Organised by El Rincón Lento and Contrapicado Films, the 16th Festival de Cine Lento runs from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November at the Casa de la Cultura “Carmen Ordóñez” in Cabanillas del Campo. This is the festival’s third consecutive year in the municipality.
Organisers selected 12 short films from about 500 submissions for this year’s competition.
The finalists will screen at the closing gala, scheduled for 18:00 on Sunday 22 November at the Casa de la Cultura “Carmen Ordóñez”. The programme includes four awards. The Jury Prize and Audience Prize will be joined by the Local Prize for the best short from Guadalajara and the Más Lento Prize, for a film most closely connected to the festival’s spirit. Actress “EME” will present the gala, which will also feature a dance performance by Inés Narváez.
The weekend opens at 19:30 on Friday 20 November with “El sendero azul”, directed by Gabriel Mascaró. Released in 2025, the 86-minute Brazilian film will screen in its original version with subtitles, followed by a discussion.
Saturday’s family screening begins at 11:30. It features “Yuku y la flor del Himalaya”, a 65-minute animated film directed by Arnaud Demuynck and Rémi Durin and recommended for children aged four and over. Alma González and Alba Márquez will moderate the children’s discussion. Diego de la Fuente will also take part.
All three sessions are free, but invitations are required. They can be requested at the Cabanillas cultural centre or at the El Rincón Lento association’s premises in Guadalajara. Another November cultural date is the Valladolid bookshop event, scheduled for 13 November.
The festival was presented at Cabanillas del Campo town hall on Thursday 12 November by Mayor José García Salinas, alongside representatives of the organising associations. Adela Burgos represented “Contrapicado Films”, and Ana Ongil represented “El Rincón Lento”. This is the festival’s 16th edition and its third consecutive year in Cabanillas. After the presentation, invitations were available at the cultural centre and El Rincón Lento’s Guadalajara premises.
This year’s theme is “Raras”. Organisers invoke “ovejas negras y perros verdes” to frame the festival’s focus on unconventional people and films, offering an alternative to conventional commercial cinema. Ongil highlighted the work of around 15 volunteers and said audiences have responded well, including since the festival moved to Cabanillas.
García Salinas said the town wants to support diverse cultural expression, including independent and experimental cinema by auteurs. He also described the Casa de la Cultura “Carmen Ordóñez” as a suitable venue for the festival.
