The Sant Joan National Short Film Competition has again drawn a remarkable level of participation, surpassing a thousand entries that will vie for honors at the XXIV Sant Joan Film Festival. The festival, scheduled to run from April 21 to 27, 2024, saw registrations on recognised platforms such as Festhome, Movibeta, and Clickforfestivals closing at 1,097. This strong turnout underscores the confidence filmmakers place in the festival and highlights the wide interest from manufacturers and distributors across Spain.
Sant Joan Film Festival introduces two new prizes
In a moment that signals ongoing growth for the event, the Sant Joan Film Festival, supported by the Department of Culture of the Sant Joan d’Alacant City Council and eligible for consideration by the Goya Awards, has kept the registration window open until March 15 to allow short films linked to the municipality to join in. A donation of 500 euros was allocated to this new local category, with entries competing for the Ficus Palomitas prize. The award is presented by Cultura Sant Joan d’Alacant to the best work portraying scenes from the municipality or featuring individuals or entities resident in the municipality.
To enter this category, entrants may choose any theme, but works must be produced after January 1, 2022. Incomplete projects will be disqualified, and film length must not exceed 30 minutes. Submissions containing technical deficiencies will be rejected. Entries and viewing links for local short videos can be sent by March 15 to the festival’s viewing addresses.
Sant Joan d’Alacant Film Festival is refreshing its participation criteria for the upcoming edition. Beyond the best domestic short film category, a family section has been introduced to welcome films suitable for all audiences. The winner will receive 500 euros in Ficus GominolaS prize money.
Selected shorts will be screened in the renovated Antonio Gil auditorium at Casa de Cultura during five sessions of the festival week. The festival jury will evaluate all selected works, with awards including the Ficus de Oro Sant Joan d’Alacant for the best work, carrying a prize of 2,000 euros; the Ficus de Plata Nos Movemos for the best work on a social or environmental theme, worth 500 euros; and the Ficus de Plata UMH for the best work from film schools, worth 600 euros. The jury may also recognize outstanding direction, screenplay, and commentary with Ficus recognitions that carry no monetary prize.