THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES REACHES AN ALL-TIME HIGH, WHILE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS EARNS THE “SILVER” POSITION IN THE HISTORICAL SERIES WITH A TOTAL OF 2,085 ENTRIES.
THE TERRITORIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS ARE SPAIN, FRANCE, ARGENTINA, MEXICO, GERMANY, COLOMBIA, AND BRAZIL.
OVER 553 HOURS OF FOOTAGE WILL BE REVIEWED TO SELECT THE WORKS COMPETING FOR EACH OF THE THREE DANZANTE AWARDS, ACCOLADES THAT HAVE REAFFIRMED THE TRUST OF THE ACADEMY AS AN OSCAR-QUALIFYING FESTIVAL.
Los Premios Danzante han revalidado el aval de los Premios Oscar
The 53rd edition of the Huesca International Film Festival sets records with a total of 101 territories participating in its short film submission process. The pre-selection phase received 2,085 works, marking the second-highest number in the festival’s history. These figures highlight the growing international impact of the event and represent more than half of the countries recognized worldwide by the United Nations. “This increase is just another fact that consolidates the festival’s global projection; we have the endorsement of the Oscars, we receive films from more than half of the world, and we have a history of over half a century. Today, more than ever, ‘Huesca is cinema,'” declares Estela Rasal, director of the oldest film event in Aragon.
The submissions are distributed among the festival’s three competitive sections: 1,016 for the Ibero-American competition, 725 for the international competition, and 344 for the documentary section. In terms of country rankings, Spain leads with 826 short films, followed by France with 189, and Argentina in third place with 86, closely followed by Mexico with 82. The remaining countries in the top ten are Germany, Colombia, Brazil, the United States, Italy (this year’s “Country of Honor”), and Switzerland.
The prestige and history of the Huesca festival have deep roots in Ibero-America, a region with which it has always maintained strong cultural ties. In addition to the aforementioned countries, submissions have been received from Chile, Cuba, Portugal, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Andorra, and Paraguay. Alongside these, powerful film industries such as the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, China, and India are represented, as well as emerging ones like Rwanda, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and North Macedonia.
A notable highlight this year is the number of debut films, which continues to grow, reaching 621 entries in 2025. The festival prides itself on being a launchpad for emerging voices in the film industry. The prestigious Golden Danzante, Huesca’s highest award, has helped propel the careers of filmmakers like Mexican director Michel Franco, who recently competed for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale; Spanish filmmaker Claudia Costafreda, creator of the award-winning series Cardo and writer for Veneno; and Gerard Oms, who won in Huesca in 2020 with Inefable and is now set to compete at the Málaga Film Festival with his feature debut Muy Lejos, starring Mario Casas.
With the submission process closed, the pre-selection team is now focused on reviewing over 553 hours of stories, realities, dreams, and innovative proposals contained in the works vying for a spot in the official selection and a chance to be part of a competition that awards nearly €25,000 in prizes. Audiences will be able to enjoy the final selection at the iconic Teatro Olimpia, where two free daily screenings will take place from June 6 to 14 during the 53rd edition of the festival.
