Author: Pepa BO

‘Refugee Women on Stage’
Short Film Finalist at the 8th FICNOVA 2026
The Collective of Refugee, Exiled and Migrant Women, founded in 2004 in Alicante, has become a leading voice in raising awareness of the struggles of Colombian women human rights defenders in exile. Among the many tools they use to analyse their cross-border reality, theatre stands out, particularly through the play *Mujeres Eres*. Theatre as a healing art, which, following the principles and techniques of the Theatre of the Oppressed, seeks to bring to light their grief, their strengths and their reinventions as women, social leaders, exiles and, quite simply, survivors.

‘NIka, the Tropical Calderón’
Short Film Finalist at the 8th FICNOVA 2026
Progress is being made in the reintegration of the peace signatories in the region, who, through various initiatives, are effectively integrating into civil society. La Quiebra is an example of how the signatories to the peace agreement are committed to ecotourism and coexistence, just as Memorias Comunes is doing with urban tourism. Furthermore, for the first time, efforts are being made to trace missing LGBTIQ+ people, highlighting all the challenges and difficulties involved.

‘Letters to Aunt Marcelina’ delves into the story of Aunt Marcelina, a victim of the iyalorixá during the Quebra de Xangô of 1912 (the Xangô Revolt), one of the most violent episodes of religious intolerance in Brazil. Through testimonies from religious leaders, historians and cultural representatives, the documentary reflects on the consequences of this persecution of African religions and highlights the role of the Xango Rezado Alto event as a symbol of resistance and the struggle for religious freedom in Alagoas.

‘The Story of Tilo’
Short Film Finalist at the 8th FICNOVA 2026
It tackles the issue of child sexual abuse with sensitivity and symbolism. Through the eyes of a boy with a flowerpot for a head – whose plant reveals and expresses his inner world – the story immerses us in an environment where silence weighs heavier than words. An unexpected friendship, an act of courage and a flower that blooms in the most unlikely of places open the door to a silenced and long-suppressed truth. What happens when a child finally plucks up the courage to speak out?