Since 1978, a dedicated space has welcomed and propelled emerging short film talents, while also actively promoting their emergence into industrial pathways. This ongoing mission blends a respect for roots with a forward-looking drive, ensuring new voices find a platform to showcase their craft and connect with the broader audiovisual ecosystem. The festival has consistently balanced celebratory moments with opportunities for practical growth, transforming promising projects into tangible opportunities within a competitive market and helping to seed collaborations across the industry.
From the outset, the festival has stayed true to its origins even as it adapts to changing times and evolving filmmaking practices. The core impulse remains clear: creativity drives production, collaboration, and distribution. Technologies may shift, but the urge to create persists. The festival’s approach evolves alongside innovations in gear, post-production workflows, and distribution models, yet always anchors itself in the human element—the storytellers, the crews, and the audiences who respond to authentic visions with energy and engagement. This balance between tradition and innovation has underpinned the festival’s continued relevance and vitality across decades.
The prestige of its judge panel, the caliber of its winner list, and a storied 45-year history have earned the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognition for the festival as a Goya Awards Preliminary Festival. In parallel, the Short Film Industry Association (AIC) awarded it the Recommended Festival designation in 2016, underscoring its role as a trusted stepping stone for filmmakers seeking early validation and industry visibility. The festival’s reputation rests on rigorous curation, fair evaluation, and a commitment to guiding short-form cinema from concept to audience with transparency and integrity.
The evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic and the broader disruptions to the audiovisual sector since 2020 accelerated global shifts in how short films are conceived, produced, and distributed. Against this backdrop, the festival reaffirmed its position as a catalyst for talent discovery and an incubator for breakthrough projects. It continues to spotlight works across genres, including dramatic short fiction, documentary shorts, and inventive genre pieces for television and streaming platforms. By fostering conversations, networking, and hands-on opportunities, the festival supports artists in navigating a landscape that increasingly values concise storytelling, fresh perspectives, and accessible pathways to reach diverse audiences across North America and beyond.