In-Edit lowers its curtain, once again confirming its stature as the essential meeting ground where music, cinema, and collective memory join hands. The closing gala took place this past Saturday, 7 November, with a screening of The Best Summer, setting the stage for the announcement of the 2026 official awards.
The Power of Memory
The award for Best International Music Documentary Feature went to Broken English, directed by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth. The film approaches the life of Marianne Faithfull through an innovative format that sidesteps conventional musical biopic tropes.
The international jury – composed of FICG director Pavel Cortés, Italian producer Davide Mastropaolo, and filmmaker Amanda Sans – commended the film’s ability to “highlight the importance of memory and dismantle the conventions of the music documentary genre”, achieving a “perfect balance between its intrinsic cinematic values and an intimate treatment of an iconic figure in contemporary music history”.
In the same international category, the jury awarded an honourable mention to Celtic Utopia, by Lars Lovén and Dennis Harvey, a documentary that delves into recent Irish history through folk music, framing song as a vehicle for processing colonial and religious trauma.
On the national front, the prize for Best National Music Documentary Feature was awarded to Kiro, directed by María Yáñez. The feature reconstructs the trajectory of Ana Kiro, the Galician singer who defied both her family and the music industry to perform in her native language.
The national jury – comprising Elena Molina (co-director of last year's winning documentary Flores para Antonio), Xavier Cervantes (head of culture at the newspaper ARA), and academic and researcher Elena Oroz – highlighted the multi-layered depth of the work, noting that it “fosters an understanding of the historical, social, and political context of Galicia over the past sixty years: an era shaped by emigration, folklorisation, and the eventual, unapologetic reclamation of Galician identity, proudly carried forward in a spirit of celebration”.
The Short Film Showcase
In the short film categories, the jury sought to spotlight the artisanal craft and dedication underpinning the music landscape. The short film jury – featuring MMVV artistic director Joan Rial, creative agency Los Prieto Flores (Borja Prieto and Natalia Flores), and editor and director Ana Pfaff – presented the award for Best International Short Film to Is That All There Is? by Kelli Miller, celebrating its portrayal of “DIY ethos, underground micro-communities, unvarnished anti-success, and the magic of collective belonging”.
Meanwhile, Best National Short Film went to El Perla by Marta Busquets López, hailed by the panel as “an endearing portrait of an unlikely anti-hero and of music as an antidote to everyday reality”.
Debut of the APOLO Award for Best Music Video
One of the headline additions to this 24th gathering was the launch of the APOLO Award for Best Music Video, organised jointly by the festival and the Barcelona music venue to celebrate visual artistry behind the music.
The inaugural jury – featuring Alberto Guijarro, betevé cultural journalist Laura Sangrà, and CANADA producer Víctor Mata – honoured the music video for Em torno boig by Triquell, directed by Dardo Sedante. The award recognised its commitment to “the handmade, the artisanal, and deliberate pacing”, praising its “dazzling blend of seemingly disparate influences, from Goya and Alice in Wonderland to Ghost in the Shell and Charon, culminating in a delightful and hypnotic reverie”.
In-Edit Moves to the Small Screen with CaixaForum+
While screenings across Barcelona playhouses have drawn to a close, this year's In-Edit programme lives on online. Through 22 November, a curated selection of 15 films from the 2026 programme can be streamed free of charge via the festival’s digital hub on CaixaForum+.
The digital catalogue includes honourable mention Celtic Utopia, alongside titles devoted to seminal figures in music history such as German composer Kurt Weill, jazz pioneer Sun Ra, disco-funk icon Cerrone, and concert pianist Yuja Wang.
The platform’s line-up also offers diverse perspectives on flamenco – journeying from the legacy of La Niña de la Puebla to the electronic fusions of Califato ¾ – alongside multifaceted snapshots of the international music scene.
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