OVER A HUNDRED SHORT FILMMAKERS FROM AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA AND OCEANIA HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR PRESENCE IN THIS CONTEST THAT OPENS THE DOORS OF THE OSCAR AWARDS.
THE EVENT STARTS THIS FRIDAY WITH THE CEREMONY AWARD OF THE CITY OF HUESCA CARLOS SAURA GIVEN TO TO RODRIGO SOROGOYEN AND ISABEL PEÑA, AND THE PEPE ESCRICHE PRIZE WHICH WILL BE RECEIVED BY ENRIQUE CEREZO AS PRESIDENT OF EGEDA.
THE PRE-FESTIVAL EVENTS FINISH THIS THURSDAY WITH ALREADY ALMOST A THOUSAND ASSISTANTS.
The Huesca International Film Festival opens this Friday, June 7, its 47th edition that will run until next Saturday, June 15 when the short films awards are revealed. The capital of Aragon will once again be “the world capital of the short film” in the words of by its director Rubén Moreno. A total of 56 filmmakers from Europe, America, Asia and Oceania will be present to defend their work before the public in Huesca, a total of 76 works from 29 countries such as Mexico, Modavia, Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Ukraine, Australia and Spain, among others. The official section has 12 premieres, 24 debut films and 8 works from film schools, an indicator of the festival’s capacity as a catalyst for talent, where, in addition to their participation, filmmakers will have the opportunity to access the pre-selection for the Oscar Awards through its three Dancing Awards.
The Olimpia Theater, the main venue of the free screenings of the contest, will host the inaugural gala directed by Alfonso Palomares with Pilar Barrio and presented by Encarni Corrales. During the ceremony, tribute will be paid to the filmmakers Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña with the City of Huesca Prize Carlos Saura for his career and projection. The award, which also highlights their work as screenwriters, will be delivered by the Huesca director whose award has been named after. The second tribute of the evening will be for EGEDA; the non-profit organization for the management of audiovisual producer rights will receive the Pepe Escriche Award through its president Enrique Cerezo, for its ability to build bridges between cultures through film.
The festival offers a balanced program of professional events and entertainment, open to the city locals and to all types of audiences. Activities such as Gastrocine, presentations of projects, proposals for children, exhibitions, screenings in senior centers, meetings between the public and some of the stars who will visit the event and a selection of feature films are part of the soul of the edition. A special mention must also be given to the feature films projected, starting with the international premiere of Gran Orquesta (10-June, 22h.), a documentary directed by the Argentine Peri Azar, who will be present in Huesca as well as the team of the winner of the Festival of Malaga: Los días que vendrán. Later, the film directed by Carlos Marqués-Marcet and starring David Verdaguer (Lo dejo cuando quiero, Verano 1993, 10,000km) and Maria Rodriguez Soto will be shown (Tuesday January 11 10pm) and the film team will also participate in a meeting in Plaza López Allué (13h.). we will also be able to see two comedies directed by women before the commercial premiere: La casa de verano (8-junio, 22h), by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, and Las niñas bien (June 13, 22h) by Alejandra Márquez Abella from Mexico, winner of the Golden Biznaga for the Best Ibero-American Film of the Malaga Festival.
The final part of the contest will take place in an important venue: Plaza General Alsina where, on Friday 14th Yuli by Iciar Bollaín will be screened, in collaboration with the Aragonese Women’s Institute, while the last day will be a new open-air cinema session with Apuntes para una película de atracos by Leon Siminiani, winning film of the Feroz Prize for the best documentary
MARISA PAREDES, LUIS BUÑUEL AWARD
Another of the important names of the edition will be Marisa Paredes. The Spanish actress will be honored on Wednesday the 12th with the Luis Buñuel Prize in homage to a whole career which include important European films such as High heels, All about my mother and Life is beautiful, among many others.
The interpreter awarded by festivals such as Karlovy Vary, Valladolid or Malaga and who has received the Goya of Honor and the National Film Award will share a “Vermú” that same day with the public at the Plaza Lopez Allué (13h.). The culmination of the day will be the gala tribute and the screening of one of her most recent films, the international production Latin lover.
GREAT EXPECTATION IN PREFESTIVAL ACTS
The activities previous to 47th edition of the International appointment have been welcomed by the public, more than a thousand people have attended the sessions of open air cinema and Aragonese cinema, as well as the openings of the exhibitions in different spaces.
The activity began with the two exhibitions hosted by the CDAN: Zinade: A portrait of the 21st century and Berlin-Barcelona, 1999; Both can be visited until October. This very space was also the setting for the screening of El hombre elefante by David Lynch, a collaboration between the festival and Diversario that that attracted over a hundred people to enjoy cinema under the stars.
The weekend before, the activities proposed were a perfect prologue to the event. On Saturday, June 1, the Provincial Council of Huesca (La diputación) hosted the “Ventana Aragonesa” section, which thanks to the sponsorship of Aragón TV presented some of the most outstanding works made in this region during the last year, such as the short films Sagôl by Azucena Garanto and La Comulgante by Ignacio Lasierra, along with the feature films Bécquer y las brujas by Elena Cid and Miau by Ignacio Estaregui; all the authors of the films came to present their work before the spectators saw it.
After the show of Aragonese talent, the street turned again into a cinema with “Huesca en corto” with more than a hundred people following the traditional “parade” around Huesca to see how some of the most famous buildings of the twn turned into huge screens on which last year’s selection were shown as an appetizer.
ITZIAR MIRANDA PROTAGONIST OF LAS VELADAS VIOLETA
The last activity of the “Prefestival” will be an audiovisual language course for teachers (already fully booked) and the traditional Violet Evening that on this occasion will have the popular Aragonese actress Itziar Miranda as the main character. This Thursday, June 6 at 10pm, the Plaza de San Pedro (Blue Room of the Casino in case of rain) will be the place where the audience will share an intimate atmosphere with Miranda to hear their experiences in the world of interpretation, a path that has led her to act in one of the longest-running series of Spanish television: Amar es para siempre, playing the charismatic character of Manolita. The multi-talented performer has also achieved an outstanding career in film, theater and literature.
The Huesca International Film Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the Government of Aragon, the Provincial Council of Huesca, the City of Huesca, the Anselmo Pié Foundation and with the collaboration of Obra Social “la Caixa” and TUHUESCA.