The provincial deputy of Social Welfare, Equality, and Family, Elena Duque, presided over the awards ceremony for the IV Youth Short Film Festival Granada Without Addictions on Wednesday afternoon.
This audiovisual competition featured the participation of eight short films this year and the active involvement of four educational centers in the province. The theme of this edition, ‘Educate. Prevent. Learn’, has served as a guiding principle for an initiative that «promotes the healthy and active use of youth leisure as a key strategy for protection against drug addiction and addictions,» as detailed by the Diputación de Granada in a press release.
Duque emphasized that «prevention does not start at a lectern, nor in a campaign or a law. It starts with a gesture, a conversation, a classroom, or a home. In a everyday scene like the one young people have filmed. I commend that in these works you have been able to observe the reality around you with a critical and constructive spirit.»
«You have talked about addictions, but also about friendship, fears, choices, and hope. This festival reminds us why it is worth continuing to bet on a Granada that cares, that accompanies. A Granada full of life. A Granada without addictions,» she added.
In addition, the deputy announced the upcoming launch of a new provincial campaign with the federations of associations of mothers and fathers of students in Granada, stating that «we are fully convinced of the importance of this preventive work in the family nucleus.»
«That is why we will soon launch an initiative that seeks to strengthen family ties as the first and most effective protective factor against addictions. As you have demonstrated today with your short films, the best stories are written when we truly connect, when quality time replaces screen time, when meaningful conversations find their place in our homes.»
This new campaign is part of the provincial institution’s commitment to promote everything that acts as a protective factor for the young people of Granada.
The first prize from the jury went to ‘Paused Lives’, by Eva Giles Floriano, for its original approach to the consequences of misuse of mobile phones in the family dynamic and its commitment to healthy leisure alternatives.
The second prize, decided by popular vote, went to ‘Unlimited Fun’, from IES Giner de los Ríos in Motril, a work that also proposes creative alternatives for healthy youth leisure, demonstrating that it is possible to have fun without depending on screens.
The third prize was awarded to ‘The Search’, from Ave María Vistillas School in Granada, for its humorous narrative about the rediscovery of public spaces as an alternative to digital sedentarism. The jury highlighted that this short film presents an ingenious alternative to the use of digital devices, promoting, through the search for a treasure, getting to know and enjoy the socio-cultural environment of the city.
The jury also awarded five special mentions to the short films ‘Like Forrest Gump’ (Sergio Cruz Espejo, La Zubia), ‘The Blackout’ (Ayoub Bouchafra Castillo, Motril), ‘Live or Lose’ (IES Al-Andalus, Almuñécar), ‘The Shadow at the Bottom of the Glass’ (Blanca Paloma, La Zubia), and ‘Saudade’ (Amelia Díaz Urbano, Granada), in recognition of the involvement and quality of the proposals.
The theme of this fourth edition has focused on the healthy use of leisure and free time, addressing ways to occupy time through alternative activities incompatible with the consumption of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, misuse of new technologies, and gambling.