Editor

58 universities from all over the World are participating in the second edition of UNIFEST
The 2nd International University Short Film Festival has achieved its objective of enhancing its international scope, on receiving 162 films from 19 different countries UNIFEST has become consolidated for the second year in a row as the pioneering festival in its category in Europe and the rest of the world

UNIFEST’06 promises to be an overwhelming success. Following an initial edition where the expectations of participation were broadly achived, with close to one hundred short films submitted, the second is not less. 162 short films submitted, from 19 different countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, England, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, Uruguay and Venezuela. In addition, a total of 58 universities are taking part through their students’ films, a figure well ahead for the 19 university centres registered in the previous festival.

The UNIFEST General Coordinator, Andrea Ansareo, was pleased to note that with this level of participation “the main objective of UNIFEST’06 has been achieved: a higher level of internationalisation of the films submitted”.

Of the total films received, 35 will compete in the Official Section in three categories: Animation, Fiction and Documentaries, with the possibility of winning the following prizes. The First UNIFEST Prize in Fiction, is worth 1,000 euros and a scholarship for the International Cinema and Video Photography Direction Workshop, which will be held in Mexico during the coming month of September, awarded by the Film Producer, ro75 Training Center. The Second UNIFEST Prize in Fiction is 500 euros, the same amount that will be awarded to the winners in the Animation and Documentary categories.

Other awards include the ‘Royal Place and Town of Aranjuez’ Prize conceded by the Town Council of Aranjuez, in the amount of 600 euros, and the ‘Voice of the Public’ Prize which consists in a MiniDV SONY camera to the shortfilm chosen by the audience. Finally, AVID will present Avid Xpress Pro Software to the winner of the Best Domestic Short Film Prize.