Andorran Filmmaker Marc Camardons Wins Silver Biznaga for Best Short Direction at Málaga

Marc Camardons, an Andorran filmmaker, won the Silver Biznaga for best direction in the short film category at the Festival de Málaga's official section. The award for *Per bruixa i metzinera* came as a complete surprise in a highly competitive lineup, he said.

The film, shot in June 2023 in Oliana, Madrona, and Coll de Nargó, draws from Pyrenean folklore tales told by Camardons's grandmothers—one from Casa Nova d'Ogern and the other from cal Tomàs in Oliana. It follows Cebriana, a woodcutter from Madrona who witnesses a mysterious mountain fire that vanishes before firefighters arrive. Similar sightings persist, unsettling the village, until her former *trementinera* godmother—a traditional herbalist—believes her.

Presented Saturday at Málaga's Albéniz cinema, the prize marks the short's first major honour after its Cannes Cinef selection and screenings at festivals including Seminci in Valladolid, Hainan in China, Uppsala in Sweden, and Tirana in Albania. A further showing is set for 25 March at Barcelona's D'A festival, where it will compete.

Produced on a €15,000 budget with Escac film school students and locals filling most roles, the cast features professionals Karin Barbeta and Neli Lladó. In his speech, Camardons thanked the team, family, and unpaid volunteers, while taking a stand against repression: "Thanks to the entire team, family, and precarious workers who volunteered on this project. I wasn't afraid to come up here [to the stage], except that a PP councillor might interrupt me—so against repression, more culture, more art, and more cinema." The remark nodded to the city's conservative PP governance under Mayor Francisco de la Torre since 2000. He concluded uninterrupted.

Camardons called the win "a door opening wider," boosting visibility and momentum. The team had attended primarily to engage audiences, receiving strong feedback without expecting awards amid top-tier competition. An Andorran premiere is planned soon, but not at Ull Nu, which he co-directs with Hèctor Mas.

Looking ahead, after four earlier shorts—*Estàtua de sal*, *Crisàlides*, *Traca*, and *L'últim mort*—Camardons is developing a feature-length drama. Still in early script stages, the story shifts to a new world and characters, with weekly revisions as he refines its direction. The recognition provides key motivation to advance the project. Málaga has a track record with Pyrenean talent, including Elisabet Terri's 2022 Silver Biznaga for *Llana negra*.