The XXIII Tarazona and El Moncayo Comedy Film Festival ‘Paco Martínez Soria’ has put the finishing touch to its twenty-third edition this Saturday with a closing gala in which ‘Cara de cona’, by Guillermo de Oliveira, and ‘Nuda propiedad’, by Alberto Utrera, have been recognized as the great winners of the two Official Sections of the event. Oliveira’s project has received the award for Best Short Film, while Alberto Utrera’s film has won the AECID Jury Award for Best Ibero-American Feature Film in the first edition of this new section, as well as the Audience Award.
These recognitions close a particularly significant edition for the festival, which this year has expanded its commitment to comedy with the creation of an Official Section of Ibero-American Feature Films, together with a short film section that has brought together 44 works selected from the 361 works received.
The jury of the Official Short Film Section, made up of Beatriz de Silva, Tamara Berbés, Samuel Rodríguez, Vicky Calavia and Germán Roda, has decided to award the award for Best Short Film to ‘Cara de cona’, by Guillermo de Oliveira.In addition, ‘In memoriam’, by Teresa Bellón and César Calvillo, has been recognized with the Audience Award for Best Short Film.
For its part, ‘Nuda propiedad’, directed by Alberto Utrera, has received the AECID Jury Award for Best Ibero-American Feature Film, thus becoming the first film to obtain the highest recognition in this new section of the festival.
The selection of feature films has brought together seven films from Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, consolidating the Ibero-American vocation that the festival has incorporated into its programming in this twenty-third edition.
The film from Utrera has closed a section in which ‘How to save the world’, by Alejo Levis; ‘Café Chairel’, by Fernando Barreda Luna; ‘Sobriety, you’re killing me’, by Raúl Campos; ‘Until the cell separates us’, by Mariana M. Emmanuelli; ‘No translations required’, by Rafael Altamira, and ‘El Taser’, by Borja Echeverría.
«Being at the festival has already seemed to me the best because it has been our first test with an audience and we have been able to know the pulse of the film,» says Alberto Utrera, director of ‘Nuda Propiedad. In the same way, he adds that this project, although it has the housing crisis as a «showcase», talks about «finding your place in the world, which is the most atomic crisis there is». She also argues that middle age is a time when you ask yourself if you’ve done the right thing, if you’ve made good decisions, if you’re with the partner you want and where you’re going.
A list of winners that recognizes talent in front of and behind the camera
The jury has also recognized different artistic and technical works in the short film section. The award for Best Director went to Tania Watson for ‘OMG’, while the award for Best Screenplay went to Jordi Farga for ‘You have to see it’.
The award for Best Original Music went to Joan Albareda ‘alka’ for ‘The Nigerian Prince’; the Best Art Direction, to Luís Sorando for ‘In Process’; the Best Editing, to Vicente Ibáñez for ‘The Reviewer’; and the Best Cinematography, to Enrico Bárbaro Jr for ‘Until I Bury Them!’.
In acting, the ‘Alex Angulo’ Award for Best Actor has been awarded ex aequo to Chete Guzmán and Pablo Gómez-Pando for ‘Epiphany’, while the ‘Laura Gómez-Lacueva’ Award for Best Actress has gone to Cristina Soria for ‘In Memoriam’.
The list of winners is completed with a Special Mention for ‘Influencers’, by Thomas Barrera; the Moira Distribution Award for ‘Quinto Primera’, by Fran Menchón, and the Special Prize ‘El Blog del Cine Español’ for ‘Monte carlo 67’, by Rubén Guindo.
Recognition of talent and careers linked to comedy
The Closing Gala has also been the stage for the tributes of this XXIII edition, with which the festival has recognized different trajectories linked to film, television and comedy. This year, the contest has distinguished Salva Reina and Toni Acosta as Comedy Talents, while Susana Abaitua has received recognition as Young Talent and Mariona Terés has been distinguished as Revelation Talent.
With his sights set on a career that he understands from vocation and trade, Salva Reina collects the tribute to Comedy Talent measuring success not so much with awards but with the possibility of continuing to work in what he is passionate about. «One does not work towards this. We work in pursuit of telling stories, of working, of interpreting characters,» he says.
For Reina, being able to dedicate herself to such a vocational profession is already the greatest recognition, although she admits that the displays of affection that accompany awards such as Tarazona’s are «very nice» and «overwhelming».
On the other hand, Acosta says she feels «completely reconciled and grateful to do comedy», since, when the public or people stop you on the street and associate you with her, «they smile at you». The actress, who is also participating in the Official Section with the short films ‘In Memoriam’ and ‘The Other Half’, claims the value of this format as a space to tell stories and discover talents: «I love making short films because I think it’s a fantastic way to talk about the world».
Toni Acosta also defends the ability of comedy to address social issues and make reflection. For her, this genre is a «fantastic» way to talk about serious topics, ironize, laugh at ourselves and make us reflect. In this sense, he considers that festivals such as Tarazona «generate a safe space to work, to share work, to help each other and to disseminate», especially for those who still do not have the possibility of facing a feature film.
In addition, on the limits of humour, he is committed to a comedy that makes you think without offending: «I want to make humour that does not offend, so I think that the limits are set by the comedian and the audience. Your freedom of expression ends when you don’t respect the other person.»
