IUS of Time Returns to Asturias for the 2nd FECIMI, Mieres Film Festival

Almost Red Productions — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:34:47 +0000

After travelling to festivals on five continents, IUS of Time returns to Asturian audiences. The short film by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi is competing at the 2nd Festival de Cine de Mieres (FECIMI 2026), taking place on 17 and 18 October at Casa de Cultura Teodoro Cuesta. Filmed entirely in Asturias, it explores queer memory and connections across generations through an encounter between a cheesemaker and a young photography student.

See IUS of Time in Mieres

The film will screen in the short-film competition session on Sunday 18 October at 5 pm, at Casa de Cultura Teodoro Cuesta in Mieres.

A festival rooted in Asturian filmmaking

FECIMI is organised by HFP Audiovisuales, the cultural and youth association led by its president, Cristian Farpón. Its story began in 2008, when a group of students from the audiovisual courses at IES Aramo and CIDISI decided to take their interest in cinema further. Since then, the association has developed training and screening initiatives, including the Oviedo festival that evolved from Cortoviedo into FOCO.

Now in its second edition in Mieres, the festival brings that work to another screen in Asturias. It aims to support the region’s film culture and industry, with awards for both Asturian and national short and feature films. For IUS of Time, this selection also renews a connection with HFP Audiovisuales following its appearance at the 16th Cortoviedo Short Film Festival (2026).

Manuel Pizarro and Pelayo Carrizo: Xuan meets Luca

In IUS of Time, Manuel Pizarro plays Xuan, a veteran cheesemaker living apart from others, marked by old rumours. Pelayo Carrizo plays Luca, a young photography student who arrives in an Asturian village to pursue an artistic project and explore his roots. Their developing relationship invites them to look again at what once seemed familiar: each other, the village and themselves.

The hands that make the cheese and Luca’s photographs accompany this growing connection. Through work, silences and small everyday gestures, the film explores loneliness, desire and memory. The rural landscape is part of the story: it is where the characters work, observe one another and discover the possibility of companionship.

Filmed in Cabrales, Onís and Piloña, the 25-minute short features dialogue in Spanish and Asturian (amestao). Andy Almar, Laura Ubach, Martina Bueno and Pablo Valdés complete the cast. Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi wrote the screenplay with Enrique Pérez Romero, with cinematography by Fran Córdoba and art direction by Maikel Valdés.

The Almost Red Producciones production received support from the Consejería de Cultura, Política Llingüística y Deporte del Principado de Asturias and Asturias Paraíso Natural Film Commission.

A festival journey that keeps returning to Asturias

Mieres joins an Asturian journey that includes the 11th Cortogijón Short Film Festival, the 10th LGTBI Film Festival at Centro Niemeyer, the 63rd Gijón/Xixón International Film Festival and the 24th Avilés Acción, all in 2025. At Avilés Acción, IUS of Time received the Audience Award in the Asturias section. The film has also taken part in the 1st La Benefílmica Film Showcase (2026), in Piloña, one of the municipalities where it was filmed.

The screening comes during a particularly busy October: the short is also participating in the Official Competition at the 28th Octubre Corto in Arnedo. Beyond Spain, selections at the 1st Limouzi Film Festival (2026), in France, and the 17th Cuenca del Salado International Short Film Festival (2026), in Argentina, have brought this Asturian story to very different audiences and settings.

Its festival and showcase journey now spans more than 77 selections across five continents, with 10 awards and distinctions. Recent honours include Best Short Film (International) at the 8th NEXT International Film Festival (2026), in India, the Audience Award at the 5th Pillusion Film Festival (2026), in Austria, and Best LGBTQIA+ Film at the 3rd Power24 International Film Festival (2026), in South Africa. The next stop in Mieres brings Xuan and Luca back to an Asturian cinema, where their voices and landscapes feel particularly close to home.

Questions about IUS of Time at the Mieres Film Festival