“IUS of Time”, directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, has been selected for the fourth Festival Internacional de Cine Diverso (International Diverse Film Festival) in Barranquilla, Colombia. The festival runs from 4 to 7 November 2026, with a programme devoted to LGBTQI+ experiences and stories.
Festival Internacional de Cine Diverso: “Revealed Memory”
Under the theme “La Memoria Revelada” (“Revealed Memory”), the Festival Internacional de Cine Diverso considers the stories, relationships and identities that cinema can preserve. Its official call on Festhome also announces talks, educational activities and filmmaker meetings. This interest in memory connects with a question at the heart of the film: what remains of a life when rumours have taken the place of a person’s own voice?
The directors’ connection with the festival began at its third edition, which selected “Blow Down: Colapso (Sketches of IUS I)” in 2025. Conceived as an exploration of the main character of “IUS of Time”, that earlier work allows the festival’s audience to discover another stage in the same creative process.
Xuan and Luca: desire, prejudice and a meeting between generations
Luca, a young photographer, arrives in an Asturian village to develop an artistic project and reconnect with his roots. He stays with Xuan, a former teacher and cheesemaker living in isolation under the weight of rumours about his past. Manuel Pizarro plays Xuan and Pelayo Carrizo plays Luca, two men whose different experiences do not prevent them from finding a possibility of companionship.
Photography and traditional cheesemaking shape their relationship with time: capturing an image or allowing a slow transformation to unfold. Through everyday gestures, the film explores ageing and the effects of social rejection, as well as enduring desire and the difficulty of trusting another person.
A production filmed in Cabrales, Onís and Piloña
Locations in Cabrales, Onís and Piloña place the story within the working life and rural communities of Asturias, in northern Spain. Cheese-ageing caves, houses and dialogue in Spanish and Asturian/amestáu are part of the characters’ daily experience. The film’s circulation abroad introduces audiences to a region through its traditional trades and the lives of its inhabitants.
Almost Red Productions made the film with support from the Consejería de Cultura, Política Llingüística y Deporte del Principado de Asturias, the Asturian regional department responsible for culture, language policy and sport, and Asturias Paraíso Natural Film Commission. The directors co-wrote the screenplay with Enrique Pérez Romero; cinematography is by Fran Córdoba and art direction by Maikel Valdés. Andy Almar, Laura Ubach, Martina Bueno and Pablo Valdés complete the cast.
“IUS of Time”: 78 festival and showcase selections, 11 awards and distinctions
The film’s festival journey spans more than 30 countries across five continents. Its continuing circulation gives an independent Asturian production a sustained international presence, bringing a queer story rooted in rural life to audiences abroad. Selections include Huesca, the Gijón/Xixón International Film Festival (FICX), Chéries-Chéris in Paris, Reeling in Chicago and KASHISH in Mumbai.
Its honours include the Director’s Choice Award at the Thomas Edison Film Festival in the United States; Best International Short Film at the NEXT International Film Festival in India; and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short Film at Pillusion in Austria. The most recent is Best Short Film at FECIMI in Mieres, following the Audience Award in the Asturias section of Avilés Acción.
Barranquilla joins a recent stage of the journey that includes the Cuenca del Salado Festival in Argentina, the Limouzi Film Festival in France and the Pakistan edition of the AKS International Minorities Festival. In Spain, the film is also in the official selection of the 28th Octubre Corto in La Rioja, a Goya-qualifying festival.
Questions about “IUS of Time” in Barranquilla
When and where will the short film be screened?
The date, time and venue of the screening of “IUS of Time” are awaiting confirmation from the organisers.
How long is the film, and what is its original title?
It is a 25-minute Spanish fiction short completed in 2025. Its original title is “IUS del tiempo”.
Is this its first selection in Colombia?
No. Its Colombian festival journey also includes SANFICI, the Santander International Independent Film Festival.
