The short films 'Cara de cona', directed by Guillermo de Oliveira; 'Ser un hombre', by Lucas Parra; and 'Line 12', by Germany's Sarah Schulz, were the most prominent at the closing gala of the event, held on the night of July 25. The festival, organized by the Belalcázar City Council, received nearly 300 submissions from over twenty countries, reinforcing its growth within the short film festival circuit.
During the event, actor and director Sebastián Haro was honored with the Honorary Award, which included a screening of his short film 'Por las venas' and a Q&A session with the filmmaker. The gala was hosted by actress and comedian Olga Mata.
The jury and the audience did not agree on any of the main awards, an unprecedented situation that highlights the high quality of the submitted works.
In the Official Section, the short film 'Ser un hombre' won the Jury Award for Best Short Film and Best Sound. The Comedy Section awarded 'Cara de cona' the top prize, along with awards for Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Milo Taboada. The German short film 'Line 12' was recognized as Best Short Film in the Children/Youth Section and also received the award for Best Original Score.
The jury, composed of Sergio Ceballos, Sofía Navarro, and Raúl M. Candela, also presented the award for Best Actress to Cristina Soria for her performance in 'In Memoriam'.
Meanwhile, the audience selected different winners in the main sections. The Audience Award for the Official Section went to 'Montecarlo 67' by Rubén Guindo; for Comedy, to 'Bar Paco' by Juan Alcaraz; and for Children/Youth, to the US production 'The Piano', directed by Avery Kroll.
The organization highlighted the festival's growing international dimension, with award-winning productions from Germany and the United States, alongside Spanish productions. The closing ceremony featured screenings of the jury's winning short films, reinforcing the FICB's significance in the national and international short film circuit.
