Encuentro en Corto awarded Venezuelan student film talent

Published at: 08/09/2026 01:34 PM

The third edition of “Short Encounter: Student Cinema 2026" closed with 1,200 spectators and the recognition of young Venezuelan filmmakers, after a program that presented 72 short films from 22 universities in 11 states of the country.

The festival, organized by the National Cinemateca, took place from August 26 to September 6 in the Cinemateca room of the Museum of Fine Arts (MBA), where free talks and training activities were also held with Venezuelan film professionals.

In the fiction category, first place went to “Gael and the Sea”, by Endika López, a student at the University of the Andes (ULA). In the documentary, the award went to “I Only Need Colors”, by Jorge Colmenares, also from ULA.

The Audience Award was awarded to the documentary “Volver a Mí”, directed by Solange Piñero and produced by UnivFilms Academy, which received 45 votes.

The day also included special mentions for “La Cura” and “Memories About a Little Me”, in fiction, and “Whisurros del Agua” and “Ramón”, in documentary. The filmmakers will receive film training grants , economic incentives and support with technical equipment for new projects.

During the closing ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Audiovisual Culture, Miqueas Piki Figueroa, called for continuing to promote spaces for training and collective creation. “Cinema doesn't reflect reality, it records on it, it's a force that intervenes in history,” he said.

For her part, the president of the National Cinematheque, Rosa Raydán, also highlighted that 155 people participated in the training and discussion activities, while the Audience Award registered more than 800 valid votes.

MINCULTURA/Mazo News Team