THIS YEAR’S HONOREES INCLUDE LA MOSTRA DEL CINEMA FROM THE VENICE BIENNALE (PEPE ESCRICHE AWARD), IRENE ESCOLAR (CARLOS SAURA CITY OF HUESCA AWARD), AND CHARO LÓPEZ (LUIS BUÑUEL AWARD)
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE NATIONAL PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY COPELAND, WITH LEGENDARY DRUMMER STEWART COPELAND WHO WILL ATTEND, AND THE TRAILER PRESENTATION OF PARECIDO A UN ASESINATO, FEATURING EDUARDO NORIEGA AND BLANCA SUÁREZ
76 SHORT FILMS FROM 34 COUNTRIES WILL COMPETE FOR THE DANZANTE AWARDS, WHICH SERVE AS OSCAR QUALIFIERS
THE INDUSTRY SECTION STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION, WHILE PROGRAMMING INCLUDES INITIATIVES FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE GUEST COUNTRY: ITALY
Ofiicial poster of 53HIFF by Silvana Amato
The 53rd edition of the Huesca International Film Festival features a program that combines “glamour, industry, inclusion, and proposals for all audiences,” according to Rasal. From June 6 to 14, Huesca will become a national and international reference point for short films; 76 works from 34 countries will compete for the three Danzante Awards, pre-qualifiers for the Oscars and endorsed by the Goya Awards. Filmmakers from around the world will attend to present their works across 14 free screenings at the Teatro Olimpia (Saturday, June 7 to Friday, June 13; daily at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.). The three competitions that make up the official section are complemented by a wide range of parallel activities for all types of audiences: exhibitions, outdoor cinema, professional meetups, talks, masterclasses, presentations, and side screenings. All of this is designed to “open doors to new audiences and make the festival more accessible,” says Rasal. This 2025 edition will feature notable guests such as Charo López, Irene Escolar, Blanca Suárez, Eduardo Noriega, Antonio Hernández, and Gerard Oms.The third tribute, the Pepe Escriche Award, goes to the Venice International Film Festival, the oldest in the world. Italy, the 2025 Country of Honor, will also play a major role in events, particularly in General Alsina Square during the final days of the festival.
Another key moment of this edition will be the exclusive premiere of the trailer for the feature film Parecido a un asesinato, with the presence of its director, Antonio Hernández, and several members of the team, including Blanca Suárez, Eduardo Noriega, and Claudia Mora. This will be a unique opportunity to discover this psychological thriller, whose cast also features other names such as Tamar Novas and Marian Álvarez. The film’s team—whose screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Juan Bolea—will be in Huesca to share with the public and the media details about the creative process and the filming, which took place between the Pyrenees of Huesca and Valencia. The event will be held on Friday, June 13 at 11:00 AM in the Assembly Hall of the Provincial Government of Huesca.
GALAS, FEATURE FILMS, AND PLAZA GENERAL ALSINA
Irene Escolar (Photo-Pablo Zamora)
The festival opens on June 6 with a gala With the presentation of the Pepe Escriche and Ciudad de Huesca Carlos Saura Awards. The former goes to the Venice International Film Festival, while the latter will be received by Goya-winning actress Irene Escolar, who made her debut under Carlos Saura’s direction at age 14. The evening concludes with one of her latest films, The Girls Are Alright by Itsaso Arana, nominated for the Goya and Feroz Awards as best comedy.
Saturday, June 7, will be another highlight of the festival with the national premiere of the documentary Copeland, attended by Stewart Copeland himself, one of the greatest drummers of all time and original member of The Police. He’ll be at the “Vermouth with…” encounter (1:00 p.m. – Casino’s Blue Room) and the film screening (10:00 p.m. – Teatro Olimpia). The documentary, directed by Aragonese filmmaker Pablo Aragüés, traces Copeland’s career, which includes five Grammy Awards and over 60 million albums sold.
