Madrid, March 4, 2025 – The headquarters of DAMA Autor in Madrid hosted today the official presentation of the ninth edition of the Skyline Benidorm Film Festival, an event that has established itself as a benchmark in the short film industry. The event featured speeches by Carmen Pacheco, General Director of DAMA, Jaime Jesús Pérez, Councilor for Culture of the Benidorm City Council, and Beatriz Hernández, Director of the festival, who detailed the novelties of this edition and highlighted the festival’s importance in the professionalization of the sector.
A festival that drives the short film industry
Beatriz Hernández emphasized the commitment of Skyline Benidorm Film Festival to promoting audiovisual talent, recognizing industry professionals, and fostering diversity and creativity. “One of the festival’s main goals is to highlight the short film industry, increasing its visibility and consolidating it as a key piece within the cinematic ecosystem,” she stated.
This year, the festival has broken records in submissions: 810 short films were submitted, a 27% increase compared to the previous edition. Additionally, the Shortpitch competition, aimed at short film projects in development, grew by 47%, with 53 projects submitted. Ten of them will be finalists and will compete for the €22,000 prize, facilitating the production of new works with Benidorm as an essential part of their stories.
Official Selection and support for creators
The National Official Section, which maintains its status as a Goya Awards-qualifying festival, will feature 26 short films across three categories: fiction, animation, and documentary. All short films will receive a screening fee and the opportunity to compete for prizes totaling €11,000.
In addition to the national section, Skyline will include its International Section, featuring short films from Denmark, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States, as well as the Ibero-American Section with works from Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, and Portugal. Furthermore, the Young Filmmakers Section will be dedicated to socially themed projects focused on gender equality and integration.
Cuba, guest country of this edition
As part of the Skyline Benidorm Film Festival, Cuba will be the guest country of the ninth edition. With the presence of the International Film and Television School of Cuba (EICTV), the festival will serve as the starting point for the celebrations of the institution’s 40th anniversary. Various activities will be held, including a screenwriting masterclass by Yolanda Barrasa, a screening of an anthology of EICTV short films, and meetings with filmmakers such as Benito Zambrano.
Cinema for all and commitment to accessibility
Skyline Benidorm Film Festival reaffirms its commitment to inclusion with the initiative “Cinema for All,” ensuring that screenings are accessible to people with visual and hearing impairments. This initiative seeks to guarantee that all audiences can enjoy cinema without barriers.
DAMA Screenplay Competition and the launch of PRISMA
In collaboration with DAMA, the festival strengthens its support for screenwriters with the DAMA Screenplay Competition, which offers a prize of €1,500. This year, 497 submissions were received, a 51.5% increase from the previous year, reflecting the growing interest in screenwriting.
As a major new initiative, the festival introduced PRISMA, the new Skyline industry days. PRISMA aims to internationalize the festival and become a meeting point for production companies and short film projects at any stage of development. It will feature participation from national and international production companies, filmmakers, distributors, and representatives from festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand and Curtas Vila do Conde, thus enhancing international short film co-production.
A prestigious jury
The festival will have high-level juries for its various sections:
- Official Section: Marta Nieto, Gorka Lasaosa, and Belén Sánchez-Arévalo.
- International Section: Miguel Dias, Tim Redford, and Yolanda Flores.
- DAMA Screenplay Competition: Jan Amor, María Zaragoza, and Chelo Loureiro.
With a diverse program, growing participation, and new professionalization initiatives, Skyline Benidorm Film Festival 2025 is set to solidify itself as a benchmark in the audiovisual sector.
