As stated by the festival in its official selection notification, the Director’s Choice Award highlights works that push creative boundaries, tell universal stories, and elevate cinema as an art form. IUS of Time was selected for its unique vision and expressive approach, joining a catalogue of films that will continue to be exhibited throughout the year.

A Touring Festival with Nationwide Reach in the United States

Unlike destination-based festivals, the Thomas Edison Film Festival operates as an itinerant cultural program, presenting curated film selections across the United States during an extended season. TEFF screenings take place in museums, universities, cultural institutions, cinematheques, and art centers, allowing films to engage with diverse audiences over time.

Over the years, TEFF programs have been hosted at prominent venues such as the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, the Anthology Film Archives (New York), and numerous academic and cultural spaces nationwide. As part of the 2026 touring catalogue, IUS of Time will be eligible for exhibition across multiple locations, ensuring a sustained and meaningful presence beyond a single festival screening.

This touring model offers a distinctive form of visibility, emphasizing continuity, dialogue, and long-term audience engagement rather than a one-off festival appearance.

IUS of Time : Time, Memory, and Queer Experience Beyond the Urban Gaze

Set in the rural landscape of Asturias, in northern Spain, IUS of Time explores an encounter between two men from different generations: Luca, a young photographer searching for belonging, and Xuan, a veteran cheesemaker living in isolation. What begins as a practical arrangement gradually evolves into an intimate exchange shaped by silence, memory, and shared presence.

Rooted in real environments and artisanal traditions, the film uses cheesemaking as a central metaphor — a craft that speaks of patience, sustainability, and harmony with nature. Through this process, IUS of Time reflects on ways of living that resist uniformity and preserve cultural identity across time.

The film deliberately moves away from dominant urban queer narratives, situating its story in a rural environment where identity is often negotiated quietly and emotional survival exists on the margins. Through restrained performances, natural light, and a contemplative rhythm, IUS of Time allows time itself to become a narrative force — shaping memory, desire, and connection.

Receiving the Director’s Choice Award at TEFF underscores the film’s resonance within a festival context that values artistic risk, formal sensitivity, and human complexity.

Looking Ahead: A Living Film in 2026

Being selected for the Thomas Edison Film Festival’s 2026 touring season marks an important step in the ongoing life of IUS of Time. As the film continues its international journey, this recognition reinforces its place within conversations around contemporary queer cinema, independent filmmaking, and alternative exhibition models.

We look forward to sharing updates as new screenings and venues are announced throughout the year.

🎟️ More information about the Thomas Edison Film Festival and its touring programs can be found on the festival’s official website, where upcoming screenings and venues will be announced in the coming months.

🔎 To learn more about the short film, its full synopsis, and its journey through festivals and awards, you can visit the page for IUS of Time on our website.

Following its strong presence throughout 2025, IUS of Time now enters a new phase, continuing to resonate within queer-focused and independent film festivals across different cultural contexts. We are especially excited to be part of this festival, which places community, diversity, and independent voices at the center of its program.

You can find the full film page for IUS of Time on our website.

IUS of Time at the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival: Official Selection and Finalist

At the 4th Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival, IUS of Time has been selected to screen as part of the “Emotional Roller Coaster” program, a curated block dedicated to emotionally powerful queer stories. In addition, the short film has been named a finalist in three major categories:

• Best Film
• Best Cinematography
• Best Drama

This recognition represents an important milestone for the project, highlighting both its narrative strength and its visual identity, while placing the film among works that explore queer experience through intimacy, emotion, and artistic risk.

The festival will take place on January 16 and 17, 2026, opening with its now emblematic GAYLA on Friday night, followed by a full day of screenings on Saturday at AMC Saratoga. The screening of IUS of Time will take place on Saturday, January 17, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, as part of the Emotional Roller Coaster block, a session dedicated to films that speak directly to emotion and featuring drag performances by Ivy Flores and Empress Astara, in collaboration with Scott’s Social Club.

Directed by filmmaker Robby Kendall, the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival has quickly established itself as a space where queer cinema, community engagement, and live performances come together in a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere.

