From 19 to 27 June 2026, Valencia becomes a hub for some of the most exciting young filmmaking talent on the planet. Cinema Jove is officially the Valencia International Film Festival that will celebrate its 41st edition this summer, and after four decades it remains one of the most important platforms for emerging cinema anywhere in Europe.

What Is Cinema Jove?

Founded in 1986 by the Generalitat Valenciana, Cinema Jove was born as a festival dedicated to film education and the promotion of young directors. It has since grown into a fully accredited international festival that is recognised by the FIAPF, the global body that certifies film festivals while staying true to its founding mission: to give a platform to filmmakers who might not yet have one.

The festival’s rules are strict in the best possible way. All films competing in the official sections must be directed by filmmakers under the age of 40, and feature films must be premiering in Spain for the first time. This gatekeeping is what keeps the programming genuinely fresh where you won’t find established Hollywood names here. Instead, Cinema Jove has built its reputation on discovering directors before they become household names, and on championing formal experimentation, bold storytelling and voices from corners of the world that rarely get global screen time.

Under the artistic direction of Carlos Madrid, who has led the festival since 2017, Cinema Jove has developed a programming philosophy that prizes quality over volume and diversity over safe bets. This year’s selection committee reviewed more than 2,000 submitted titles before landing on a programme that is solid, diverse and coherent.

The Official Sections

Cinema Jove runs five competitive official sections, each with its own professional jury as well as a young jury composed of students who bring their own perspective to the prize-giving.

The Official Feature Film Section is the centrepiece, showcasing nine international films from fourteen countries. This year’s selection opens with The Patron, a sharp satirical thriller about class and power by Swedish director Julia Thelin. Other highlights include Filipiñana, a critically acclaimed film from Filipino director Rafael Manuel that gained attention at Sundance; No Good Men by Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, which takes the form of a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan; and Chronovisor, a 16mm science fiction film by Jack Auen and Kevin Walker. The section is rounded out by films from Romania, China, the US and Malta, with works shot on Super 16mm and other analogue formats reflecting a wider tendency in the programme toward formal and technical experimentation.

The Official Short Film Section is one of Spain’s most prestigious international showcases for short-form work. This year’s selection includes returning filmmakers with strong ties to the festival including Christian Avilés, winner of the Luna de València award for La herida luminosa, who returns with Stallion y la bola de cristal as well as Valencian voices Laura Pérez Gómez with A certa distància and Iván Fernández de Córdoba with Esto está frío. The section combines comedy, animation, documentary and intimate drama exploring themes of grief, adolescence and care.

The Series Section is in its eleventh year, competing nine international projects with a focus on short-format episodes. Five of the selected series are premiering in Spain, including the German workplace comedy Das Manko, the Russian thriller Hirurg, two Canadian productions and the Spanish drama Sense Filtres. The section will also host professional round tables on international co-productions, AI in the audiovisual sector, and creative process.

The Young Audiovisual Meeting brings together thirteen short films made by participants aged between 16 and 25 from across Spain, with mentoring sessions and the possibility of selection for the Young Filmmakers Residency, which this year focuses on the technical and commercial viability of audiovisual projects.

Prizes and Honours

Cinema Jove’s top prize, the Luna de València, is awarded across the feature film, short film and series categories. The winning feature film distributor receives €25,000, with an additional €10,000 going to the production company with prizes that carry genuine weight in the independent film world and can meaningfully change the trajectory of a young filmmaker’s career.

This year’s honorary Luna de València for career achievement goes to Félix Sabroso, one of Spain’s most versatile writer-directors, recognised for a career that has moved fluidly between cinema and television over four decades. Sabroso’s work ranges from his 1996 debut feature Perdona bonita, pero Lucas me quería a mí, a box office hit and Mostra de València award-winner to his most recent project, the HBO Max series Furia, which earned international critical acclaim including coverage in The New York Times and Time magazine. The festival will celebrate his work with a dedicated retrospective during the week.

The “Un futuro de cine” award, given to a rising talent, goes this year to actress Priscilla Delgado. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Spain, Delgado has built an impressive career across Spanish film and television since her early breakthrough in Los protegidos and her appearance in Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta. She is currently one of the new faces of Euphoria, joining the HBO Max series for its third and final season.

Special Programmes and Parallel Events

Alongside the official competition, Cinema Jove runs a number of non-competitive sections and special programmes that are often just as compelling as the main event. This year’s edition includes “The Gods of Anime,” a cycle dedicated to animated feature films; “High School,” a section curated for younger audiences; and “Òrbites,” the festival’s non-fiction and experimental strand that was introduced in 2023 and has quickly become one of the most distinctive parts of the programme.

There is also a collaboration with the Film Academy Summer Campus, a Valencia-based initiative organised in partnership with Netflix. On 22 June, the Filmoteca will host a special screening of Yo no morié de amor, the award-winning debut feature by Marta Matute, followed by a conversation with the director and the president of the Spanish Film Academy. The film won four awards at the recent Málaga Film Festival, including the Golden Biznaga for Best Film.

Cinema Kids, a programme of animated short films for young audiences developed in collaboration with the French festival Premiers Plans d’Angers, takes place at the Sala Rialto on 24 June.

The festival’s Industry Area has also been expanded this year, with professional activities including panel discussions on international co-productions, artificial intelligence in the audiovisual sector, and creative process. A live podcast recording on the representation of non-normative bodies in contemporary fiction will take place at Fnac on 26 June.

Where to Watch and How to Get Tickets

Cinema Jove takes place across several venues in Valencia, including the Filmoteca, the Centre Cultural La Nau, the CCCC (Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània) and the Sala Rialto who are all well-connected by public transport and largely within the historic city centre. The festival offices are located at Plaza de la Almoina, 4, 1º.

Tickets and the full programme are available on the festival’s official website. The programme can also be downloaded as a printable PDF directly from the site, and the festival maintains active social media channels — @cinemajove on Instagram and TikTok — for daily updates throughout the week.

Report by Faith Callaway

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

More information: cinemajove.com | info@cinemajove.com | +34 963 311 047