THE 54TH HUESCA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EMBRACES NEW AUDIENCES AND CONTINUES TO INVEST IN ITS INDUSTRY AREA
THE FESTIVAL WILL RUN FROM JUNE 5–13, WITH 77 SHORT FILMS COMPETING FOR THE DANZANTE AWARD, WHICH GRANTS DIRECT PRE-SELECTION FOR THE HOLLYWOOD OSCAR AWARDS
LAIA COSTA (CIUDAD DE HUESCA CARLOS SAURA AWARD), CINEMATECA PORTUGUESA (PEPE ESCRICHE AWARD), AND EDUARD FERNÁNDEZ (LUIS BUÑUEL AWARD) ARE AMONG THE HEADLINE NAMES OF THIS EDITION
ARAGON’S LONGEST-RUNNING FILM EVENT WILL ALSO FEATURE FEATURE FILM PREMIERES, TALKS, EXHIBITIONS, AND AN EXPANDED PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER AUDIENCES, AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
The poster designed by R2 Design
The Huesca International Film Festival officially unveils its full programme for its 54th edition, running in the Huesca capital from June 5–13. The third oldest event in the world dedicated exclusively to short film, and one of six in Spain accredited by the Hollywood Academy as an Oscar pre-selection festival, will once again be a focal point for the audiovisual industry, with 77 works competing across three sections: international, Ibero-American, and documentary. The selected works were chosen from 2,342 submissions — a historic record for the festival — and filmmakers from around the world will travel to Huesca in hopes of taking home one of the three Danzante Awards. “Winning here can be a decisive boost for any selected filmmaker’s career. Beyond being a gateway to the Oscars and the Goyas, it also represents significant financial support, as each Danzante comes with a €5,000 prize,” highlights festival director Estela Rasal.
This 2026 edition features prominent names including Laia Costa (Ciudad de Huesca Carlos Saura Award) and the Cinemateca Portuguesa (Pepe Escriche Award), both of whom will be honored at the opening gala, where Portugal will also take center stage as “Guest Country.” On June 5th at 9:00 PM, the Teatro Olimpia will raise its curtain on nine days of cinema with a screening of the short film No me quites (starring Laia Costa herself), followed by the premiere of Ese niño de la fotografía. Carlos Saura, in which Anna Saura presents a portrait of her father as an example of a life lived with passion and creative purpose.
The third tribute of the edition goes to Eduard Fernández. The Spanish actor and four-time Goya winner will receive the Luis Buñuel Award and will be in Huesca on Sunday, June 7th. The public will be able to enjoy his presence on two occasions: at 1:00 PM, a free-access public conversation moderated by filmmaker Luis Alegre (Salón Azul del Casino), and at 9:30 PM at the Teatro Olimpia, where the award will be presented and the short film El Otro — directed and starred in by Eduard himself — will be screened, alongside the documentary Memoria de Los Olvidados by Javier Espada, about the iconic film by the genius from Calanda.
The feature film showcase will be rounded out with outstanding titles both nationally and internationally. On Saturday the 6th, in collaboration with CADIS, the winner of the most recent Málaga Film Festival will be screened: Yo no moriré de amor by Marta Matute, preceded by the short Miradas. Tuesday the 9th will be dedicated to female talent, with a screening of the Málaga audience award winner Pioneras. Solo querían jugar by Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz. The following day, the spotlight shifts to Portuguese cinema as “Guest Country,” with the co-production Magallanes by Lav Diaz, winner of the Golden Spike at the 70th Seminci. On Thursday the 11th, audiences will be able to see the Mexican debut feature Corina by Urzula Barba Hopfner and Samuel Sosa, a film embraced by audiences at the American festival SXSW and nominated in nine categories for the Ariel Awards of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences.
The HIFF will also shine a light on local talent, reserving one evening for the premiere of the Huesca-set film El sueño de Aylan by Alex Agüera. The premiere takes place on Monday, June 8th at 9:30 PM, accompanied by another Aragonese work: Una bombilla en California by José Manuel Herraiz, recent winner of the Simón Award for best short film.
Audiences hungry for more cinema can continue to enjoy screenings at La Catalítica (11:00 PM), from Sunday the 7th through Thursday the 11th. The “Cortolíticos” sessions will be held in collaboration with Cruz Blanca, Universidad San Jorge, the Women’s Film Festival, the Cinemateca Portuguesa, Audi, and Zinentiendo.
