SEPTEMBER 8-12, 2025
OFFICIAL SECTION
Feature films and short fiction, documentary, and animation films produced after January 1, 2018. National and international. Competing for the Melitón Award for Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Cinematography, and the Melitón Iberofest Award for Best Ibero-American Film.
JAVIER TOLENTINO
Member of the Official Section Jury
A graduate in Information Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid, he studied Law at the University of Salamanca. He has directed some of the most charismatic news programs on radio (Siete días, Informe Abierto, La Jornada, El Ciempiés). He is the creator, founder, and director of El Otro Cine Posible (Radio 5), El Árbol de las Palabras (Radio Exterior de España), and El Séptimo Vicio (Radio 3); the latter, with seventeen years of presence on the cultural network of public radio, has earned him awards such as the Critics' Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Sebastian Film Festival, among others.
MAITE IRISO
Member of the Official Section Jury
With a degree in Labor Sciences and a Diploma in Social Studies, she is the Territorial Director of the Spanish Red Cross Employment Plan in Navarre. She works to integrate disadvantaged people, promoting and strengthening their employability to better position them for employment, regardless of their origin, gender, and/or age. She has extensive work experience managing various programs aimed at integrating migrants, people over 45, women, and young people. She served as Deputy Director of Youth for the Government of Navarre, and served on juries for various artistic disciplines in the Navarre Young Artists Gathering program.
RUTH GUTIÉRREZ
Member of the Official Section Jury
Professor of Screenwriting and Epistemology at the Faculty of Communication at the University of Navarra, and of Storytelling at the Executive Master's in Corporate Reputation (MERC) at the same university. She is also a teaching assistant in the PhD Program in Communication at the University of Los Andes (Chile) and a research associate in the Myth, Knowledge, and Action research line at the Universidad Panamericana (Aguascalientes campus, Mexico). Her research focuses on poetics, myth, and heroism. She has conducted research stays in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Italy, as well as teaching stays in Poland, Colombia, and Chile.
ALBERTO CAÑADA
Member of the Official Section Jury
Member of the Official Section Jury
JAVIER GRUÑEIRO
Member of the Official Section Jury
Member of the Official Section Jury
SPANISH SHORT FILM SECTION
Spanish short films produced from 2021 onwards are eligible for the Melitón Award for Best Spanish Short Film. The winning film will also be eligible for the Official Section awards.
JULIA JUÁNIZ
President of the Spanish Short Film Section Jury
Cinema is her life. Since 1990, she has worked as an editor for films and documentaries: Paula Cons, Bobby Moresco, Carlos Saura, Victor Erice, Rafael Gordon, Alberto Morais, Ramon Barea... She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Hollywood, the European Film Academy, and the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a director, she strives to discover other forms of narrative within experimental cinema and video art. She also takes photographs, collages, and installations with different content, and paints film negatives that she then projects. She creates light boxes and installations with them. She remains a filmmaker every minute of her life.
ITZIAR ITUÑO
Member of the Jury, Spanish Short Film Section
Godmother of the Navarra International Film Festival. Actress and singer. Born in Bilbao. Popular on TV for Goenkale (the longest-running soap opera in the Basque Country), she made her mark in 2014 with her work in Loreak by Jon Garaño and José Mari Goenaga, and in 2017 with Money Heist, an Antena 3 series later acquired by Netflix. The artist has also participated in several theater productions. In the musical field, she has appeared as a vocalist in Dangiliske, EZ3, and INGOT. She recently hosted the Basque Film and ETB Gala at the 65th San Sebastian Film Festival.
ESTHER GARCÍA
Member of the Jury, Spanish Short Film Section
She began her career working as a production secretary on Pim, pam, pum... fuego (Pedro Olea, 1975) and the television series Curro Jiménez. She has subsequently worked with directors such as Álex de la Iglesia, Fernando Trueba, Fernando Colomo, Isabel Coixet, and Guillermo del Toro. On Matador (Pedro Almodóvar, 1986), she worked with the Almodóvar brothers and has since been part of the El Deseo team, producing all of Pedro Almodóvar's films.
