'Gran Reserva' Shorts
Vintage short films
26th, April 2007
When I was a child, I lived in Almería for a few months because of my father's job. I had not been back until two years ago when Oscar de Julián invited me to attend 'Almería en Corto’. It was moving to come back after so much time and walk the streets of Almería. The festival seemed well focused to me, bringing together the skillfulness of short filmmaking with the film tradition of Almería.As the festival approaches its seventh year, I received a new invitation to take part in Vintage Short Films'. This series does an overview of films that represent the finest in the world of short films. It is an honor for the Festival of Medina del Campo that Almería should think of us in order to screen shorts that have won at our festival. We have just completed our 20th festival and the invitation is like a birthday present to us. Knowing Oscar de Julián and bearing in mind our festival's idea of strengthening the ties between the festivals and its people, I am sure that the exchanges will be frequent from now on.
Eight short films will be screened over the two sessions, films that in many cases give us the chance to meet new directors and actors. Palos de ciego amor made it possible for Ginés Garcia Millán to win the Roel for Best Actor. Revolución won Second prize at the 16th edition. Los dardos del amor was quite a find, and earned the Special Jury Award at the 12th edition. Nada que perder made it possible for Jorge Bosch to win another award for best actor.
As far as the second session is concerned, Desaliñada was the debut short film for the 14th edition. It was a project that no one had believed in previously, though one year earlier it had won our projects competition. Gustavo Salmerón managed to get financing thanks to a boost from Medina, and he could then film what today is considered to be a "cult" short. Its most recent international exhibition took place this year in Berlin. With A mi quién manda meterme en esto, Daniela Feferman and Inés París came to be known. They won the Second prize and left a profound mark based on the deep-seated feeling of friendship. Years earlier, at the 8th edition, we met José Javier Rodríguez Melcón, who presented Sólo amor. He won the Second prize and Mónica Sánchez, who was just a girl at the time, won the award for best actress. The session closes with Diez minutos by Alberto Ruiz Rojo. Gustavo Salmerón and Eva Marciel starred in a short film based on the paradox of miscommunication in the world of the mobile phone.
With great gratitude to ‘Almería en Corto’, I send the heartfelt greetings of our team representing Medina del Campo, and expect and hope you enjoy this “Natural Reserve” that is shaping the “National Heritage” of Short Films, to which Medina del Campo and Almería are contributing year after year with their finest harvests.
Emiliano Allende Zapatero
Director of the film festival Medina del Campo