The Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani reaches its 41st edition with a clear commitment to local cinema. *Els dies clars*, by Sandra Ferrús; *La gran fiesta del cine*, by Toni Agustí and María S. Torregrosa; and *Calle de los Ángeles*, by Silvia Rey, will compete for the Golden Palm from November 3 to 15. All three films will have their world premieres at the festival.
The twelve selected films competing come from countries such as Turkey, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Algeria, France, Palestine, Egypt, and Greece. These works—spanning genres as diverse as fiction, documentary, comedy, drama, and thriller—portray a Mediterranean shaped by inequalities, social change, and identity conflicts.
The Golden Palm awards 30,000 euros to the winning production and an additional 15,000 euros for its distribution in Spain. The Silver Palm—Special Jury Prize—is worth 20,000 euros.
This year, the Mostra received some 700 feature films, from which 155 have been selected to be screened during the festival’s 13-day run. The housing crisis, generational conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and war reports are among the themes addressed in these films.
The Three Valencian Perspectives
*Els dies clars* is Sandra Ferrús’s debut feature. Produced by Suica Films and shot entirely in Valencian in Valencia and the Ribera Alta, it is a comedy-drama about mental health. Its protagonist, Vicent, is a young man with a rocker’s soul who suffers from schizophrenia, and the film depicts the strain on his family due to a lack of institutional support. Ferrús leads the cast alongside Sergi Torrecilla, Pilar Martínez, and Toni Misó.
Toni Agustí and María S. Torregrosa return to the Mostra following their debut with *La última cena* in 2021. *La gran fiesta del cine*, from Hanoi Producciones, was shot in a single day, featuring improvised performances in a 90-minute real-time sequence shot. Marta Belenguer, Lorena López, and Amparo Fernández star in this portrait of the industry’s tensions.
*Calle de los Ángeles* is a documentary by Murcia-born, Valencia-based filmmaker Silvia Rey Canudo, who was nominated for a Goya Award for the short film *Wan Xia. La última luz del atardecer*. Produced by Limbus Filmak in collaboration with the Institut Valencià de Cultura and À Punt, the film draws on the director’s more than a decade of experience in El Cabanyal. The result is a scathing satire on the housing crisis and real estate speculation.
The other nine films in the official selection
Emerging talent plays a special role. Italian director Alberto Palmiero makes his debut with *Keep Me in Mind*, which won Best Debut Film in the Freestyle section at the Festa del Cinema di Roma. Palestinian-Syrian director Abdallah Al-Khatib presents *Chronicles from the Siege*, which premiered at the Berlinale and won the GWFF Award for Best Debut Feature there. *A Turkish Case*, by French-Turkish director Hüseyin Aydin Gürsoy, is a political thriller about a Parisian lawyer grappling with the contradictions of his identity.
Four films directed by women round out the international lineup. *Hear the Yellow*, by Turkish director Banu Sivaci, won four awards at the Taormina Film Festival. Greek director Mary Bouli presents *At no cost*, a documentary on the ethical dilemmas of the fertility industry that won top honors at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. French director Lila Pinell presents *Shana*, which screened at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and Egyptian director Ashgan El-Hamus presents *Al Baraneya*, which premiered in Venice.
Rounding out the selection are two stories of family conflict. *Honey Bunny*, by Croatian director Igor Jelinović, turns a dispute between two sisters over a vacation home into a satire that won four awards at the Pula Film Festival, including the Grand Golden Arena. *My Father’s Scent*, by Egyptian director Mohamed Siam, is a thriller about a father and son who settle their scores over the course of one night.
