In Sant Joan d’Alacant, the jury of the festival already selected 25 short films for the upcoming edition. The competition includes a golden Ficus award endowed with 2,000 Euros and the right to be recorded for consideration at the Goya Awards in the Best Fiction Short Film or Best Documentary Short Film categories, the two paths that qualify this event as a major stepping stone for short cinema.
The festival embraces a spirit of social awareness, with its organizers citing a focus on inclusion and parity. As director Toni Cristóbal notes, there are some playful quirks to the program, but the emphasis this year remains high. He highlights that this twenty-third edition is marked by strong work and especially compelling studies, including a notable balance where women directors make up a significant portion of the shortlisted projects.
The festival continues to break records, drawing thousands of entries. It received over a thousand works in a single month, a clear sign of the vibrant interest in this regional showcase. Among the titles in contention for the Goya finalist recognition are several works that have already earned accolades elsewhere, including Emotional Architecture, a project connected to Leon Siminiani, and selections tied to Estibaliz Urresola and Carmen Córdoba. New demonstrations from regions across the country also join the slate, including pieces linked to recent festival winners and notable industry figures, such as Juanjo Giménez and other creators connected to Alicante. A national premiere will open the festival as the opening short, following the opening gala, with another work filmed in Vega Baja presented as part of the lineup, and a gripping new piece set in Torrevieja offering a distinct regional flavor.
Selected short films
HAPPY AND OLE, Clara Santaolaya
LINK by Carmen Córdoba
EMOTIONAL ARCHITECTURE, Leon Siminiani
ASHKASHA, Lara Maltz
THREADS Estibaliz Urresola
DE NIT by her Jane
TRAIN OF JOY, by Jordi Boquet
HUMBUG HOUSING, Juan Carlos Mostaza
SHELL, Leire Apellaniz
EXPLOSION, José San Miguel and Juanma Vargas
BOX OF SARDALS, Antonio Llaneza
THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN, Elena Tara
SEE THE KIDS, Sergio Avellaneda
THE DEATH OF A CHARACTER by David López
DEATH IN TORREVIEJA, Adriana Arratia
MUSSOL, Juanjo Gimenez
GOD LEVEL, César Tormo
Or Maria Monreal
CONTINUOUS HAPPINESS, Isa Luengo and Sofia Esteve
POINT JORDAN, Pol Miro
CAT SANDWICH by David Fidalgo
SUSHI by Iván Morales
THE MYSTIC TIGER by Marc Martínez
VACUA, Margalida Adrover
WOODEN MIRROR Exhibition Sanchez
Documentary and exhibition
Alongside the narrative shorts, a documentary strand surveys real-world topics with an on-the-ground perspective. One project examines the UFO phenomenon in Spain, presented through the lens of a documentary team and supported by a script by Jose Luis Carrillo. The commission and production involved Maralawi Movies and the Mistos School, with a film accompanying the exhibition English Files de Carrillo exploring this mystery theme to be shown during the festival.
Additional short film screenings are planned from May 1 to May 5, at 19:30, in the auditorium of the Casa de Cultura in Sant Joan. Admission remains free until seats are exhausted.
The opening gala is scheduled for April 29 at 8:00 p.m., when the Honorary Golden Ficus will be awarded to Domingo Rodes. The closing premiere is set for May 6, also with free admission in the auditorium.