In recent weeks we have been analyzing the situation of Spanish short films with the new regulations of the Goya Awards. I have published posts on the new strategies to follow for fiction short films, and thanks to Carlota Coronado we have also analyzed animation short films in these two posts: Filter at the Goya Awards for 24 animation short films? and the figures for Spanish animation short films in 2015.
It remained to analyze the documentary short film, which together with animation, is the genre that suffers most from the new regulations, for two fundamental reasons:
- Until now there was no festival filter in the regulations of the Goya Awards, therefore it was not taken into account in the strategy of a documentary short film.
- This situation means that this year the calendar is very complicated. The short films with the most success at festivals were submitted last year and the newest ones probably have not had the rating license beforehand.
To get an idea of the current situation of Spanish short films, I have analyzed the selections at the festivals on the list. I waited to learn the selection at Alcances, the last festival on the calendar that is on the list published by the Academy (it takes place in September and the deadline for the Goya Awards ends on September 30).
Before beginning, let us review the regulations that a documentary short film must comply with to qualify for a Goya:
- Be selected in at least 3 festivals on the list.
- Receive an award in the Official Section, or specific documentary section.
- Be selected in an international festival on the list.
- Have the nationality certificate and the rating license from ICAA before the celebration of these festivals.
To carry out this analysis I have noted all the documentary short films that have participated in national festivals between 2015 and 2016. This is the result:
Alcances 2015 (September)
612 palabras en alambre, by Cecilia González Rufo
Agosto sin ti, by the girls from Pasaik (Maider Fernández and María Elorza)
Diario del hambre, by Mireia Pujol
Domínguez, by Paco Gutiérrez Bueno and Luis Cazorla López
El buen amor, by Gabriel Azorín
El juego del escondite, by David Muñoz -Award-
Eusebio, el americano, by Ruth Somalo
Materia prima, by Sergio Fernández Borrás
O descubrimento de Américo, by Miguel Mariño
Out, by Joan Antúnez
Porta Europa, by Ilaria Gambarelli
Reborn, by Carlos Farró Moyá
Ser e voltar, by Xacio Baños
Set, by the collective Left Hand Rotation
Show me Now!, by Manuel Jiménez Núñez
Si el ayer no fuera hoy, by Ester Clúa
Sin Dios ni Santa María, by Samuel M. Delgado and Helena Girón
Sinfonía de galernas, by Nadia Penella.
Alcances 2016 (September)
23 de mayo, by David Martín de los Santos
Animalización, by Zoraida Roselló and Jaume Vidal Arasa
Asturies apuntes, by Manutrillo
Campanya, by Catarina Brites, Andrés Alonso, Alejandro Cabrera, Lara Curto and Damián Depetris
Eco, by Xacio Baño
El cadáver del tiempo, by Luis E. Parés
La mano que trina, by María Cañas
Ojalá, by Antonio Antón
Ojo Salvaje, by Paco Nicolás
Sin Título, by Julio Lamaña and Ricardo Perea
Sol mihi Semper Lucet, by Álvaro Fernández Pulpeiro
Ur Artean, by Jesús María Palacios and Íñigo Jiménez
Vai chover, by Santiago D. Risco
Ventanas, by Pilar García Elegido
Zeitübergreifend (a través del tiempo y del espacio), by Begoña M. Santiago
Soria 2015 (November)
Una ciudad sin sueños, Alfonso Moral
Gertrudis, Medardo Amor
Cortogenia 2015 (all year)
Al pelae, Oscar de Julián
Cortogenia 2016 (all year)
No documentaries at the moment
Cortocircuito 2015 (October)
Sin dias ni Santa Maria, Helena Girón Vázquez, Samuel M. Delgado
Out, Joan Antúnez
DocumentaMadrid 2016 (May)
Moradores
Ojo salvaje
Alcine 2015 (November)
Eco, by Xacio Baño.
Dôtenh by Jorge Cantos.
