The Albacete International Independent Film Festival, Abycine, has announced the seven projects that will take part in the eleventh edition of Impulso WIP, the Abycine Lanza forum dedicated to feature films in the final stretch of postproduction. The event will take place from October 20 to 23, as part of the 28th edition of the festival.
This space has established itself as a key platform for directors and producers to present their nearly finished films to industry professionals, with the aim of supporting their completion, distribution and screening at international festivals. This year's selection combines debut features, documentaries with a strongly personal character, and stories about identity, memory and family bonds.
Seven Projects in Advanced Postproduction
The titles chosen for Impulso WIP 2026 are Una cabeza en la pared, by Manuel Manrique; Temporada Baixa, by Marta Font Pascual; Lóngquán, by Adrià Guxens; Material de Guerra Capturado al Enemigo, by Nacho Ruiz Capillas; El Canal de la Mancha, by Daniel Sánchez López; Hora Nona, by Jorge Moreno and Matías Uris; and La vida después, by Clara Santaolaya.
During the forum's sessions, the teams behind each film will have the opportunity to present their projects to industry professionals through pitch sessions, networking events and one-on-one meetings with sales agents, distributors, festivals and representatives from audiovisual markets.
Grants and Awards at Stake
The seven selected feature films will be able to compete for several financial and promotional incentives. Among them, the Impulso Lanza Grant, worth 7,000 euros for postproduction work, and the WIP Filmin Abycine Award, valued at 22,000 euros and aimed at the commercial distribution and exploitation of the winning film in Spain and Portugal, stand out.
In addition, the projects will have the chance to access MAFIZ Work in Progress, the specific section of the Málaga Festival also dedicated to works in the final stages of completion, which broadens their visibility opportunities within the industry.
Debut Features and Returns to One’s Roots
Among the selected projects are several feature film debuts. Such is the case of Marta Font Pascual, a director with previous experience in television series, who signs Temporada Baixa, centered on the relationship between a widowed father and his two children during an autumn of change and silence.
Also making his directorial debut is Nacho Ruiz Capillas, an editor recognized with the Goya Award for his work on Los Otros, who presents Material de Guerra Capturado al Enemigo. This documentary stems from the discovery of 6,000 unpublished negatives taken by his grandfather during the Spanish Civil War, reflecting on family memory, exile and the fragility of remembrance.
Meanwhile, Manuel Manrique expands in Una cabeza en la pared the universe of his short film of the same name, setting the plot in a hypothetical future where, three years after the abolition of bullfighting in Spain, a young aspiring bullfighter searches for his place in a world that no longer needs him.
Identity, Rural Memory and Family Care
Lóngquán, by Adrià Guxens, follows Junyi, a Catalan dancer of Chinese origin who returns to China after nearly three decades of emotional distance from his roots, on a journey to reconnect with his grandmother and with an identity built between two cultures. This project arrives at Impulso WIP thanks to a collaboration with MAFIZ.
El Canal de la Mancha, by Daniel Sánchez López, is set in a village in La Mancha and tells the story of the friendship between Lara and Roque, two teenagers searching for their identity in an environment marked by tradition and uprootedness. The project had previously taken part in Impulso CMM Desarrollo in 2024.
The documentary Hora Nona, directed by Jorge Moreno and Matías Uris, takes as its starting point an old rumor from a small village in La Mancha—the story of a man supposedly buried in his own bed—to explore the boundary between reality, fiction and collective memory in rural life.
Finally, La vida después, by Clara Santaolaya, addresses the relationship between Lena, a young woman who returns to her family home amid an emotional crisis, and her grandfather Juan, who becomes her support, in a story about care, family and second chances.
Productions Backed by Several Companies
The seven projects feature the involvement of numerous Spanish production companies, including Kabiria Films, Inaudita, Sabina Films, Malas Compañías, Ringo Media, La Charito Films, Pausa Dramática Films, The Aurora Project Entertainment, Blended Art Space, Filmolan, Terranova Films, Oh My Gomez!, Suspiria Films, Clapham Films, Sirimiri Films, The Other Film, Opa Films, Batiak Films, Boogaloo Films, Silberfluss, Cabiria, Capitán Araña, Guion Alto, La Soga Producciones, Palco Films and Suena Perú.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Abycine Lanza?
It is the industry section of the Albacete International Independent Film Festival (Abycine), aimed at supporting film projects at various stages, from development to advanced postproduction.
What is Impulso WIP?
Impulso WIP (Work in Progress) is the specific forum within Abycine Lanza dedicated to feature films finishing their postproduction, with the aim of connecting them with audiovisual industry professionals.
When does Impulso WIP 2026 take place?
It will take place from October 20 to 23, 2026, coinciding with the 28th edition of the Albacete International Independent Film Festival.
Which films have been selected this year?
The seven chosen titles are Una cabeza en la pared, Temporada Baixa, Lóngquán, Material de Guerra Capturado al Enemigo, El Canal de la Mancha, Hora Nona and La vida después.
What awards can the selected projects win?
They can compete for the Impulso Lanza Grant of 7,000 euros for postproduction, the WIP Filmin Abycine Award of 22,000 euros for distribution in Spain and Portugal, and the chance to take part in MAFIZ Work in Progress at the Málaga Festival.
Which director is making his debut with a documentary about his own family?
Nacho Ruiz Capillas, a Goya Award winner for his work as an editor on Los Otros, is making his directorial debut with Material de Guerra Capturado al Enemigo, a documentary based on unpublished negatives taken by his grandfather during the Spanish Civil War.