She has received seven Goyas: three for Best Production Management and four more as a producer. She received the 2018 National Film Award for her career spanning more than 30 years at the national and international level, becoming the first female producer to receive the award.
DAVID ILUNDAIN
Member of the Jury, Spanish Short Film Section
He holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Navarra. He furthered his film studies at the International School of Film and TV in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. He directed B, the film, nominated in three categories at the Goya Awards and winner of the Special Feroz Award.
His latest film, Uno Para Todos, was released in 2020.
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ALITO RODGERS JR.
Member of the Jury, Spanish Short Film Section
African-American bilingual actor in theater, film, and television. He holds a degree in Drama from Boston University (USA) and a Master's degree in Hispanic Literature from New York University, Madrid. He also starred in the short film "Aquel No Era Yo," which won a Goya Award in 2013 and was nominated for an Oscar in 2014.
Dialogue Coach, Teacher Trainer, among others.
He starred in Martin Rosete's "Remember Me," 2018, filmed in Navarra. In 2019, he co-starred in "Karen," which premiered at the Seville European Film Festival.
Dialogue Coach, Teacher Trainer, entre otros.
Actuó en "Remember Me" de Martin Rosete, 2018, rodada en Navarra. En 2019 trabajó en "Karen" como coprotagonista, película presentada la película en el Festival de Cine Europeo Sevilla.
STUDENT FILMS SECTION
National and international short films produced in the academic field from January 1, 2018 onwards. They are eligible for the Melitón Award for Best Student Film.
MARÍA MONREAL
Presidenta del Jurado Sección Student Films
Director and audiovisual producer. Her feature-length documentary "Con los ojos abiertos" (2019) won the first edition of the Navarra International Film Festival and received the Special Jury Prize at the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, among others. She is currently the director of Cambur Producciones, an independent film and advertising production company that focuses on social cinema and operates between Madrid and Pamplona.
BÁRBARA ROS
Member of the Student Films Section Jury
Art Director. Graduated in “Creation and Design” from the University of Fine Arts. Specialized in the development of content for animation through the master's degree “Pre-production for animation series” in Barreira, Valencia. Since 2014, she has been a collaborator of the Archive of Intangible Heritage of Navarra, creating illustrations for multiplatform, interactive and Augmented Reality content. In 2018, she founded “The Magpie´s Nest” thanks to the Iníciate Award (best innovative project), where she develops series selected at festivals such as 3D Wire, Non Stop Festival and 948 Merkatua. Art Director on “D'Artacán and the Three Muskehounds” by Apolo Films. Her strong point is color script: narrative of emotions through color.
IKER ARANGUREN
Miembro del Jurado Sección Student Films
He is a student of Audiovisual Communication at the University of the Basque Country. He has worked on various audiovisual projects, mostly related to music and the performing arts, as well as several short films. He worked as a camera operator on Fernando Vera's documentary Los Acordes de la memoria (2019).
He currently combines his university studies with specific projects and is a contributor to Festaro television.
DANIEL MALDONADO
Member of the Student Films Section Jury
He trained as an actor at Remiendo Teatro, Work in Progress, and Juan Carlos Corazza schools, and in film directing with filmmakers such as Oliver Laxe, Víctor Erice, and Albert Serra. He directed, produced, and acted in "La Fantasía" (Fantasy), and through this project presented his research "Fantasy and Playful Hedonism." He has collaborated with the ZEP program for social inclusion in high schools in Marseille, France, to use film and creative processes as educational tools. Along these lines, he is preparing a filmmaking project with adolescents at the "Collège de Pao-Pao" in Moorea, French Polynesia. He is currently working on several film projects, including "Somos Fuego" (We Are Fire), with a script by playwright Dario Facal, and "Silencio," his first feature film with screenwriter Jose Canas.
