The in-FCTA film festival in Bot, a village of about 500 residents in Terra Alta, marks its tenth anniversary with a programme that puts rural culture and alternative cinema in the spotlight. Led by actor Iván Massagué, the event has turned the small town into a meeting place for filmmakers and audiences. This year’s programme includes 87 short films from various countries, with 50 in competition. Running until August 8, the festival also features training sessions for industry professionals and musical gatherings, alongside family-friendly performances. Bot is part of the Via Verda de la Terra Alta, a route connecting communities across the region.
The opening ceremony also drew attention to debates over the region’s future. Singer Sílvia Pérez Cruz took the stage to raise concerns about the expansion of large wind farms in Terra Alta, an issue that has prompted local discussion. Her a cappella performance of Vestida de noche accompanied reflections on the projects’ potential impact and the tension between renewable-energy development and preserving local identity.
Founded by Josep Mulet, known locally as “lo cinero” de Bot, in-FCTA has grown from a community event into a defining feature of the municipality. During the inauguration, Massagué and Úrsula Agut paid tribute to Mulet, calling him the spark behind the festival. Massagué also urged authorities to protect and support cultural projects in small towns, emphasizing their role in shaping local identity.
The tenth edition carries the motto “Mientrastante, in-FCTA...”, chosen to suggest a story still in progress. Over the past decade, the festival has brought hundreds of short films and a new generation of viewers to Bot, filling its streets for a week each summer. The opening night, hosted by Jordi Díaz and Juli Fàbregas with soprano Anna Belén Gómez, paid homage to silent cinema. The annual in-FCTA 2026 short film, created with local participants, premiered that evening. Sand was chosen as this year’s symbol of the collective effort behind the festival. Volunteers and residents have contributed, as have wineries and farmers, grain by grain.
The programme brings together professional cinema and emerging talent, with youth productions, school projects and immersive experiences also on offer. Local agricultural producers take part too, reinforcing the festival’s ties to the region’s traditions and economy. This combination gives the event a community focus while creating a platform for creative work beyond Spain’s major cities.
While in-FCTA focuses on cinema and community, other recent events in Spain have highlighted different challenges facing small towns. For example, the discovery of human remains in Málaga led to a confession and arrest, as detailed in this report on a shocking case in Alhaurín de la Torre. Such incidents reflect the varied realities of rural life across the country.
Rural festivals such as in-FCTA sustain local cultural life and offer platforms for creative expression outside major cities. As debates over renewable-energy projects and demographic change continue, Bot’s experience shows how a cultural event can bring a community together and draw attention to local concerns. Over its decade-long run, the festival has reflected the role such initiatives can play in rural life, where tradition meets new ideas and outside pressures.