A film rooted in time, memory, and rural queer experience

Set in rural Asturias, northern Spain, IUS of Time explores the encounter between Luca, a young photographer searching for direction, and Xuan, an older cheesemaker whose life has been shaped by silence, tradition, and unresolved loss. What begins as a professional interaction gradually becomes an intimate exchange across generations, revealing the weight of time, memory, and unspoken desire.

Rather than focusing on urban queer narratives, the film situates its story in a rural landscape, where identity is often negotiated quietly and emotional survival takes place at the margins. Through restrained performances and a careful use of natural light, IUS of Time builds its emotional impact through gestures, pauses, and shared presence, allowing space for the audience to engage on a deeply personal level.

The film’s nomination as Finalist for Best Cinematography underscores the importance of visual storytelling in this approach, where landscape and interior states mirror one another.

Looking ahead: a new chapter in 2026

The recognition at the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival not only represents a significant achievement, but also signals the beginning of a new stage for IUS of Time. As the film continues its journey throughout 2026, further selections in different parts of the world will be announced in the coming weeks.

We look forward to sharing these next steps, continuing the conversations sparked by the film, and meeting new audiences along the way.

🎟️ Tickets and festival passes will be available through the official Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival website, with further updates also shared on its Instagram account. We encourage audiences, filmmakers, and industry professionals to discover and support independent queer cinema at the festival.

For more information about the film, you can also visit IUS of Time on IMDb.

Following its premiere at the XI CortoGijón Film Festival and its international premiere at the 27th OUTshine International Film Festival (United States), the film has enjoyed an extensive presence on the international festival circuit, with nearly 50 selections and 5 awards. Throughout this journey, IUS of Time has connected with a wide range of audiences, receiving a level of recognition that has exceeded our initial expectations.

A journey through national and international film festivals

This international presence has resulted in broad participation in film festivals around the world, spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The short film has been selected both at showcases dedicated to independent cinema and at festivals focused on LGBTQ+ narratives, consolidating its position within a diverse and multicultural circuit. Full details of the international festival journey of IUS of Time can also be found on IMDb.

Among the festivals that have screened the film are the 53rd Huesca International Film Festival (Spain, Academy Awards and Goya Awards qualifying festival), the 43rd Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (United States), the 34th Festival de Cine de Madrid FCM-PNR (Spain, Goya Awards qualifying festival), the 31st Chéries-Chéris – Festival du film LGBTQIA & +++ de Paris (France), the 63rd FICX – Gijon International Film Festival (Spain), and the 27th OUTshine International Film Festival (United States), among many others.

The international festival journey and strategy of the short film have been supported by Selected Films Distribution, responsible for its distribution. Their guidance and in-depth knowledge of both national and international circuits have been key to the film’s reach and visibility.

Awards and recognitions

During 2025, IUS of Time received five international awards and recognitions, including:

• Director’s Choice Award at the 45th Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF), United States.
• Audience Award Asturias at the 24th Avilés Acción Film Festival, Spain.
• Third Audience Award (LQCW × CathayPlay) at the 24th Beijing Queer Film Festival, China.
• Honorable Mention at the 1st Goitacá International Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Best Cinematography at the 3rd Rural and Mountain Film Festival of Cervera de Pisuerga, Spain.

The complete list of festival selections and awards can be consulted in the official festival journey document.

Dialogue with audiences

Beyond selections and awards, the most valuable aspect of this journey has been the direct encounter with audiences. Screenings of IUS of Time have sparked deep conversations and emotional responses, with encounters in cities such as Paris, Beijing, and Madrid, reaffirming our belief in the potential of the short film as a form of communication capable of crossing borders, cultures, and lived experiences.

Looking ahead

Looking toward the coming year, our goal is to continue expanding the international journey of IUS of Time, exploring new festivals — with several upcoming selections already confirmed — as well as new cities and exhibition spaces. We aim to keep creating opportunities for the film to be seen, discussed, and shared, while remaining open to new collaborations and creative projects that may emerge from this experience.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the entire artistic and technical team, whose commitment, talent, and dedication made this project possible. We are equally grateful to festival programmers, festival teams, and, above all, to the audiences who have accompanied and supported IUS of Time throughout its journey.

The year 2025 marks a key chapter in the life of the film, and we look toward the future with optimism and a strong desire to continue sharing its journey.