The Alicante Smartphone Film Festival is preparing to hold its fifth edition in Alicante from 16th to 21st November, featuring a schedule that will combine screenings, workshops and meetings with audiovisual sector professionals. The activities have been presented at the Alicante Provincial Council with the participation of the deputy for culture, Juan de Dios Navarro, alongside the festival director, David Seva Morera, and the co-director, Victoria Seva Mira.
The festival, which is the first in the Valencian Community dedicated exclusively to short films recorded using a smartphone, is keeping its call for submissions open until 9 November via the Movibeta and Festhome platforms. The current edition maintains the participation rate of previous years, having received more than 200 short films to date.
The short films will be able to compete in categories including fiction, comedy, international, Alicante province, best actor, best actress and best direction, sharing a total of 2000€ in prizes. This year’s edition has received proposals from countries such as Spain, France, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, the United States, Italy, Costa Rica, Germany, Venezuela, Argentina, the Philippines and the Netherlands.
The Alicante province section will feature works from municipalities such as San Vicente del Raspeig, Novelda, Xixona, Petrer, Elche, Torrevieja, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Santa Pola, Daya Nueva, Orihuela and Benidorm, among others. The prize includes 500€ and one year of distribution for the short film in national festivals through Movibeta.
During the presentation, Juan de Dios Navarro emphasised the importance of this section in giving visibility to creators from the province and supporting new audiovisual talents. “From the Alicante Provincial Council we firmly back this type of initiative that supports new technologies, boosts culture and talent in general and cinema in particular, and highlights the works of creators from the province, whose participation in the contest shows that our land is a powerful breeding ground for future directors,” he stated.
The schedule will kick off on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th November with the smartphone filmmaking initiation workshop at Tossal Lab, where participants will learn practical techniques to create short films with their mobile phones and discover how a film set operates. Tuesday 17 November will host an audiovisual activity with APSA, including a screening of animated short films and adapted explanations concerning their creation techniques, with the aim of sparking curiosity and encouraging creativity.
On Wednesday 18th November, the Doctor Balmis University General Hospital classroom will turn into an audiovisual creation space featuring cinema hospital, where hospitalised children will become the protagonists of a cinematic experience using green screen technology and props. On Friday 20th November, actor Luis Miguel Seguí from Alicante will star in an encounter with the public at the ADDA regarding his professional career and will share experiences from his acting journey.
Throughout the week, the short films selected for the festival will be screened at Puerta Ferrisa, the ADDA and other venues within the programme. The schedule will conclude on Saturday 21st November with the closing gala at the Arniches Theatre, presented by actress and director Vanesa Romero from Alicante, with the collaboration of actor Luis Miguel Seguí from Alicante. During the event, prizes for the various categories, amounting to a total of 2000€, will be presented.
David Seva Morera highlighted “the growth of the festival and its role as a meeting point between filmmakers and the public”. Meanwhile, Victoria Seva Mira underlined “the importance of bringing cinema made with a smartphone to new audiences through educational activities and meetings with professionals”.
More information can be found on their website.