Gabriel Duque, Delegate for Culture of the Provincial Council of Córdoba, has announced Mencitopía, the Short Film Contest of Doña Mencía. This initiative, in its second edition, seeks to position the municipality as a meeting point for cinema, audiovisual creation, and young talent.
Duque explained that the project was born with the aim of bringing audiovisual creation closer to rural areas, encouraging participation, and generating a space for encounter around cinema, making Doña Mencía a stage for creating new stories.
The current edition maintains two distinct proposals: an Official Section, open to national short films, and the express short film contest ‘Mencitopía 3 en 1’. The latter challenges participating teams to create three audiovisual pieces within a limited time, using specific locations within the municipality.
This project, organized by the City Council along with the Cine y Entornos Rurales Association and supported by the Provincial Council of Córdoba, the Regional Government of Andalusia, and the Mancomunidad de la Subbética, consolidates its commitment to culture and creativity as tools for territorial dynamization.
Vicente Cantero, Head of Culture for the City Council, emphasized the open and participatory nature of the proposal, which aims to continue growing and generating new opportunities for interaction between the audiovisual sector, the local population, and visitors.
Cantero added that Mencitopía presents itself as an initiative that champions cinema as a tool for storytelling and showcasing the heritage, spaces, and creative possibilities of rural municipalities.
The Official Section is open to both professionals and amateurs, allowing the submission of national short films up to five minutes in length, with filming dates after September 1, 2025. This section offers a first prize of 1,000 euros and a second prize of 500 euros.
The ‘Mencitopía 3 en 1’ contest challenges participants to travel to the municipality and create three short films, each a maximum of one minute long, shot in the same location but using a different space within that location for each piece. Filming will take place on October 17. This section features a first prize of 800 euros and a second prize of 500 euros, the latter chosen by the public.
José Carlos García, coordinator of the Andalusian Youth Institute in Córdoba, highlighted the importance of supporting projects like this that offer real opportunities to young creators linked to culture, creativity, and audiovisual talent.
According to García, Mencitopía exemplifies how creation spaces can be generated from rural areas, reinforcing the audiovisual commitment to territorial dynamization in its second edition.
This initiative is advancing and growing, using culture as a tool for transformation to generate new narratives, extending beyond the boundaries of large cities to reach rural communities.
Finally, Noah Rodríguez, a member of the Cine y Entornos Rurales Association, focused on the jury for this second edition of Mencitopía, which includes Teresa Segura (audiovisual producer and manager), Javier Barbero (filmmaker and screenwriter from Córdoba linked to short films and documentaries), and Esperanza Guardado (actress, creator, and screenwriter from Córdoba).
Rodríguez announced that the event will culminate on October 24, 2026, with screenings and a closing gala where the award-winning works will be revealed.
