Elche’s International Independent Film Festival unveils a fresh section dedicated to feature debuts from new directors, debuting this year after 45 previous annual editions. Eight finalist titles were chosen from 55 productions slated to be showcased as part of this edition. The Odeón de Elche cinemas will host screenings from July 8 to July 15, with the festival extended to two weeks and concluding on July 22 to accommodate the new debut-focused program.
The festival’s jury, organized by the Mediterráneo Foundation, announced the lineup of features. Visitor by Alberto Evangelio; Canine Tooth by José Luis Estañ; Oliver’s Universe by Alexis Morante; Triple by Pau Calpe; The Last Salt by Nando Caballero; Traveller by Raúl Cerezo and Fernando González Gómez; Wizard by Rubén Sainz; and Boss by Fran Torres were named as finalists.
The first two directors hail from Alicante: Albert’s Bible, from Benidorm, and José Luis Estañ from Callosa de Segura. Visitor previously appeared in Sitges official selections and was a Gaudí Awards nominee in 2021, while Canine Tooth premiered at Seville and has since played in cinemas. The production earned the Silver Tile for Best Actor for the performance by a leading actor from Alicante, Michelangelo Pure.
— Miquel Fernández appears in The Visitor, a production by Alberto Evangelio.
Rural dramas, psychological tension, and horror-comedy elements appear among the genres chosen for films expected to be shot between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022. The roster includes recognizable names among the cast such as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, María León, Pedro Casablanc, Salva Reina, Ramiro Blas, Iria del Río, and Jan Cornet.
The feature film screenings are free and begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Odeón de Elche, spanning Friday through July 15. A colloquium will bring together audiences and the directors of all featured films to discuss their debut projects and answer questions from attendees.
Louis Boyer, president of the Mediterráneo Foundation, praised the strong reception for the new feature debut category and confirmed the organization’s continued commitment to culture and cinema in the province of Elche and Alicante. The event is organized and sponsored by the Akdeniz Foundation, with collaboration from the Elche City Council and the Luis Buñuel Elche Cinema Club.
Selected feature films
Governing Albert’s Bible – 100 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Iria del Rio, Miquel Fernandez, Jan Cornet and Sandra Cervera
Inside Visitor follows a genre cinema approach, weaving a story about motherhood and guilt with close, analogical special effects and elements of terror. Marga retreats to a house in her old town to escape a marital crisis. An unseen presence begins to torment her, and her pregnancy with a lover coincides with an abortion. A portal into another reality forces a life-changing decision to avert a looming catastrophe.
Governing Alexis Morante – 113 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Salva Reina, María León, Pedro Casablanc and Rubén Fulgencio
Set in Andalusia in 1985, this family-friendly tale features music by Enrique Bunbury. Oliver, a boy with a vivid imagination, moves with his family from Madrid to Algeciras as Halley approaches. With help from his grandfather, Oliver seeks celestial solutions to his troubles and the mystery of a famous comet.
Governing Pau Calpe – 83 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Roger Casamajor, Pep Cruz, Anna Torguet and Eduard Muntada
Directing his first feature, producer Pau Calpe tells the story of a father and son amid rural social tensions. Joan, a stubborn farmer tired of theft on his land, leads a night patrol with neighbors. The patrol’s mood shifts when Joan’s son Pep returns from town, accompanying her, and a tense encounter with a thief unfolds as the night deepens.
Governing José Luis Estan – 75 minutes (2021)
Distribution: Miguel Angel Cigar, Allende Garcia, Pablo Tercero and Mar Balaguer
Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Caballo Films backs Estañ’s debut. When a young hero discovers colleagues deceiving the drug lords they serve, a sequence of perilous events unfolds, forcing him and his family to race against time for survival. The film places viewers in a vibrant, suspenseful world from the opening moments.
Governing Nando Knight – 88 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Anna Marín, Anna Capacés, Frank Capdet and Alba Rubí
Nando Caballero directs a Catalan language drama exploring independence and identity. Jana, a photographer, leaves her job and city after the death of her husband. Before departing, she prepares a final account, meeting two painters, Arlet and Estel, who have their own fates tangled with the larger story.
Governing Raul Cerezo and Fernando Gonzalez Gomez – 89 minutes (2021)
Distribution: Ramiro Blas and Paula Gallego
A horror-comedy with road-movie textures set on a Spanish detour. Four travelers share a van when they encounter an Asian tourist in distress and inadvertently commit a grave misstep. As fear grows, the group faces a stark choice: save themselves or risk everything.
Governing Ruben Sainz – 76 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Diego Álvarez, Dorleta Urretabizkaia, Aram Rockenbach and Mario Souza
Peio, living in Brazil, confronts upheaval when a teenage son arrives unexpectedly. The reunion compels him to rethink his past and the future he wants to claim as a father.
Governing Fran Torres – 110 minutes (2022)
Distribution: Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Cumelén Sanz, Álex Pastrana, and Pedro Casablanc
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Cumelén Sanz star in a psychological drama about motherhood and ambition. Sofía, a young woman at a multinational fashion firm, becomes unexpectedly pregnant. With no family nearby and uncertainty shadowing her career, she confronts a life-changing offer from her boss that could alter everything. The film follows the delicate balance between personal dreams and professional ascent as new truths emerge.