bollain; three Goya Awards in 2011.
- Day 30: Once Upon a Time in Venezuela by Anabel Rodríguez Ríos; Venezuela’s Oscar submission, with the director in attendance to lead a discussion after the screening.
Selected shorts
Turn Off the Lighters and Turn on Life, Ángel Hernández Hernández (Spain, Ecuador)
Cachicamo, in Joropo Rhythm, Alejandro Calderon (Colombia)
Guardians of the Lake, José Ferulli (Guatemala)
Wonders of the Invisible, Iker Duro Linares (Spain)
Paitanas, Valentina Godoy (Chile)
Holbox: Sharks and People from the Sea, Nadia Tamara Rubio (Mexico)
Tigrinus, Surviving Between Cities, Cristian Camilo Chica and Sebastián Vélez (Colombia)
The Blue Crab (and a Wooden Box), Daniel Martínez Quintanilla and Carolina Bernal (Spain, Venezuela)
A History of Conservation, Mariana Reynoso (Mexico)
Researchers of Water Under the Volcano, Javier Lario (Spain)
Pig, Jorn Leuwerink (Netherlands)
Lui, Belén Prado (Peru)
Glass, Paper, Organic, Almudena Vázquez (Spain)
The Adventures of Captain Spriki: Plastic Catfish, Daniel Esteban and Ana Esteban (Spain)
The Story of Some Survivors, Luis Navarro (Spain)
Bleu, Rubén Valero (Spain)
48 Degrees/118°F, Andrea di Lorio (Italy)
The Bad Among the Good, Fiona M. McAndrew (Spain)
Riscaldamento Locale, Manuel Vitali (Italy)
Bo and Garbage, Tatiana Skorlupkina (Spain)
Taking Care of Our Planet, Carolina Marina Feity (Argentina)
Secret Lessons, Aitana González Barceló (Elche)
Echo of Moliner, Maria Moliner, 6th grade students
Funeral, AC Siete Glorias Students/Espai Escènic d’Elx (Elche)