Festival de la PNR 2015 (October)
Al pelae, Óscar de Julián
Luis, Luis, Jose Carlos Castaño
Maria Dominguez, la palabra libre, by Vicky Calavia
Tres mujeres, Alexis Delgado -First Prize Best Short Film-
Huelva 2015
no Spanish documentary short films
Guadalajara (Fescigu) 2016 (October)
Gertrudis, Medardo Amor
Luchando por la digidad, Nacho Izquierdo
Ídolos de barro, Javier Perales
El origen caníbal del mundo, Miguel Romero
l’Alternativa 2015 (November)
Pedro M. 1981, by Andreas Fontana
Eco, Xacio Baño
Sin Dios ni Santa Maria, by Helena Girón and Samuel M. Delgado
Cortada 2015 (November)
El último abrazo -Best Documentary Award-
Aithrí
Al Pelae
Diario íntimo de una actriz
El juego del escondite
El orden caníbal del mundo
Garbanzos con azúcar
Gertrudis
Jarramplas, la ira del pueblo
Las pelotaris
Lo mío no es nada
Lube, un sueño sobre ruedas
Luis, Luis
Natalia
Patata tortilla
Puño y metal
Ser e voltar
Sueños de Kathmandú
The Scale of an Obsession
Trío. Jane’s music of life
Ventanas
Malaga 2016 (March)
1982
Campanya
La mano que trina
Nada ni Nadie
Pedro M, 1981
23 de Mayo
Cabezas habladoras
Freedom To Kill The Other’s Children
Padres Hooligans
With All Our Cameras
Extremos
José Bezerra
La carga
Subsolos
Gijón 2015 (November)
No Spanish documentary short films
Huesca 2016 (June)
Ojalá, by Antonio Antón
Anatomía de la mirada
Ojo salvaje, Paco Nicolás
Cabeza de Orquídea, Violeta Blasco Caño, Angélica Sánchez Martinez, Germán Andrés López, Claudia Zegarra P. and Carlotta Napolitano
Lanzarote 2016 (April)
Primavera rosa en el Kremlin
Garbanzos con azúcar
Cinema Jove 2016 (June)
23 de mayo, David Martin de los Santos
Eusebio, el americano, Ruth Somalo
Eco, by Xacio Baño
Ojalá, by Antonio Antón
Pedro M. 1981, by Andreas Fontana
With all your cameras, by Miguel López Beraza
Zinebi 2015 (2016)
And if I told you it was you?, Jaime Refoyo
Campanya, Andrés Alonso, Catarina Brites, Alejandro Cabrera, Lara Curto and Damián Depetris
Dena ez dabil ondo, Ander Parody
Dona i Cell
Nicolás Gutiérrez
Eco, by Xacio Baño
Luz a la deriva, Iñigo Salaberria
Marea Alta, Joaquin Ojeda
Festival de Cine de Elche 2016 (July)
Cabezas Habladoras, Juan Vicente Córdoba -Award-
El solista de la orquesta, Arantxa Echevarría
Para Sonia, Sergio Milán
Soy pastor, by Borja Zausen
Fregant el cel, by Tania Ribas, Ana Mar López, Nus Fernando
Melchor y otros miles, by Day Garcia
Viento de atunes, Alfonso O’Donnell
The slow life: Raúl Micó, by Carlos de las Heras
Padres Hooligans, by Alba Cid, Alba Gomez and Zara Zelich
El baile de los infantes, by Jokin Pascual
En clave de Ortifus, by Ricardo Macián
Tambores de la convivencia, by Gotzon Cañada
Urbano: La historia de José Manuel Pérez Reyes, by Elías Pérez
Almeria en corto 2015 (November)
Luis, Luis, by José Carlos Castaño Muño
Aguilar de Campoo 2015 (December)
Al Pelae
Torrelavega 2016 (May)
56 -Award-
El submarine, Wenceslao Scyzoryk
Entre cocales
Testigos Petreos
El baile de los infantes, J. Pascual & J. Dampierre
El mundo de Mao, by Pablo de la Chica
Primavera rosa en el Kremlin, by Mario de la Torre
Testigos Petreos, by Jacobo Muñoz
Miradas Doc 2015 (November)
El juego del escondite, David Muñoz
Home, Alejandro Cabrera
Mecal 2016 (March)
El juego del escondite, by David Muñoz
Octubre Corto 2015 (October)
Mama please forgive me, by Ibai Vigil-Escalera (Spain?)
