The festival showcased 34 short films across multiple sections, including the Official Section, the European Section, the Ibero-American Section, and the Social Section. Across these strands, the program presented a blend of fantasy, realism, folklore and social dialogue, with a focus on listening to today’s concerns and the voices of emerging directors who bring fresh perspectives to short cinema. The event highlighted how concise storytelling can illuminate contemporary life, provoke reflection, and spark conversation among diverse audiences in Canada and the United States, while celebrating regional sensibilities and global relevance.
Among the award recipients, Yolanda Centeno’s It is Impossible to Say Goodbye to You was selected as the best short fiction film. The prize list also featured Nacho Fernández’s figurante as the best documentary short, while Monkey, created by Xosé Manuel Zapata and Lorenzo Degl’Innocent, earned the Best Animated Short. In directing, Amianto by Javier Marco received top honors, and Chaval by Jaime Olías was recognized for Best Production in 2022. These distinctions reflect the festival’s commitment to recognizing a range of crafts within short filmmaking and to honoring works with strong narrative and technical execution that resonate with audiences in North America and beyond.
The best performance award went to Jone Laspiur for his collaboration with Estibaliz Urresola on Polvo somos. Europe’s best short film award was given to The Right Words by Adrian Moyse, while the best Iberian-American short film went to MTI by Mauricio Corco. The festival also issued a PNR award, granting special mentions to Suelta by Javier Pereira and Marinera de Luces by Pablo Quijano, underscoring the event’s openness to recognizing emerging voices that push boundaries in form or subject matter. These recognitions illustrate the festival’s role as a crossroads for regional cinema within a broader international context, inviting audiences to discover new storytelling approaches and cinematic voices.
Valencia’s own audience and juries highlighted Borja Soler’s Mindanao as the best Valencia short film, while the public’s choice went to Suelta by Javier Pereira. In addition, Emotional Geographical Map by Julu Martinez and Candela Megido was acknowledged as the best screenplay, and Largo Viaje by Kabiria Films’ Manuel Manrique and Héctor Herce earned the best short award. These selections demonstrate the festival’s dual emphasis on local pride and universal appeal, with winners that speak to both specific regional sensibilities and wider themes that travel well across borders.
During its 2022 edition, the Benidorm Film Festival received 450 submissions for short films, 230 screenplays and 25 projects intended for the “on the short screen” showcase. This volume positions the Alicante event as a reference point on the national map for short-film culture and as a gathering place for the entire value chain of the industry. Professionals, producers, writers, directors, actors, technicians and festival organizers engaged in the process, highlighting a vibrant ecosystem around short cinema and its potential to connect communities and markets in North America and Europe alike.
The jury composition for the Official Section and the European Section featured Cristina Perales, Luis Ivars and Pilar Pérez Solano, whose seasoned perspectives helped shape the competitive slate. The screenplay jury included Sergio Barrejón, Eva Sáiz and Paco Cavero, bringing a strong emphasis on narrative craft, dialogue, and structure to the evaluation. The careful alignment of jurors and the transparent award process reinforced the festival’s authority as a platform where artistry, technique and storytelling are recognized, critiqued and celebrated by professionals and audiences alike (Benidorm Film Festival, 2022).