The short films Antón, directed by Mikel González Beorlegui, and Cafunè, by Lorena Ares and Carlos Fernández de Vigo, are the respective winners of the first and second Loterías awards in the competitive section for short films about social issues, organised by the San Sebastian Festival and the Sociedad Estatal Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (SELAE).

The first edition of the competition received almost a hundred submissions, from which the selection committee chose ten for closer inspection by a jury presided over by the actress Emma Suárez alongside the Loterías Head of Communication, María Núñez and the Director of the San Sebastian Festival, José Luis Rebordinos. All three attended this afternoon’s screening of the films at the Trueba cinema and the following awards ceremony also attended by the President of Loterías, Jesús Huerta.

Antón, winner of the first prize coming with 10,000 euros, looks at an ageing man who learns that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but decides to keep the diagnosis from his daughter, reflecting underlying issues such as the loneliness of elderly people. For its part, the animated short Cafunè, winner of the second prize of 5,000 euros, tells the tale of a young girl who lives her traumatic past as the survivor of a small boat sinking and who is able to move forward thanks to the family who take her in. The other four finalists were Europa, by Ekain Irigoien; Lola, Lolita, Lolaza, by Mabel Lozano; Rumor de melodía / Melody’s Murmur, by Fabio Barber, and Yo voy conmigo / Go My Way, by Chelo Loureiro.

The aim of the competition is to use the audiovisual medium to send positive and hopeful messages fostering the redistribution of wealth, the elimination of inequalities and social justice. The main subjects of the short films submitted were therefore above all caring for the elderly, immigration, the problems faced by women with cancer, caring for ailing family members and, to a lesser extent, gender violence and the problems of collectives who suffer discrimination.

The Director of the San Sebastian Festival, José Luis Rebordinos, voiced his congratulations for the success of the first Loterías Award call for submissions and considered the figure of around 100 shorts submitted to be “very respectable”. “We are sure that this section will gain in strength in coming editions, but it couldn’t have got off to a better start: consolidated authors have joined new filmmaking voices and the standard of the works, extremely varied in form and content, was good”, he said, thanking Loterías and Apuestas del Estado for their “essential” support.

For his part, the President of Loterías, Jesús Huerta, highlighted “the importance of these awards in both their artistic and social aspects, given that their aim is to continue supporting progress and equality, leaving nobody behind”. Huerta also thanked the participants for “the social commitment shown in their works, because they make these Loterías Awards more meaningful”. Lastly, the President of Loterías stressed “San Sebastian Festival’s work to build a better society through culture”.