The festival will bring together cinema, training, and audiovisual creativity with the screening of 38 short films, of which 35 will compete in the Official Section and three will be shown out of competition. The call for entries received 1,016 short films from various countries, confirming the event's reach.
The first sessions will take place at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, with open-air screenings on Monday 17, Tuesday 18, and Wednesday 19 August, all at 10:00 PM. The opening day will include the out-of-competition screening of the short film Tarzán, el perro del pueblo, directed by Alejandro Quiles.
From Thursday, August 20, the festival moves to the Wagner Theatre. At 7:00 PM, the traditional local short film session will be held, showcasing works by Aspe filmmakers, including El eco de la partitura. At 9:00 PM, the program will continue with a new session of international short films.
The closing ceremony will be on Friday, August 21, at the Wagner Theatre. The day will begin at 7:00 PM with a masterclass by Jordi Jiménez, director of Gilbert, winner of the 2026 Goya Award for Best Animated Short Film, who will explain the creative process and techniques of stop-motion animation. The awards ceremony will be held at 9:00 PM.
The festival also reinforces its educational aspect with two other free parallel activities. From August 17 to 20, the Aspe Cultural Center will host an Animation with Artificial Intelligence Workshop, lasting eight hours. The "Las Claquetas" Film Workshop, aimed at children and families, will also be held.
This edition's poster pays tribute to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, reflecting on the coexistence between human creativity and new technologies.
The selection includes international productions such as Talk Me, directed by Joecar Hanna and produced by Spike Lee, and the documentary Pedro Tomás explica el mundo, mentored by filmmaker Werner Herzog. The presence of works made in Aspe is reinforced.
Festival director Juan Torres highlights the increase in Aspe creators, while Culture Councilor Rosa Ruiz emphasizes the festival's consolidation as an essential cultural event.
The 13th International Short Film Festival will award prizes such as the Jury Award for Best Short Film (€600 + trophy + DCP), Audience Award for Best Short Film (€600 + trophy + DCP), Best Short Film from the Valencian Community (€600 + trophy + DCP), Best Short Film for Equality (€600 + trophy + DCP), and Best Local Short Film (€300 + trophy + DCP).
The event is organized by the Fiestas Department of the Aspe City Council with the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Alicante. The complete program can be consulted at [www.festivaldecinepequeño.es](http://www.festivaldecinepequeño.es).
