POLISH DIRECTOR KAROLINA FRONIK AND SPANISH FILMMAKERS MARINE AUCLAIR MARCH AND ANA MORALEDA TORRES TAKE HOME THE INTERNATIONAL, IBERO-AMERICAN AND DOCUMENTARY DANZANTE AWARDS RESPECTIVELY, RECEIVING €5,000 AND QUALIFICATION FOR OSCAR® CONSIDERATION
NO SKATE! BY GUIL SELA WINS THE AUDIENCE AWARD
THE BEST DEBUT FILMS ARE THE IRANIAN SHORT MELATONIN BY HANNANEH DALIRI, THE PERU–COLOMBIA–SPAIN–MEXICO CO-PRODUCTION UP IN THE SKY, AND THE GERMAN FILM WAS BLEIBT?
54HIFF. PHOTO: Ana Escario (El Estudio)
The short films My Dear Bag by Polish director Karolina Fronik, Gamberra by Spanish filmmaker Marine Auclair March, and A Boy Like Me by Spanish director Ana Moraleda Torres have won the Danzante Awards in the International, Ibero-American and Documentary competitions respectively. The 54th Huesca International Film Festival grants each of these works a cash prize of €5,000 and direct qualification for Oscar® consideration, as the Huesca festival is one of only six festivals in Spain whose awards qualify films directly for the Academy Awards.
The jury of the Huesca International Film Festival’s International Competition unanimously awarded the top Danzante Prize to My Dear Bag by Karolina Fronik, recognizing the filmmaker’s mastery in crafting a story that portrays how life can force us to mature in a brief instant, reshaping our deepest certainties, perspectives and sense of security, and transforming us irrevocably.
The International Animation Danzante Award, accompanied by a €2,000 prize and trophy, goes to the Spanish short film The Quinta’s Ghost by James A. Castillo for its balance of technique, animation and aesthetics, and for its unique representation of the soul of painter Goya, giving voice to both the space and the artwork.
The Francisco García de Paso Human Values Mention, awarded to the short film that best highlights the defense of human values, goes to Melatonin by Iranian director Hannaneh Daliri for the skill with which it directs two child actors confronted with the brutality of a hidden reality: pedophilia. The film also wins the International Debut Film Danzante Award, decided by the Young Jury and accompanied by a €1,000 prize.
The International Jury, composed of producers and directors Lluís Miñarro and Nuno Beato, together with cultural manager Mane Cisneros, also granted two Special Mentions: one to Fille de l’eau, a France–Netherlands–Portugal co-production directed by Sandra Desmazières, and another to the Greek short film Noi by Neritan Zinxhiria. The Young Jury also awarded a Special Mention to the French short film Le temps de s’adorer (A Time to Cherish) by Fiorella Basdereff.
THE SPANISH SHORT FILM GAMBERRA WINS THE IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION
The Ibero-American Competition Jury awarded the top Danzante Prize to the Spanish short film Gamberra by Marine Auclair March for being a work that provokes outrage through its faithful portrayal of a social stratum that celebrates aggression as tradition; for its transparent depiction of the dangerous naivety of adolescence, misinformation and predetermined gender norms; and for its portrayal of the need to belong at any cost. The jury also praised the fresh, authentic and intimate perspective of its young director and the promise of a bright future ahead.
The Ibero-American Danzante “Cacho Pallero” Award, accompanied by €2,000, goes to the Spanish short film Gallina by Fernando Reinaldos because it speaks without speaking, without artifice, narrating the deep imprint left by childhood rituals, the tender awakening of the fear of being different, and a sensitivity that is both evident and difficult to recognize and support. The jury also highlighted the director’s intimate approach and his ability to reveal the future awaiting his protagonists through the simplest everyday moments.
In addition, the jury—composed of producer, director and screenwriter Ángeles Hernández, actress Gabriela Andrada and production director Israel Mendoza—awarded a Special Mention to the Portuguese short film Tapete Voador by Justin Amorim.
The Alberto Sánchez Ibero-American Debut Film Danzante Award, accompanied by €1,000 and decided by the Young Jury, goes to Nobody Knows The World, a co-production between Peru, Colombia, Spain and Mexico directed by Roddy Dextre.
A BOY LIKE ME, A SPANISH PRODUCTION, WINS THE BEST DOCUMENTARY DANZANTE AWARD
The third competitive section, devoted to Documentary Film, awarded its top prize to the Spanish production A Boy Like Me by Ana Moraleda Torres for its exploration of family roots and the past through an intimate relationship between the director and the protagonist. The film journeys through family archives that provide context and perspective to an individual identity.
The documentary jury—made up of Raquel Fernández Núñez, internationally recognized as one of Spain’s leading cinematographers; director, actor, producer and screenwriter Ezequiel Tronconi; and critic and programmer Ricardo Vieira, currently working at the Portuguese Cinematheque—awarded the José Manuel Porquet Ibero-American Documentary Danzante, accompanied by €2,000 and a diploma, to the Chilean short film Agua Fría by Meme Cabello and Antonia Martínez Valls. According to the jury, the film uses the tenderness of children’s games as a way of describing the world from a child’s perspective.
A Special Mention in this section was also awarded to the Spanish short film No als poalets by Laura García Andreu.
Meanwhile, the Jinete Ibérico Documentary Debut Film Danzante Award, accompanied by €1,000 and selected by the Young Jury, went to the German short film Was bleibt? by Marvin Menné.
NO SKATE!, AUDIENCE AWARD
The list of winners is completed by the Audience Award and the Julio Alejandro Award for Best Screenplay. The former (sponsored by Aragón TV) was awarded to No Skate! by Guil Sela, while the latter went to the French short film La barrière (The Barrier) by Christophe Deram. The jury, composed of Lidiana Rodríguez (Spain) and Ignacio Lasierra (Spain), praised the simplicity of a screenplay capable of bringing together two seemingly different worlds, overcoming social and linguistic barriers through empathy.
The awards ceremony was held at the emblematic Casino de Huesca, a building founded in 1877 that houses the festival headquarters. To conclude the event, the traditional “Cinema Toast” took place at the same venue with the participation of Aragón Alimentos and its Aragón Sabor de Verdad brand, allowing festival staff, institutions, collaborators and sponsors to enjoy some of the region’s finest local products.
