The Mequinenza International Film Festival has increased tenfold the number of competition entries related to the western genre.
The ninth edition of the Mequinenza International Film Festival (MIFF), part of the Aragon Film Festivals and Showcases Network (ARA FILM FEST), which will take place from August 29 to September 1, has closed its submission period with 3.151 short films from 131 countries. Of particular note is the increase in Western productions, a genre that was introduced to the festival as an award category last year under the name "Rio Bravo." The number of submissions has increased tenfold, from 25 in 2023 to 251 in 2024.
The number of productions vying for the award for best Aragonese short film has also doubled to 26. Nearly half of the submissions, 1.574, are fiction films, followed by animation with 703, and documentaries with 601. The number of nationalities represented in the competition has reached 131, with Spanish entries being the most numerous at 218, closely followed by India with 216, and the United States and Brazil with 209 each. Notable entries come from France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as from destinations as far-flung as China, New Zealand, Singapore, Jordan, and Iceland.
The finalist short films, which will be announced in the coming weeks, will compete for six cash prizes: Best Fiction, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Aragonese Short Film, Best Western, and the "Antonio Blas" Audience Award. Each prize includes 200 euros in cash and the festival's "Silucam" statuette. In addition, for the first time, awards will be given for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Art Direction.