THE FESTIVAL CONTINUES TO REACH OLDER ADULTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND CHILDREN
The festival strengthens its role as an element of social cohesion and inclusion by working with diverse audiences. Older adults, young people, and children are among the age groups for whom specific programmes have been created. “Seniors at the Festival” reinforces its commitment and expands to up to 20 sessions, reaching municipalities in the surrounding area such as Chimillas, Almudévar, Gurrea, and Yéqueda, in addition to all centres in the capital. Running from May 19th through June 13th, the initiative — sponsored by Amazon and supported by Huesca City Council — presents a film therapy programme built around a selection of short films tailored to these audiences. The project runs year-round and in parallel with the Pyrenees Mountain Film Festival and the Women’s Film Festival; a donation campaign has also been launched via the Teaming platform.
For teenage audiences, the festival likewise runs a programme that extends beyond the festival dates, culminating on Saturday, June 6th with the showcase of “El Festival de Cine en las Aulas,” coordinated by Alberto Olivar. In its third year, it consolidates its role as an introductory gateway to the festival for secondary school students, thanks to sponsorship from Fundación Caja Rural and collaboration with Universidad San Jorge, Art Lab, and the Huesca School of Art. The Pirámide, Lucas Mallada, Sierra de Guara, Ramón y Cajal, and Escuela de Arte secondary schools in Huesca, along with Martínez Vargas in Barbastro, Montes Negros in Grañén, and the Delegated Sections of Almudévar and Ayerbe, each produce a short film, giving students aged 15 to 17 their first experience as actors, screenwriters, camera operators, sound technicians, and directors of photography.
Within the educational sphere, Monday, June 8th (6:00 PM) will host the 5th Showcase of Aragonese Fulldome Filmmakers. The Planetarium of Aragon maintains its collaboration with the Escuela Superior de Diseño de Aragón (ESDA), and several of its students have created works specifically for this format, which will be screened inside the dome of the astronomical centre. This showcase is a pioneer in Spain, and ESDA is the first school to offer specific training in full-dome audiovisual production.
Looking to future audiences, “Children at the Festival” is already a flagship initiative of the Huesca festival. The programme, carried out in collaboration with “Un Día de Cine” from the Aragon Government’s Department of Education, brings nearly one thousand primary school children to the Teatro Olimpia each year. This time, Kike Lera will guide them through the secrets of “Sound and Music in the History of Cinema.”
THE INDUSTRY SECTION DOUBLES DOWN ON ITS COMMITMENT
‘La ciudad de los dioses” was the first “Working progess” winner
The most ambitious project developed by the HIFF in recent years is its industry section, which continues to take important steps towards establishing itself as a leading market platform. In 2026, the short film pitching forum and the Working in Progress programme will once again take place. The former is launched nationwide through Festhome, while the latter is pioneering in Spain under this format, selecting Ibero-American productions in an advanced stage of development. The winning project will receive full post-production services thanks to the collaboration of the Mexican company Chemistry, as well as one year of distribution (including submission fees) managed by Festhome. Both initiatives will be officially presented on the morning of Thursday, June 11, at the Salón Azul of the Casino.
The project presentation program expands to two days. The first will be Tuesday the 9th (10:30 AM, Salón Azul), spotlighting five women in collaboration with CIMA: two documentary features — Aragón Salvaje by Leticia Barrios and No soy la madre del cómico by Nuria Rubió; two fiction features — La Pastora by Silvia Pradas and Cinco Olivas by Marina Selene; and one documentary short — El oso fantasma by Alba Heredero. The second day will be Friday the 12th (10:30 AM, Salón Azul), when further details will be revealed about four other notable Aragonese audiovisual projects: the documentaries Rematadera. Allá va la despedida by Gaizka Urresti, Ana como el agua by José Alberto Andrés Lacasta, Cuando la guerra borra tu nombre by Germán Roda, and Titiritero by Javier Calvo, as well as the fiction project Perseidas by Nacho Lasierra.
Alongside these, two further activities for industry professionals (requiring prior registration): on Monday the 8th, a session entitled “What Are Platforms Looking For? Keys to Pitching and Positioning Your Audiovisual Project,” aimed at bringing filmmakers and industry professionals closer to the world of streaming platforms. And on Wednesday the 10th, the International Co-Production Forum will take place in collaboration with the Institut Français, seeking synergies between different national cinemas.
