This Thursday, July 30th, the Cerdanya Film Festival kicks off its seventeenth edition. A new feature this year is a revised format for the national short film section, which qualifies for the Goya Awards. This section will be concentrated from July 30th to August 2nd to coincide with industry days and facilitate networking in the short film market, responding to sector requests.
The festival's opening ceremony is scheduled for the 30th at 7 PM at the Casino Ceretà in Puigcerdà, featuring screenings of KM0 short films and the presence of their directors. The festival extends until the end of August with approximately 250 screenings and activities in Puigcerdà, Prullans, Montellà Martinet, Alp, and Bolvir.
With Puigcerdà as the central hub, 196 short films and 54 feature films and documentaries will be screened, selected from over 3,500 submitted films. This edition will showcase 50 premieres, mostly shorts, alongside the best Catalan and Spanish films of the year and a selection of notable European films, some in pre-premiere.
The festival's continuation in its usual format has been made possible by an agreement with the Puigcerdà City Council. Festival director Jordi Forcada highlighted that the quality of the projects solidifies the festival as a relevant audiovisual hub for Cerdanya, the Pyrenees, and the Cross-Border Region, of significant cultural, artistic, industrial, and tourist interest.
It's worth recalling the previous uncertainty regarding the festival's celebration, stemming from a lack of agreement between the Puigcerdà City Council and the organizing entity. Ultimately, in June, the council appealed for dialogue to ensure the activity's continuity.
The event is extended each year to offer more cinema, especially after the closure of the Cinema Avinguda. Screenings in Puigcerdà take place at the Casino with a state-of-the-art Christie laser projector and a Dolby sound server, providing a high-standard projection quality.
Among the highlighted screenings is Balandrau, on July 31st at 7 PM at the Casino Ceretà. Director Fernando Trullos and actor Marc Martínez will conduct masterclasses on August 1st about the challenges of directing this film. Screenings will also occur at the plaça Pere Sarret in Martinet, the social center in Montellà, the Casino in Alp, and Cal Fanxico in Bolvir. The festival maintains gender parity in direction, script, and production.
The awards ceremony will take place on August 15th at 9:30 PM, followed by the screening of Viatge al país dels blancs (Journey to the Land of the Whites), directed by Dani Sancho and starring Emma Vilarasau.
In addition to screenings, the festival includes a concert series and theatrical performances from July 30th to August 20th at the Casino d’Alp and in Bolvir. The industry days in Prullans are extended to five days, featuring a new pitch session for book-to-audiovisual adaptations, connecting Catalan publishers and authors with production companies. On July 30th, a round table on literary adaptations in cinema will feature Núria Ostáriz, director of photography Gemma Rogés, and writers like Asha Miró.
The festival also hosts LapPro Estiu, an intensive creation and development lab for projects linked to nature and adventure. This year, for the first time, a scholarship program is being launched with the AADPC to facilitate participation for its members.
The Cerdanya Film Festival is a collaborating festival with the Goya Awards, qualifying short films in fiction, animation, and documentary categories.
Monetary prizes are significant, including 2,000 euros for the Best Spanish Fiction Short Film and the Audience Award for the most voted feature film. Other awards of 1,000 euros include Best Fiction and Animation Feature Film, Best Spanish Documentary Short Film, and Best Mountain Film. In total, approximately 11,000 euros in main category prizes and 30,000 euros across the official selection are awarded, in addition to screening rights paid to each film.
The festival is organized by the Fundació Cerdanya Cinema with the collaboration of numerous film and regional entities. Tickets and passes can be purchased at www.cerdanyafilmfestival.cat/entrades and www.codetickets.com.