Som Pastor Borja Zausen
Punto de Vista 2016 (February)
In 2016 there are no Spanish short films in the official section
Medina del Campo 2016 (March)
23 de mayo -Award-
Cabezas habladoras
Ventanas
Semana del Cortometraje Comunidad de Madrid 2016 (April)
El mundo de Mao
Primavera rosa en México
Cabezas habladoras
23 de mayo
Seminci
No Spanish documentary short films
Up to this point the national festivals. It is important to observe how there are festivals on the list that have not selected any documentary short film.
Let us now look at some international festivals with the presence of Spanish documentary short films:
Seattle International Film Festival 2016
23 de mayo
Rotterdam 2016
Tout le monde aime le bord de la mer
With all your cameras (informative)
IFDA 2015
Ojo Salvaje
Visions du Réel
Notes from Sometime, Later, Maybe, by Roger Gómez, Dani Resines (competition)
Moradores, Alber Busquets (Premiers Pas)
Tales of Rabassada, Ferrán Romeu (Premiers Pas)
Big Sky International Film Festival
Primavera Rosa en el Kremlin
Ann Arbor, Vila do Conde
Sin Dios ni Santa Maria
In total there are 147 national selections and 9 international selections, with 100 different short films that have been screened at these festivals.
Let us apply the new regulations and see the result:
23 de mayo, 5 festivals (plus international and plus award)
Eco, 5
Al pelae, 4
El juego del escondite, 4
Cabezas habladoras, 4 (plus award)
Campanya, 3
Gertrudis, 3
Luis, Luis, 3
Ojalá, 3
Ojo salvaje, 3 (plus international)
Pedro M. 1981, 3
Sin Dios ni Santa Maria, 3 (plus international)
Ventanas, 3
56 (award)
El último abrazo (award)
Tres mujeres (award)
With all your cameras (international)
Moradores (international)
Notes from Sometime, Later, Maybe (international)
Tales of Rabassada (international)
Tout le monde aime le bord de la mer (international)
Primavera Rosa en el Kremlin (international)
In this list we have 22 short films. We can verify that the festival filter works, but perhaps too much—no fewer than 67 short films have been left out.
Let us now see which ones are left out due to dates, or not having the rating license. There are 13 short films:
Eco, was at Locarno in 2015, would be submitted for the 2016 Goyas.
Al pelae, was submitted last year.
El juego del escondite, was at Berlin 2015, would be submitted in 2016.
Gertrudis, was submitted last year.
Luis, Luis, it appears not to have the rating license before the festivals
Ojalá, does not have the rating license before the festivals.
Ojo salvaje, does not have the rating license before the festivals.
Pedro M. 1981, is a short film from 2015, most likely it was submitted in 2016.
Ventanas, was nominated last year.
El último abrazo, was nominated last year
Tres mujeres, is a short film from 2014.
With all your cameras, does not have the rating license before the festivals.
Primavera Rosa en el Kremlin, was submitted last year.
This leaves us with a preselection of only 10 short films, precisely the figure stipulated by the regulations that must form part of the short-list, and which should be chosen from among those registered by an internal commission of the Academy.
But I have verified on the ICAA website that these short films are not yet rated:
Campanya
Luis, Luis
56
Moradores
Notes from Sometime, Later, Maybe
Tales of Rabassada
and I have doubts about Tout le monde aime le bord de la mer, since it has a rating date of 2016, but Rotterdam takes place between January and February, it is very likely that it did not have the rating before the celebration of the festival.
If the producers or directors of these short films read this post, I would like you to confirm whether you have been able to submit your short films for the Goyas.
I am only certain that this year 3 short films can be submitted:
23 de mayo
Cabezas habladoras
Sin Dios ni Santa Maria
The current situation of documentary short films is very complicated, since if the situation does not change, the registered short films would not even be enough for the 4 nominees. There is still the option that the short film awarded at Alcances is different from those already preselected and has the requested rating before the festival.
I hope I have missed some international selection, or have made some error in the short films that are left out.
I appreciate any comment on this post that helps refine this data, and especially from the directors and producers of the short films mentioned.
-Update 25/07/2016 – 16:00-
Thanks to the comment from Alfonso Díaz of LINE UP Shorts with the link to view the films rated at ICAA, I have been checking the rated short films and among them Sin Dios ni Santa Maria Maria is rated.