The Community of Madrid held the closing gala of the 28th edition of the Short Film Week last Saturday, an event that once again stands as a key date for Spanish short films on their way to the Goya Awards. The Palacio de Linares, at full capacity, hosted the awards ceremony for this edition.
The big winner of the night was Cara de cona, directed by Guillermo de Oliveira, which took home four of the most significant awards of the festival, establishing itself as the most prominent title of this year's event.
A clean sweep of awards for Cara de cona
The short film won the Best Short Film Award, a recognition that serves as a qualifier for the Goya Awards, opening the door for it to compete in the next edition of the Film Academy's awards.
In addition, the work won the first Telemadrid Award, endowed with 6,000 euros in broadcasting rights, the Audience Award, and the RC Award for Best Cinematography, granted to Carlos de Miguel.
Luisa Cowell, executive producer of the short film, accepted the awards on behalf of the team and expressed her gratitude for the support received. In her words, producing a short film involves a considerable effort in terms of time, financial resources, and organization, so the support from the public, the festival, and the Community of Madrid was especially significant for the team.
The rest of the night’s winners
The second Telemadrid Awards, endowed with 4,000 euros each, were distributed among five productions: Cosas de mayores, by Esteban Crespo; The Getaway, by Raquel Guerrero; Cine Doré, by Guillermo Logar; La colisión, by Jairo González; and Box 3, by Sara Sálamo.
In the technical category, the AMAE Award for Best Editing went to Con Café (Cuentos con la C), by María Manero, while the ECAM Impulse Award for Best Direction went to In Memoriam, by Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo.
What the awards consist of
The ECAM Impulse, RC, and AMAE awards not only recognize the quality of the work but also offer concrete support for the winners' future projects. The ECAM Impulse Award and the AMAE Award include personalized consulting adapted to the needs of each proposal.
For its part, the RC Award grants a 2,000-euro discount on digital cinema camera equipment, while RC Service offers a 30% discount on this type of equipment to all participants of the edition. The AMAE Award for Best Editing also includes an annual Adobe license.
A week with 45 short films and masterclasses
This edition of the Short Film Week screened a total of 45 works, including both Spanish and foreign productions. The festival also brought back the Co-production Forum, organized together with the Madrid Audiovisual Association (AMA), a space designed to promote new projects and connect professionals in the sector.
Attendees were also able to participate in two masterclasses, given by Yolanda Centeno and Gabriel Azorín. The honoree of this edition was Marta Aledo, in recognition of her career within the audiovisual sector.
The festival has the collaboration of Telemadrid, the SGAE Foundation, the Film Academy, ECAM, Madrid en Corto, RC Service, and the Association of Audiovisual Editors of Spain (AMAE), entities that support this event dedicated to the short format year after year.
Why this edition is relevant
The Community of Madrid's Short Film Week has established itself as a reference platform for detecting emerging and established talent within Spanish cinema. The fact that its main award is a qualifier for the Goya Awards adds extra weight to each edition, as it turns the festival into a direct path to one of the most important ceremonies in Spanish-language cinema.
The multiple triumphs of Cara de cona also reinforce the relevance of the short format as a creative laboratory, in a context where these productions often serve as a calling card for directors and technical teams who later make the leap to feature films.
Frequently asked questions
What awards did Cara de cona win at the Madrid Short Film Week?
Guillermo de Oliveira's short film won the Best Short Film Award, the first Telemadrid Award, the Audience Award, and the RC Award for Best Cinematography for Carlos de Miguel.
Why is the Best Short Film Award of this festival important?
Because it acts as a qualifier for the Goya Awards, which allows the winning work to compete in the next edition of these Film Academy awards.
Who accepted the awards for Cara de cona?
Luisa Cowell, the short film's executive producer, was in charge of taking the stage to accept the awards during the gala.
Which other short films were awarded in this edition?
Among others, Cosas de mayores, The Getaway, Cine Doré, La colisión, Box 3, Con Café (Cuentos con la C), and In Memoriam received recognition.
How many short films were screened in this edition of the festival?
The 28th edition of the Community of Madrid's Short Film Week screened a total of 45 Spanish and foreign short films.
Who was the honoree of this edition?
Marta Aledo received the tribute from the organization during this edition of the festival.
