21 short films from 12 countries will compete in the next edition of the Pirineos Mountain Film Festival

ByTravesía Pirenaica
21 short films will participate in the current edition of the PMFF
  • Productions from Europe, America and Africa have been selected for the event to be held from 19 to 24 February in Huesca.
  • "We have very diverse cinematographies, from South Africa to Argentina, including Finland, Colombia, France, Spain, Mexico and the United States, works that reflect the spirit of the festival and will attract the large audiences that attend the screenings every year", says David Asensio, director of the festival.
  • The Olympia Theatre will host the free competition sessions where you will see mountain, climbing, base jumping, freediving, mountain biking, skiing and kayaking.

The Pyrenees Mountain Film Festival presents the 21 short films in competition in its official section. The event, which will be held this year 2024 between 19 and 24 February in Huesca, will feature productions from 12 countries in Europe, America and Africa; among the proposals are mountaineering, climbing, base jumping, free diving, mountain biking, skiing and kayaking. The Olimpia Theatre will once again host the free screenings of the works competing for the 6,000 euros in prizes. After passing through the capital, the film festival will begin its tour of the provincial venues, the first step before it goes national. In the words of its director, David Asensio, "we have very diverse cinematographies, from South Africa to Argentina, including Finland, Colombia, France, Spain, Mexico and the United States. These works reflect the spirit of the festival and manage to attract the large audiences that attend each year". The Festival is working on its internationalisation and is expanding its network of collaborators by signing an agreement with CINECO, International Film and Ecology Festival of Elche and Alicante, whereby one of the selected films can be seen in its competition programme and vice versa.

There will be 21 short films competing in the next edition of the Pyrenees Mountain Film Festival, a total of 12 cinematographies represented from three continents. South Africa, Argentina, Finland, Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Spain are some of the territories of origin of the works, but also the scenes of their filming; the Pyrenees will be represented with several productions of different nationalities. An amalgam of themes and landscapes that reflects the spirit of the event both on and off screen.

[SELECTION PYRENEES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2024] [SELECTION PYRENEES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2024].

The chosen productions include animation, fiction and documentary films on subjects such as mountaineering, climbing, base jumping, freediving, mountain biking, skiing and kayaking. A high-level selection, but one that has required a meticulous process of viewing and deliberation, as the director of the festival, David Asensio, points out. "We have surpassed the number of films received in the previous edition, reaching new countries as diverse as Vietnam, Australia, China, South Africa and Finland," explains the director.

The Teatro Olimpia will be again the official venue for the competition sessions; free screenings between Monday 19th February and Wednesday 21st. A specialised jury will be in charge of agreeing on the final list of winners, which will be revealed on Thursday 22nd; five members will distribute a total amount of 6,000 euros among all the awards: Best Short Film Award (3,000 euros), Best Adventure and Sports Short Film Award (1,500 euros), Best Culture and Nature Short Film Award (1,500 euros), Best Animation Short Film Award, Best Screenplay Award, Audience Award, and Best Ibero-American Short Film Award.

The culmination of the competitive part will be the exclusive presentation of the national tour of the Pirineos Mountain Film Festival on Saturday 24th February at the Palacio de Congresos in Huesca. A special programme made up of some of the best works presented, which, after passing through the capital, will begin their tour of the rest of the provincial venues, to then begin their national tour throughout the whole of 2024.

NEW STEPS FOR ITS EXPANSION

The Pyrenees International Adventure, Mountain and Nature Film Festival continues to work on its internationalisation and expands its network of collaborators thanks to an agreement signed with CINECO, the International Film and Ecology Festival held every December in Elche and Alicante. The agreement between the two cultural initiatives allows one of its selected works to compete directly for the top awards at the other event, an exchange that amplifies the impact of this production and opens the door to new audiences.

This symbiosis has already borne its first fruits thanks to the transfer of the PMFF exhibition "We are Earth" last December. Scientists, filmmakers, conservation associations and the general public have already been able to enjoy the photographs during the last edition of this Valencian event organised by the University of Alicante with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Generalitat Valenciana.

The Pirineos Mountain Film Festival is organised by the Fundación Festival Internacional de Cine de Huesca with the support of the Diputación Provincial de Huesca, Ayuntamiento de Huesca, Gobierno de Aragón, TuHuesca, Aramón, Fundación Deporte Joven del Consejo Superior de Deportes, Instituto Aragonés de la Mujer, Fundación Ibercaja and Peña Guara as organiser of the sports activities in Huesca.