Vladimir Cruz is among the award winners at the Alfàs del Pi Film Festival

July 17, 2024

The Alfàs del Pi Film Festival (Alicante) celebrated its XXXVI edition between July 5 and 14, and awarded its Silver Beacons to actors Malena Alterio, Luis Zahera, and Vladimir Cruz during its opening ceremony held on July 6.

Additionally, during the closing ceremony on the 13th, in which awards were presented to the winning short films, it honored writer and presenter Máximo Huerta with the Festival Film Ambassador Award.

At the XXXVI edition of the Festival held in the Alicante municipality, and directed by Luis Larrodera, a total of 1,154 short films were submitted. Of these, 27 were selected to compete in the Official Section and another 10 in the Best Valencian Short Film Section.

In addition to winning the Silver Beacon, the winning short film, 'El cacharrico', written by Óscar Toribio, will be able to participate in the Goya Awards in the category of Best National Fiction Short Film. Furthermore, it received a prize of 4,000 euros.

On the evening of Saturday, July 6, the opening ceremony, which took place at the Auditorium of the Casa de la Cultura in the town, kicked off a week of cinema on the shores of the Mediterranean. The event was hosted by impressionist, comedian, and presenter Raúl Pérez, and during it the Silver Beacons were awarded, with which on this occasion the Festival recognized the work and professional trajectory of the latest winner of the Goya for Best Leading Actress, Malena Alterio, actor Luis Zahera, who won this award in the Supporting Cast category in 2023, as well as the Hispanic-Cuban interpreter nominated for an Oscar, Vladimir Cruz.

The closing ceremony took place on Saturday, July 13 and was presented by actress and comedian Coria Castillo. In it, in addition to recognizing the work of Máximo Huerta, granting him the Festival Film Ambassador Award, it was announced that 'El cacharrico', a short film by Óscar Toribio, was the contest winner. The director himself commented that it is a tribute to life, sex, and friendship, and in a humorous tone, it tells us a moving story that brings us closer to the lives of a group of women who discover sex as a source of joy and health. Thanks to this short film, actress Rosario Pardo, who plays Angustias, was able to win the award for Best Actress granted by the festival.