LITERATURE, TOURISM, CIRCUS, AND GASTRONOMY
The Huesca International Film Festival transcends the seventh art and each year embraces other disciplines to complete a 360° cultural kaleidoscope. One of them is literature: on Thursday, June 11th, young writer Ignacio Aurensanz Crespo will give a talk entitled “Skeletons, Slaves, and Other Dancers.” From 7:00 PM at the Santos Ochoa Bookshop, the author of the poetry collection Mi mamá naturaleza will delve into Spain’s Golden Age and animated short films as a lens for better understanding the present day.
Taking advantage of the festival’s power to attract visitors, and in collaboration with the Tourism Office, guided tours of the city featuring numerous film references will be on offer. An excursion for visiting filmmakers is also organized (in partnership with La Comarca de la Hoya) to discover its “Film Locations.” The offering is rounded out for both locals and tourists with the traditional shop window competition and the “Vermú con…” series (Monday to Thursday at 1:00 PM outside Ultramarinos La Confianza), giving the whole city a cinematic atmosphere at every turn.
On Friday, June 12th, attention will shift to Plaza General Alsina for a series of open-air events. The first, at 7:00 PM, will see the Capicúa Circus School present its show “Claveles de libertad,” inspired by this year’s guest country. This will be followed (at 8:30 PM) by the Gastrocine session, where attendees can enjoy an afternoon of music and food, concluding with a free screening of the comedy Pizza Movies, starring Berto Romero and Judith Martín.
SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND ARGENTINA REPRESENTED ON THE JURY
Press conference – 54HIFF
The jury of the 54th HIFF will feature representatives from both sides of the Atlantic. In the international section, Luis Miñarro — a celebrated filmmaker who as a producer has won a Palme d’Or and produced the debut films of Albert Serra and Lisandro Alonso, as well as features by Isabel Coixet, Manuel d’Oliveira, and José Luis Guerín — will serve on the panel. Joining the Spaniard are his compatriot Mane Cisneros, founder of the African Film Festival, and Portuguese Goya Award winner Nuno Beato. The Ibero-American competition jury will include director, producer, and screenwriter Ángeles Hernández, Huesca-born executive producer Israel Mendoza, and actress Gabriela Andrada (Pídeme lo que quieras, Culpa tuya). Finally, the documentary section will be assessed by Portuguese programmer Ricardo Pereira Vieira, Argentine actor Ezequiel Tronconi, and Valladolid-born director of photography Raquel Fernández.
The participation of Nuno Beato and Ricardo Pereira Vieira is made possible through the support of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) via its Programme for the Internationalisation of Spanish Culture (PICE), under the Visitors modality.
The jury members will determine the award winners of a prize pool totalling over €24,000, and the winning films will be screened in a special free session on Saturday, June 13th at the Teatro Olimpia (5:00 PM). The audience will also play a decisive role; their votes will determine the winner of the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Aragón TV.
PRE-FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
The official opening date is June 5th, but events begin this Saturday, May 30th (10:15 PM) with “Huesca de Cine” — a roving outdoor screening that projects some of the most acclaimed short films from last year’s edition onto the facades of the city’s landmark buildings. On Wednesday, June 3rd (7:00 PM), the screening moves to the CDAN with El tercer paisaje by Julen Etxebarria, followed by a discussion.
On June 4th, just 24 hours before the opening, the day will be packed with presentations. In the morning, two exhibitions that will run throughout the festival will open for the first time: “Invisibles” by Ismael Barredo, hosted at the Fundación Caja Rural exhibition hall, and “La retina del intruso” by Pedro Avellaned, at the Centro Cultural Manuel Benito Moliner. In the afternoon, from 7:00 PM in a double session, the auditorium of the Diputación Provincial de Huesca will host the “Aragonese Window” section, sponsored by Aragón TV, featuring two documentaries celebrating figures deserving of greater recognition in Aragonese culture: Forqué, el oficio de hacer cine by Gaizka Urresti, and Insumisa y Divina, Raquel Meller by Vicky Calavia (beginning at 9:00 PM).
The Huesca International Film Festival’s principal sponsors include the Ministry of Culture, the Government of Aragon, the Provincial Council of Huesca, Huesca City Council, and the Anselmo Pie Foundation; along with sponsorship from Tu Provincia Huesca la Magia, the Hoya de Huesca Region, and Renfe; collaboration from the la Caixa Foundation; and support from Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) through its Programme for the Internationalisation of Spanish Culture (PICE).