EKHIÑE ETXEBERRÍA
Member of the Student Films Section Jury
Es Graduada por la ESCAC (Escola Superior de cine y audiovisuales de Catalunya) en la especialidad de dirección de documental; y forma parte de DOCMA (Asociación de Cine Documental en España).
Su mediometraje documental Mikele, con su estreno en DocumentaMadrid, fue exhibido en festivales tanto nacionales como internacionales, siendo galardonado en algunos de ellos como DocumentaMadrid, Alcances, Festival por los derechos humanos de Barcelona, Muestra de Cine y Mujeres de Pamplona, etc. Actualmente se encuentra en la producción de su siguiente pieza documental.
En estos momentos encuentra formándose como comisaria audiovisual en la escuela de cine Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE) en San Sebastián, donde también forma parte de un grupo de investigación de la historia del Festival de San Sebastián, Zinemaldia 70!
CLIMATE CHANGE SECTION
Works with climate change themes or with an ecological seal are eligible for the Climate Change Meliton.
RODRIGO SOPEÑA
Member of the Quarantine Films Section Jury
Director and screenwriter—along with Luis Piedrahita—of the film Fermat's Room. He has also directed highly successful entertainment programs with José Mota (La1) and the first seasons of Me resbala (A3). He recently directed Lol: si te ríes pierdes (Amazon Prime) and has published the comic El último tahúr (The Last Gambler) as a screenwriter.
PAUL URKIJO
Member of the Quarantine Films Section Jury
Since he was very young he has been passionate about cinema, illustration, literature, and comics. With a predilection for the fantasy genre. Being a great fan of reading mythology and traditional tales. In 2008 he graduated in Fine Arts and professionally dedicates himself to audiovisual production, illustration and infographics. Thus he began to write and make his own fiction and animation short films. The short films he has written and directed have won 85 national and international awards and more than 400 selections around the world. In 2016 he wrote, produced and directed his first feature film entitled Errementari. Dar-Dar, his latest short film (2020) premiered at Sitges, obtaining the Silver Méliès.
ITZIAR GARCÍA
Member of the Quarantine Films Section Jury
Creative Producer. Her professional career has led her to different formats and styles over 20 years; from television programs and series, to documentary and fiction feature films, to the production of events, video installations, and film and music festivals.
For 12 years, she has directed the production of Arena Comunicación projects. During that time, she has produced works that have led her to film in nearly 30 countries. These include Pura Vida, Muros, Cholitas, and Dardara. She is responsible for the distribution plan for these and other films, all of which have achieved wide distribution in theaters, festivals, and on international television.Durante 12 años ha dirigido la producción de proyectos de “Arena Comunicación”. En ese tiempo ha producido obras que le han llevado a rodar en cerca de 30 países. Entre ellas Pura Vida, Muros, Cholitas o Dardara. Siendo la encargada del plan de distribución de esas y otras películas, todas ellas han conseguido amplia difusión en salas, festivales y televisiones internacionales.
ÁLVARO GONZÁLEZ
Member of the Quarantine Films Section Jury
He holds a Diploma in Film Directing from ECAM (the School of Cinematography and Audiovisuals of the Community of Madrid), where he was tutored by Ana Díez, Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, and Gracia Querejeta, and directed actors by Mariano Barroso and Jaime Chávarri. He has been working as a director in advertising and on TV series and programs for twenty years. He is a professor at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Navarra in the Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Communication, where he teaches Directing, Screenwriting, Film and TV Production, and Directing Actors and Acting. He is also a tutor for Final Degree Projects in Fiction, Animation, and TV Programs. He has directed three short films: El Cinéfilo, Casa Fouce, and Titan.
TERESA MORALES
Member of the Quarantine Films Section Jury
In 2010, she joined Telecinco Cinema as Marketing Director, until she returned to her homeland in 2018 to take over as Executive Director of the Punto de Vista Festival and join the Navarra Film Commission team.
