This year's edition will feature thirty short films in competition, an exhibition, a national premiere, and a double tribute to Ava Gardner and Halyna Hutchins.
Mequinenza will once again become a meeting point for cinema with the celebration of the eleventh edition of the Mequinenza International Film Festival (MIFF), which will feature a pre-festival from August 28 to 30 and four days of official programming from September 3 to 6. The festival will offer a program of thirty short films encompassing fiction, documentary, animation, westerns, and Aragonese cinema across different sections, in addition to hosting the presentation and national premiere of the feature film "Retazos de un latido" (Fragments of a Heartbeat) , a historical documentary about collective memory and the demolition of the old town of Mequinenza, directed by Aragonese filmmaker Sadie Duarte.
MIFF faces this eleventh edition as a collaborating festival and pre-selector of the Goya Awards of the Film Academy , consolidating its role as a platform to boost new creators and short film professionals and reinforcing its presence within the national festival circuit.
As a prelude to the festival, and as the main novelty of this eleventh edition, MIFF incorporates for the first time a pre-festival , which will take place from August 28 to 30 with three events related to film and the Western genre. On Friday, August 28, at 8 p.m., the exhibition “A Country of Film and Westerns on Our Borders” will open in the Miguel Ibarz Hall in Mequinenza. The exhibition can also be visited on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and during the festival weekend, Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On Saturday, August 29th at 10 pm, the classic film "The Night of the Iguana ," starring Ava Gardner , one of the greatest stars in film history and an Oscar nominee for her performance in "Mogambo," will be screened. The screening will serve as a tribute to the actress and her close ties to Spain.
On Sunday, August 30th at 7 p.m. , the film "Two Outlaws ," a western directed by Joel Souza and starring Alec Baldwin , will be screened . The showing will be marked by the story surrounding the film's production and, especially, by the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming in 2021. Production was subsequently resumed and completed as a tribute to Hutchins.
The official program will begin on Thursday, September 3rd at 6 pm with the presentation of the festival, followed by its opening and the screening of “Prioritize yourself”, candidate for Aragón TV Award for Best Aragonese Short Film, with the presence of its directors, Natalia Pontaque and Terry Esparza, responsible for personally presenting the work. The day will continue with a selection of works by animation, including “Playa Libertad”, “Nothing is foreign here”, “It's Cold!”, “Kronoshock”, “A gift from the sea” and “El alto de los buitres”.
Starting at 7:30 in the evening, it will be the turn of the Ebro Section , one of the proposals linked to the river identity of the festival, with the documentaries “No Oblidem”, “Fjord time”, “Nena”, “Lethe. The voice of the river”, “Constellations of the sea” and “Origins”.
On Friday, September 4th , the screenings will begin at 6 p.m. with the Segre Section , which will feature the films “Satonella,” “The Arrival at the River of a Handsome Canoeist,” “Maitines,” and “The Last Hook,” a black and white fiction short film directed by Matías Martínez and shot in Mequinenza, where the reservoir and the castle take center stage and become an essential part of the story. Martínez will be present at the festival to personally present his work. Abel Castro , director of “Maitines,” will also be present at the screening to introduce the short film.
Later, at 7:15, the Río Bravo Section will transport the audience to the world of the Western with “Blood Will Be Shed,” “Agnella,” “Dues,” “I Vigliacchi di Big Creek,” “Wester Movie,” and “Darlin’.” The session will feature Karen Nixon , director of “Blood Will Be Shed,” and Manuel Olaya , director of “Agnella,” who will present their respective works.
Saturday, September 5th, will be dedicated to Aragonese cinema. At 6:00 PM, the Panorama Aragonés section will present "The Last Survivor on Board," "Atarantada," "A Lightbulb in California," and "Fragments of a Heartbeat." Several of the filmmakers will be present: Jorge Blas Borroy , director of "The Last Survivor on Board"; María Cristina Rubio , director of "Atarantada"; and José Manuel Herráinz , director of "A Lightbulb in California," who will introduce their work to the audience.
Next, the Cinca Section will present “Saurí,” “Libre,” and “Somos agua.” The session will feature Josep Solé i Blasi , director of “Saurí,” and Pepa López , an actress in the film, as well as Ignacio Revuelta , director of “Libre,” who will present their respective works.
Saturday will culminate at 8 pm with the Closing Gala and Awards Ceremony of the XI MIFF 2026 , in which the works and professionals recognized in this edition will be announced.
As the closing event of the program, on Sunday, September 6th at 6:00 PM, the national premiere of “Fragments of a Heartbeat,” a historical documentary directed by Sadie Duarte , a filmmaker from Aragon, will take place. The film recovers the collective memory of Mequinenza and the demolition of the old town , based on research by Carlos Cubero and Batiste Estruga . The work thus recovers the history of the former town and the memories of its inhabitants through a documentary approach that connects Mequinenza's past with the present.
The prize money totals €2.000 . Compared to the previous edition, the awards for Best Fiction Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Animated Short Film, Best Western in the Río Bravo section, and the “Antonio Blas” Audience Award have each increased from €200 to €400 , thus reinforcing the recognition of the selected works and professionals. In addition to these awards, there is the Aragón TV Award for Best Aragonese Short Film , which includes a €900 prize and the transfer of broadcasting and promotional rights for the work on the regional television channels.
With this new edition, the Mequinenza International Film Festival once again commits to a diverse program closely linked to the region, with a strong focus on Aragonese cinema and works that find narrative and cultural elements in the rivers and landscape. The MIFF thus reinforces its mission to bring different cinematic perspectives to Mequinenza and to transform the town into a meeting place for filmmakers, professionals, and film enthusiasts.
