THE PRESELECTION PROCESS WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL FEBRUARY 13
The Huesca International Film Festival kicks off the first phase of its 53rd edition with the opening of short film submissions. The registration process will remain open until February 13. This announcement comes with the confirmation of The Academy’s endorsement of the festival as one of the few in the world that serve as a preselection event for the Oscars. The winners of each of its three competitions (the Danzante Prize for International, Ibero-American, and Documentary categories) automatically advance to the first round of the Hollywood Oscars. This notable distinction is shared by only six festivals in Spain, all of which must maintain their accreditation.
Each year, the submission period draws around 2,000 entries from nearly 90 countries across five continents. These works are evaluated by a specialized jury, with the selected films forming the official section to be screened at the Teatro Olimpia from June 6 to 14. In addition to its Oscar-qualifying status, the Huesca festival is also recognized as a qualifying event for Spain’s Goya Awards, organized by the Spanish Academy of Cinematic Arts and Sciences.
AWARDS PAY TRIBUTE TO JULIO ALEJANDRO
El Festival revalida el aval de la Academia de Hollywood y añade el nombre de Julio Alejandro al Premio de Guión
The selected short films will compete for a prize pool totaling over €24,000, allocated entirely to filmmakers, academies, schools, or institutions dedicated to teaching the craft. A key addition this year is the renaming of the Screenplay Award to honor Julio Alejandro, a distinguished writer and screenwriter from Huesca. Alejandro collaborated with Luis Buñuel on scripts for some of his most iconic films, such as Nazarín, Viridiana, Simón del Desierto, and Tristana. The festival previously recognized his talent in 1989 with the “A Lifetime of Cinema” award, and now further honors his legacy by awarding €500 and a diploma to the screenplay prizewinner.
The audience will continue to play a pivotal role by voting for the Aragón TV Audience Award. This award includes a €900 prize in exchange for the rights to broadcast the winning film on Aragón TV’s channels and to promote and disseminate the work, subject to the authors’ consent.
The submission guidelines are available on the festival’s official website, and the process can be completed via the online platform Festhome. The entry fee is €3 per short film (separate from the platform’s service fees), covering administrative costs and allowing creators to evaluate their work within the festival’s framework. The festival organizers acknowledge the unique challenges faced by certain territories, such as conflict zones or areas with limited online access or payment options and have included exceptions for these cases in the submission rules.