CIMA AWARD
Films made during the Filming in Navarre Workshop with Isabel Coixet at Melitón Studios. Competing for the Melitón Award for Best FEN Workshop.
MIRYAM GALLEGO
President of the FEN Workshop Section Jury
Actress born in Ourense. Graduated in Dramatic Arts from RESAD. Television credits include: Instinct, State Secrets, The Ministry of Time, Aguila Roja, and Journalists. In film, she has appeared in Paraíso (Mariana Chenillo), The Sleeping Voice (Benito Zambrano), and Contestant (Rodrigo Cortés). In theater, she has appeared in Numancia (J.L. García Pérez, CDN), King Lear (Gerardo Vera, CDN), Don Juan de Alcalá (Eduardo Vasco), and Arsenic Please (Gonzalo Suárez).
CAP Teaching Aptitude Course. Didactics of Artistic Expression. She has conducted workshops with Antonio Faba, Carla Matteini, Lourdes Ortiz, Mia Patterson, Luis Landero, Luca Aprea, Inés Ribadeneira, and Tomas Clement.
LOLA MAYO
Member of the FEN Workshop Section Jury
Screenwriter, producer, and film professor. She has directed documentaries for the Spanish National Television (TVE) program Documentos TV and has won the Queen Sofía Journalism Award. She teaches narrative at film schools and universities in Spain and Latin America, including the Carlos III University of Madrid, the ECAM (National Institute of Film Studies), the Madrid Film Institute, the Lusofona University of Lisbon, and Hamilton College in the United States. She directs the Feminist Documentary Creation Lab at the Francesca Bonnemaison Center in Barcelona. She is a programmer for the DocumentaMadrid and Alcine festivals. For three years, she coordinated the Documentary Film Chair at the San Antonio de los Baños Film School in Cuba and founded the Master's Program in Documentary Project Creation there. She is a producer and co-writer of many of director Javier Rebollo's works.
ANDREA JAURRIETA
Member of the FEN Workshop Section Jury
Director and screenwriter. Her debut feature, Ana de día (2018), which she also produced, participated in more than 30 national and international festivals, winning 11 awards, culminating in her nomination for Best New Director at the 33rd Goya Awards in 2019.
In 2015, she served as director of Pedro Almodóvar's film Julieta. Her projects have received grants from the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome, the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid, and the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts.
She combines her film projects with her work as a professor of Film History, Acting, and Directing at various specialized schools and universities in Madrid.
AMAIA MERINO
Member of the FEN Workshop Section Jury
She studied acting at the Navarra Theater School (1987-1988), the Cristina Rota Acting School in Madrid (1989-1993), and the León Sierra Actors Studio in Quito (2009-2012).
At the age of twelve, she began her acting career and has appeared in films such as Akelarre and Tasio, by Montxo Armendáriz. She is the co-director, co-writer, co-producer, and editor of the feature-length documentary Asier ETA biok (Asier and I), a Spanish-Ecuadorian co-production that won the Irizar Award at the 2013 San Sebastián Film Festival, among other international awards, and has been commercially released in theaters in Spain, France, and Ecuador.
SARA SEVILLA
Member of the FEN Workshop Section Jury
She holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Navarra and a Master of Business Administration from the Chamber of Commerce of Navarra. She has worked at the INAAC Foundation (Institute of Audiovisual Arts and Cinematography) since 2011. Since 2014, she has been the Director of the Navarra Film Commission, an office for the development of the audiovisual sector in the region and attracting filming to the territory belonging to NICDO (Navarra Infrastructure for Culture, Sport and Leisure of the Government of Navarra). She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Spain Film Commission since 2018 and has participated as a jury in several film festivals and competitions. Since 2017, she has been a jury for the Generazinema Grants (Department of Culture of the Government of Navarra).