Women will take center stage to close the festival’s first weekend with a double screening featuring the short film Cuando llega el frío by María Salgado and the feature film Reflejos de una habitación by promising director Ceres Machado, whose debut stars Adriana Ozores (Sunday the 7th, 10:00 p.m.).On Monday, the focus behind the camera will remain on women, but the spotlight will shift toward inclusion, with the screening of Sorda by Eva Libertad. The film was the big winner at the most recent Málaga Film Festival and will be presented in Huesca with the support of two of its producers: Miriam Porte from Huesca and Nuria Muñoz from Murcia. The screening will begin with the short film No hay errores, directed by Alfonso Palomares and Gonzalo García of Nómada Producción, about the creation of the theatrical performance Normal.This entire lineup is just one part of the festival’s comprehensive accessibility plan, launched in collaboration with CADIS. The initiative includes sign language interpretation for the galas, an accessible website, printed programs, and adapted venues, as well as the development of a manual and dedicated email for individuals with special needs. These measures aim to improve the experience of anyone engaging with the physical or digital environment of the Huesca International Film Festival (HIFF) — all made possible through the support of Fundación la Caixa.
Charo López
On Tuesday the 10th, all eyes will be on the winner of the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, actress Charo López. The Salamanca native will share stories and anecdotes from her more than 50-year career in a public talk moderated by Luis Alegre. Later that evening, she will take to the stage at the Teatro Olimpia to receive the Luis Buñuel Award on the 125th anniversary of the birth of the genius from Calanda. As a tribute to a filmography that boasts over a hundred titles, the festival will screen Me cuesta hablar de mí, a documentary in which Charo López herself reflects on and recounts her life journey.
The following day, it will be the turn of one of the most recent success stories of the Huesca International Film Festival. Gerard Oms will present his debut feature film Muy lejos (10 p.m., Teatro Olimpia), which, since its premiere in Málaga, has continued to receive accolades—for him, the film, and its lead actor Mario Casas. Oms, who will be serving as a member of the jury, received his first major award at the 49th edition of the Huesca festival, a decisive boost for his career.
Plaza General Alsina and the open-air cinema will be another key venue in the final stretch of the festival, offering a variety of complementary events on June 12 and 13. On Thursday the 12th, Italy—the guest country of honor for this edition—will take center stage with a unique “gastrocinema” experience that blends the spirit of the apero with the best of Italian cinema. Audiences will be able to enjoy a free screening of La cena, a film by one of the great masters of commedia all’italiana, Ettore Scola. On Friday the 13th at 7:00 p.m., the Capicua Circus School will present La vita è bella, a poetic, dreamlike, and theatrical circus performance that explores the major themes of Italian neorealism and Fellini’s cinema. A few hours later, it will be time to showcase local talent (thanks to the collaboration with ArtLab) with the audiovisual performance Barbería Ambulante Cravan by Daniel Pardo, Yeray Ruiz, and Claudi López—a live show that combines video, music, and theater.
THE INDUSTRY SECTION FLEXES ITS MUSCLE
53HIFF press conference
One of the main areas of growth for the Huesca International Film Festival in recent years has been its industry and market-focused activities surrounding short films. In this regard, the 2025 edition will mark a consolidation of this branch with numerous actions and initiatives designed to attract professionals from the sector to the capital of Huesca, fostering synergies and encouraging networking.
One of the major new additions is the introduction of Pitching and Work in Progress sessions for short films. The former was launched nationwide through Festhome, while the latter is the first of its kind in Spain, having selected Ibero-American productions in advanced stages of development. The winning project will receive full post-production services—thanks to the collaboration of the Mexican company Chemistry—and one year of distribution (including submission fees) managed by Festhome. Both initiatives will be officially presented on the morning of Thursday, June 12 in the Salón Azul of the Casino.
Additionally, the festival’s management committee has created the HIFF Commission for Industry Activities, made up of professionals from Aragón’s audiovisual sector, including filmmakers Alberto Andrés Lacasta, Vicky Calavia, and Gaizka Urresti; festival directors Jose Ángel Delgado and Chus Fenero; and Natalia Martínez, head of content and new projects at Aragón TV.
