Riurau Dansa Film Festival 2026: programme, venues and how to be there

From Wednesday 11 to Saturday 21 November the Marina Alta spends eleven days on cinedanza: films in which dance and camera make the work together, not films of someone recording a performance.

This is the second edition under this name. The Riurau Film Festival ran from 2012 to 2024 as a general short film festival; since 2025 it has been about dance film only.

Below: the full programme day by day and place by place, what is screening, and an honest answer on what it costs. That last one is not published anywhere.

What cinedanza is, and why the festival is called Riurau

A riurau is the long, open arcaded barn you see all over the Marina Alta. Farmers laid raisins out to dry there and pulled them in quickly when it rained. It is the structure this district is recognised by, and the festival takes its name from it.

Cinedanza is not a filmed performance. The festival rules are strict about it: work that is no more than a recording of a live dance performance does not compete. These are films where the editing and the camera angles are part of the choreography.

The films are short. The rules allow a maximum of twenty minutes, and only work made after 1 January 2025 may enter. In practice the films on the programme run between three and sixteen minutes, so an evening is a run of short pieces.

The programme, day by day

Wednesday 11 November, Alicante. Casa Mediterráneo, Plaza del Arquitecto Miguel López. At 19.00 the opening: a presentation and talk on cinedanza in a Mediterranean context. This is the only day outside the Marina Alta.

Friday 13 November, Dénia. Artístics, Partida Madrigueres Nord 13. At 18.00 a workshop on filmic improvisation of the body in movement, led by Alicia Costa. At 19.30 a masterclass in Cunningham technique by China Moon Laudisio.

Monday 16 November, Xàbia. Sala Polivalente, Portal del Clot 2. At 18.00 the same Alicia Costa workshop, for those who could not make Friday.

Friday 20 November, Xàbia. Auditorio Casa de la Cultura, Plaça de Baix 6. At 18.00 the performances Metáfora by Xema Soler, Rafel Arnal and Davi De Lacerda. At 20.00 the first half of the official selection.

Saturday 21 November, El Ràfol d’Almúnia. The closing day, and the busiest. At 12.00 the cinedanza seminar at the university annexe, Carrer Major 42, with eight speakers. At 20.00 the second half of the selection in the town hall auditorium. At 21.30 the awards. At 22.30 the closing dinner at Bellavista gastro bar in Pego, three minutes away, at 18 euros a head.

Which films are screening

The official selection is split over two evenings. Nine titles each, including a screening of the work the festival film school made with its students.

Friday 20 November in Xàbia: THE BROKEN CYCLE (Hong Kong), CONTROL (France), EFFETÁ (Spain), STRANGE AGE (France), MUSES (Canada), TRUST (United States), SUMMER CLOUD (Egypt) and ROTA (Brazil), plus the work of the Escola de Cinema Riurau in Xàbia.

Saturday 21 November in El Ràfol: THE SOFA (France), CHORD (United States), OH MY (Netherlands), SILO (United States), PUPILLE (France), LOVE LOST (United States), LOST AND FOUND (United States) and SPANISH CHICA (Spain), plus the film school work from Dénia.

Seven of the eighteen titles come from outside Europe, which for a village festival in the Marina Alta is a reach worth noting.

Language and subtitles

Here we can say something the announcements do not, because it is in the rules.

The festival requires subtitles only where they are necessary. Films carry Spanish subtitles, or English if the original is in Spanish.

That sounds vague, but for dance film it is not. Most of this work has little or no spoken text, and then there is nothing to subtitle. You do not need Spanish for an evening of screenings.

The talk, the masterclass and the seminar are a different matter. People speak there, and nothing has been published about which language. Expect Spanish or Valencian.

What it costs: what is published and what is not

We would rather write nothing than something we cannot check, and this is one of those cases.

No admission price appears anywhere. Not in the programme PDF, not on the festival site, not in local coverage. Nor does it say entry is free. We claim neither.

Nothing has been published about booking. No ticket sales, no registration link, no seating capacity.

The same goes for the workshops. The site does carry a page about a free course, but it is about August 2024. We do not present that as current.

The one figure that is certain is the closing dinner: 18 euros a head at Bellavista in Pego, sponsored by the restaurant itself.

If you want certainty before you drive, email comunicacion@riuraufilmfestival.com. That is the address the organisers give on their own site.

One warning when searching: the domain riuraudansafilmfestival.com has an expired security certificate and will not open. The working site is riuraufilmfestival.com.

The prizes, and who pays for them

For a festival this size the prize money is serious, and the names tell you immediately who makes it possible.

• Best Dance Film “Villa de Xàbia”: diploma, the Bancalet statuette and 500 euros.
• Best Direction “El Ràfol d’Almúnia”: diploma, Bancalet and 500 euros.
• Best Choreography for Camera “La Rectoria Marina Alta”: diploma and 400 euros.
• Audience Award “Fundación Salom Sabar”: diploma and 400 euros.
• Best Editing “Residencial Bellavista”: diploma and a weekend stay with full board for two in Pego.
• Best Spanish Dance Film “Balearia Foundation”: diploma and two return tickets on any Balearia ferry line.

Diplomas also go to cinematography, on-camera interpretation, art direction, original music and costume design.

The audience award is the only one you influence yourself, and it is handed out on the closing night.

Practical questions

Has the festival already happened? No. It runs from 11 to 21 November 2026.

What does a ticket cost? Not published. Ask at comunicacion@riuraufilmfestival.com.

Do I need Spanish? For the screening evenings almost certainly not; dance film rarely has spoken text. For the talk and the seminar, yes.

Where should I go if I can only make one evening? Saturday 21 November in El Ràfol d’Almúnia. That is the seminar, the second half of the selection, the awards and the dinner.

How do I get between the villages? By car. Dénia, Xàbia and El Ràfol are within half an hour of each other, but evening public transport between them is thin and no special arrangements have been announced.

Is it suitable for children? Nothing has been said about that. Dance film is short and visual, which helps, but no children’s programme has been announced.

What else is on that week? Our month guide covers the Costa Blanca in November. If you are in the Marina Alta anyway, combine it with the wine bodegas of the district.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.