For her part, Susana Abaitua faces her recognition as a Young Talent with special gratitude and values the bond and affection that surround the festival. «I’m very grateful. I know that it is a very beautiful festival, with a lot of love, which is treated with great care,» says the actress, who explains that in previous editions she had been invited, but scheduling difficulties had prevented her from attending.
This year, finally, he has managed to square the calendar to accompany the event and receive a recognition that he considers «an enormous honor». At the same time, Abaitua highlights the special relationship of the award with comedy, a genre that he particularly likes despite the fact that his career has been more linked to drama.
Likewise, Mariona Terés is «very excited» to receive the Revelation Talent Award in Tarazona, a town she met thanks to the series Paquita Salas, in which she participated. As she indicates, she lives this tribute «a little in shock» because it is one of the first awards of her career as an actress and comes at an active time in her career. «I’m working a lot and that it reaches me now is even more beautiful,» he adds.
The tributes have made it possible to highlight not only the careers of recognized professionals, but also the diversity of profiles and generations that find in comedy a space for creation, interpretation and connection with the public.
A week of cinema beyond the cinemas
The festival has once again extended its programming to different spaces and towns in the region, reinforcing its vocation to bring culture and cinema closer to all audiences.
One of the initiatives has been the Children’s Morning Program, which during the week has taken a selection of short films made by Primary students of the CEIP Serrerías de Valencia to Vierlas, Litago, Trasmoz, Añón de Moncayo, Tarazona and Grisel. Through these pieces, children have been able to approach cinema and reflect on issues such as equality, coexistence, interculturality, emotional health, the environment or the protection of heritage.
The programme also included meetings with professionals, such as the live recording of ‘El Podcast de Pelocas’, hosted by Marta Tai, which brought the public closer to the work behind a conversation format linked to the audiovisual sector.
The Off Festival has also expanded the comedy stages with the performances of David Puerto, Bianca Kovacs and Salva Reina, bringing humour to the Turiasonense night and complementing the film programme of the Teatro Bellas Artes.
David Puerto, who has also participated in the Short Film Making Workshop, inaugurated this parallel program with ‘Bien’, a show that combines stand-up, improvisation, music and crowdwork. For her part, Bianca Kovacs presented ‘A very legal Romanian’ and Salva Reina has closed the live comedy proposals with ‘Forbidden to throw peanuts at the monkey’.
With the closing of this twenty-third edition, the Tarazona and El Moncayo Comedy Film Festival once again reclaims its role as a meeting point for professionals, creators and spectators around the comedy genre, while maintaining its commitment to discovering new talents.
The conference also had a wide representation of actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters and professionals linked to cinema and comedy, including Luis Larrodera, Kira Miró, Maxi Iglesias, Malena Alterio, Martín Cuervo, Carlos Iglesias, Melani García, Gorka Aguinagalde, Mariano Venancio, Luisa Gavasa, Ana Turpin, Miguel Ángel Lamata, Coria Castillo, Bianca Kovacs, David Puerto, Lluvia Rojo, Zorion Eguileor, Alberto Utrera, Rulo Pardo, Chete Guzmán, Pablo Gómez-Pando, Teresa Bellón, César Calvillo, Cristina Soria, Jandro, Caye Casas, William Miller, Vicky Calavia, Bea de Silva, Tamara Berbés and Germán Roda, among many other professionals who will accompany the festival at its closing.
Accompanying the director of the festival Raúl García Medrano at the closing of this event of the seventh art, have been the mayor of Tarazona, Tono Jaray; the president of the Region of Tarazona and El Moncayo, Jacob Ramírez; the delegate councilor for culture of the City of Tarazona, Ana Calvo; the deputy deputy director of Cultural Promotion of the AECID, Mónica Redondo; head of content and new projects at Aragón TV, Natalia Martínez; head of content at DAMA, Juan Zavala; the delegate of the AISGE Foundation in San Sebastián/Basque Country, Mario Pardo, and the executive coordinator of Moira Pictures, Fernando González.
In this regard, the director of the festival, Raúl García Medrano, makes a «very positive» balance of this XXIII edition and highlights the response of the public of Turiasonense and the entire region during the ten days of programming. «We are very happy with the response one more year, since everyone, including people from abroad, has turned to the festival,» he says.
García Medrano also highlights the success of the first edition of the Official Section of Ibero-American Comedy Feature Films, which has allowed films from countries such as Mexico or Puerto Rico to be incorporated into the event and which, as he explains, «encourages us to continue along this line». «Seeing the theatre full is a luxury,» he admits.
The event also maintains its status as a qualifying festival for the Goya Awards and the José María Forqué Awards for Best Short Film Film, in addition to being part of the qualifying festivals for the Fugaz Awards.
A closing ceremony that puts the finishing touch to the XXIII edition
The closing day began with the meeting ‘A vermouth with… Luis Larrodera’, held on the terrace of the El Itury Cafeteria, before moving to the Bellas Artes Theater for the awards and recognitions gala.
The program is completed with the Closing Party at the Palacio de Eguarás, which will feature performances by The William Miller Band, Roberta Fauteck and DJ Easy Rider, putting an end to a week in which cinema and comedy have once again taken over the streets and cultural spaces of Tarazona and its region.