Alongside these additions that strengthen the festival’s industry side, key meetings remain on the schedule, such as the “Women Festival Directors” gathering (Sunday, June 8) and the co-production forum “Other Spotlights: Murcia and Navarra,” featuring top-tier professionals from both regions. The program also includes talks and presentations such as “Cinema from the Inside” by multi-award-winning Aragonese short filmmaker Lucas Castán, and “Film Tourism: 20th Anniversary of Kingdom of Heaven by Ridley Scott,” led by writer and screenwriter Oscar Sipán from Huesca. Also returning are cornerstone events such as the project presentations, featuring titles like:21,000 palabras (un capezuto e dos collons) by Maxi Campo, Caídos del zielo by José Alberto Andrés Lacasta, Nana by Julio García Escames, Sólo las piedras no cambian: Las múltiples vidas de Maurín by Vicky Calavia, Forqué, el grito del tucán by Gaizka Urresti, as well as book launches such as Novela y cine: Los géneros cinematográficos como herencia de la novela by Antonio Viñuales y En torno a París, Texas de Wim Wenders by Vicky Calavia herself.
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND SENIORS
The Huesca festival strengthens its public service mission with its now-classic sections “Children at the Festival” and “Seniors at the Festival.” The former brings together nearly a thousand primary school children each year to discover the magic of cinema from the seats of Teatro Olimpia, in collaboration with Un Día de Cine, an initiative from the Department of Education of the Government of Aragón. The latter visits all of the city’s senior residences and day centers, beginning this year on May 29. It now takes on a year-round and cross-program format, joining forces with the Pirineos Mountain Film Festival and the Women Filmmakers Showcase, all thanks to an agreement between the Huesca Film Festival Foundation and Amazon to implement a film therapy program in the region.
Also part of this public-focused initiative is “The Film Festival in the Classroom,” coordinated by Alberto Olivar. In its second year, the program is solidifying its role as an introduction to the festival for secondary school students, supported by Fundación Caja Rural and in collaboration with San Jorge University, Art Lab, and the Huesca School of Art. High schools including Pirámide, Lucas Mallada, Sierra de Guara, Ramón y Cajal, and the School of Art in Huesca, along with Martínez Vargas in Barbastro, Montes Negros in Grañén, and the Almudévar satellite campus, each produce a short film. This allows students aged 15 to 17 to have their first experience as actors, screenwriters, camera operators, sound technicians, and directors of photography.
These collaborations once again highlight the strength of Huesca’s cultural and educational network, with the Aragón Planetarium as one of its standout institutions. On Monday, June 8, there will be a visit in anticipation of the much-anticipated talk by Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre Moya, brought to Huesca thanks to the Huesca Astronomical Association. Alcubierre is one of the world’s most renowned minds: a researcher of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, particularly in the computational simulation of black holes and sources of gravitational waves. He has been awarded the Medal of Merit in Science by the Legislative Assembly of Mexico City and was named one of the 50 people transforming Mexico by Quién magazine in 2018.
A “VERY MEDITERRANEAN” JURY
The 53rd edition of the festival will feature what the festival director describes as a “very Mediterranean” jury. In the International Competition, members include Moroccan Ahmed El Housni, president of the Mediterranean Film Festival of Tetouan; Portuguese animation director Maria Trigo Teixeira; and Spanish actress, Carla Nieto (Lope, HEl síndrome Ulises, Ángel o demonio). The Ibero-American Competition jury will consist of Hervé Le Phuez, director of Wallonie Bruxelles Images; Mireilla Abrisqueta, a producer from Aragón; and the previously mentioned Gerard Oms.Finally, the Documentary Competition will be judged by Jürgen Tobisch, programmer at Filmkunstfest in Schwerin; Patrizia Gioffrè, short film selector at the Trieste Film Festival; and Italy-born, Spain-based Deborah Micheletti.
The participation of Ahmed El Housni, Jürgen Tobisch, and Patrizia Gioffrè is made possible thanks to the support of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) through its Program for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE) under the Visitors category.
The jury members will decide the award winners, with over €24,000 in total prize money. The winning films will be screened in a special free session on Saturday, June 14 at Teatro Olimpia (5:00 p.m.).
