The jury has awarded several special mentions, including to Kostas Gakis as best director for "Santonella" and to Manuel Zarzo a posthumous mention for "The Last Survivor on Board"
The 11th Mequinenza International Film Festival (MIFF), declared an Activity of Tourist Interest of Aragon, closed its eleventh edition on Saturday with the awards ceremony in the Goya Room, after four days of films focused on memory, identity, and water as thematic axes. Furthermore, the Festival continues as a collaborating festival and pre-selection organizer for the Goya Awards of the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, thus reaffirming its relevance in the Aragonese and national film scene.
“Darlin” was one of the big winners of this edition, taking home the award for Best Western and Special Mention for Best Photography...also for Gamperl. Starring actress and model Hannah Holman, the short film was shot on the actress's own family ranch. The jury especially highlighted the filming of the galloping horses and Hannah Holman's performance.
For its part, “Saurí” added the award to Best Actress for Pepa López, granted unanimously, as well as a Special Jury Mention for the power and sensitivity of its message. The jury highlighted the actress's outstanding work, capable of conveying, without words, through her gaze and performance, the pain and absence caused by her son's disappearance after the Spanish Civil War. Directed by Josep S. Blasi and with a screenplay by Mireia Llinàs, the short film is set during the Battle of the Ebro, with the river itself as a character in a story marked by memory, loss, and silence.
The Antonio Blas Audience Award went to "Fragments of a Heartbeat," by Sadie Duarte, a documentary that also closed the festival's official program with its feature film premiere on Sunday, September 6. In it, the director recovers the history of the old town of Mequinenza based on the research of Carlos Cubero and Batiste Estruga, two residents of Mequinenza who have dedicated 15 years to compiling more than 7.000 photographs documenting life in the town before and during its disappearance.
The award for Best Animated Short Film went to “El alto de los buitres” (The Vultures' Peak), directed by Sebastián Villarraga (Colombia). The jury agreed in highlighting the power of the film's message and its ability to focus on the reality of dog abandonment , using a simple story to champion the value of empathy and small acts of kindness. The short film originated from the director's real encounter with a stray dog during a trip through the Colombian countryside.
The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to “No oblidem” (Don't Forget), by Carlos López-Rey (Spain), a work that addresses the consequences of the DANA storm of October 29, 2024, in Valencia from a human, political, and media perspective. During the evaluation of the short film, Enrique Novials emphasized “the need for a work of this nature to keep alive the memory of what happened and to help make the consequences of the catastrophe visible ,” highlighting its importance as a testament to a reality that remains very much present.
The award for Best Fiction went to “We Are Water,” by Jorge Malpica (Mexico), a story of enormous delicacy and emotional depth that addresses grief through an intimate and relatable experience for any viewer. One of its central scenes, filmed underwater, also presented a significant technical challenge.
The award for Best Actor went to Quique Durio for his role in "Agnella." Durio is a true specialist in Westerns, a genre in which he feels completely at home and in which he began as a stuntman at the Oasys Mini Hollywood in Tabernas. True to his working method, based on the Stanislavski technique, he approaches each character with meticulous preparation, avoiding overacting.
In addition to these accolades, the Aragón TV Award for Best Aragonese Short Film was also presented , which includes a €900 prize and the transfer of broadcasting and promotional rights for the film on the regional television channels. The award went to “Una bombilla en California” (A Lightbulb in California) , a production by Albella Audiovisual, and was presented by Natalia Martínez Oliván, Head of Content and New Projects at Aragón TV . The short film features Luisa Gavasa and María José Moreno.
Special remarks
The jury also wanted to highlight the talent and artistic quality of other works and professionals with several special mentions.
The Best Director award went to Greek director Kostas Gakis for “Santonella,” a story inspired by a real ecological disaster in the Gulf of Maliakos that reflects on loss, memory, and the continuity of life.
The recently deceased actor Manuel Zarzo received a posthumous award for "The Last Survivor on Board," directed by Jorge Blas from Aragon. This science fiction short film was the last work of the Zaragoza-born actor, who had nearly 170 films to his credit.
The winning works and professionals received the “ Silucams,” the awards with which the Mequinenza International Film Festival recognizes the best entries of this eleventh edition. In addition to the various official awards, the jury also granted several special mentions to highlight the talent and artistic quality of other works and professionals.
A festival that takes up the mantle and looks to the future
The 2026 edition also marked a point of continuity for the festival, with the change in leadership after a decade of work by Javier Rodes. The mayor of Mequinenza, Antonio Sanjuán, participated in the closing ceremony, which was also attended by Darío Vidallet, Councilor for Culture and Heritage. Sanjuán specifically acknowledged Rodes' work over the past ten years, highlighting his fundamental role in the festival's growth and consolidation, while also thanking Enrique Novials for taking on the challenge of carrying on the project. Sanjuán emphasized that, in worthwhile projects, passing the torch does not mean bringing something to a close, but rather trusting that what has been built is strong enough to continue.
The 2026 edition has doubled the endowment of its main prizes —Best Fiction, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Western and the "Antonio Blas" Audience Award—, which go from 200 to 400 euros, while the Aragón TV Award for Best Aragonese Short Film maintains its endowment of 900 euros.
With this edition, MIFF reinforces its identity as a festival linked to water, territory and landscape, open to different genres, eras and cinematic languages, and consolidates Mequinenza as an international meeting point for short films.