TEATRO OLIMPIA TO RECEIVE AN HONORARY DANZANTE AWARD FOR ITS CENTENARY
Teatro Olimpia
Teatro Olimpia is celebrating 100 years as one of Huesca’s main cultural institutions and the principal venue of the Huesca International Film Festival. Throughout 2025, the Anselmo Pie Sopena Foundation Board has planned a special commemorative program, and the festival wishes to recognize the venue’s vital role, dedication, and ongoing support. During the opening gala on June 6, this cultural landmark will be honored with the presentation of an Honorary Danzante Award.
This neoclassical building was commissioned by banker Antonio Pié in 1917 and inaugurated on June 9, 1925, with a performance by tenor Miguel Fleta. Over the past century, it has hosted operettas, sporting events, and political rallies—including a 1936 CNT rally led by Ramón Acín from Huesca. During the Spanish Civil War, the theater suffered bomb damage but was later restored. As part of the national “Devastated Regions” program, it began screening international films like Gilda and Mogambo. In 1965, local audiences began attending screenings organized by the Cine Club de la Peña Zoiti, which eventually gave rise to the festival. A major renovation began in 2005 and was completed in February 2008, celebrated with a reopening event featuring mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza. Today, Teatro Olimpia continues to offer a full cultural program, including dance, theater, ballet, and cinema, making it the oldest working cinema in Aragón.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Once again this year, La Catalítica will serve as the nighttime meeting point, hosting a parallel program under the name “Cortolíticos” from Saturday, June 7 to Wednesday, June 11. This program adds extra value to the overall edition. Highlights include the premiere of works by students from the University of San Jorge (Saturday 7), and a special “En Femenino” session (Sunday 8), in collaboration with the Women’s Film Showcase of Huesca. Returning is Zinentiendo (Monday 9), and joining the lineup are a socially themed session in collaboration with the Brothers of the White Cross (Tuesday 10), and the Audi Future Stories (Wednesday 11), sponsored by Audi.
One of the festival’s two exhibitions can also be seen at this venue: a photographic collection showcasing moments from the filming of a major Hollywood production in Loarre, starring Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. To view the second exhibition, visitors should go to the Centro Cultural Manuel Benito Moliner. Entitled “The Devil’s Wheel,” it features the creative duo Fratelli Moca transforming the space into a kind of zoetrope, with images inspired by Eadweard Muybridge and reimagined through a lens of contemporary urban art.
The CDAN (Art and Nature Center) remains committed to the festival through its “Camera Obscura” with the documentary Gilles Clément, le jardin en mouvement by Olivier Comte. The premiere will take place a few days before the official start, on Wednesday, June 4 at 7:00 PM. This is not the only pre-festival event; on Saturday, May 31 (10:15 PM), “Huesca en corto” returns — a selection of short films shown at various city landmarks such as the Church of San Pedro, López Allué Square, or Alfonso el Batallador Square.
Additionally, visitors and residents alike can also enjoy the traditional “Vermú con…” from Saturday 7 to Wednesday 11. The first two gatherings (Saturday and Sunday) will be held in the Casino’s Blue Room, then move outdoors to Ultramarinos La Confianza (Monday 9 to Wednesday 11). These are informal, relaxed meet-ups with some of the festival’s most notable guests, paired with top-quality local products.
The festival also acts as a tourism showcase for visiting filmmakers and guests. Guided tours of the city are planned, highlighting not only Huesca’s rich heritage and culture but also its artistic and audiovisual roots. The tours will also feature storefront displays created for the “Italy and Cinema” competition, organized by the Huesca Association of Commerce and Services and the Diario del Altoaragón, with support from the Huesca City Council.
Furtermore, visitors can enjoy the “Huesca, the Magic of Cinema” cocktail contest, organized by the Huesca Hospitality and Tourism Association. Participating establishments will offer original cocktails inspired by Italy, incorporating classics like the Negroni, Aperol Spritz, or Vesper Martini to win over patrons.
The festival will once again offer an online viewing option, with a large portion of the official program available for free on the festival’s website:. This ensures that directors and professionals unable to attend in person can still stay in tune with the festival’s offerings and trends.
