What is better, comedy or thriller for a short film?

Gemma Morcillo was driving her car when they called her. At the same time, Aline López was cleaning her small apartment. "Today, it's Kiko, you know who I am," said the voice on the other end of the line. Of course, they knew who it was: film director Kike Maíllo , calling to tell them they had just won the fifth Audi Future Stories Screenplay Award and that he would direct the film. "Of course, what do you do when someone tells you something like that? I was cleaning, I wasn't going to continue cleaning," says López. "I couldn't believe it. I was on the road and almost crashed three times. In the end, all you have left is screaming," adds Morcillo.

The two are roommates and students at the Catalan School of Film and Television (ECCT) in Lleida. Aline had a degree in psychology, and Gemma had worked in healthcare until they both decided to leave it all behind and begin studying film. They met there, and although they initially distrusted each other, they eventually formed a creative duo that is now beginning to reap its first rewards. "It's a bit scary to leave everything behind and start a second life, but I've always had a great imagination and created my own stories, and I had to try it," says Gemma Morcillo.

Aline López's case is more paradigmatic: her father owned a video store and she literally watched movies before she could walk. "We started working with the prize in mind. We're very critical of each other, and that makes you work harder to sharpen your wit, which elevates the script," López says.

The Audi Future Stories Award kicked off in 2021 with the short film 'Manos libres' by Pablo Fuentes, starring Hiba Abouk. This was followed by 'Estepas' by Pedro Marchán, starring Verónica Echegui and Javier Oliveras; 'El chófer' by Candela Buttigliero, starring Roberto Álamo; and 'Huir' by Alejandro Pereira, starring Álvaro Cervantes and Elena Rivera. All premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and all were thrillers. "We wanted to make a comedy. I didn't know if that would penalize us or not. We didn't know if they only wanted short films with mystery elements, but we took a chance and here we are," says Gemma.

There are two schools of short fiction: the Chekhovian, more intimate, realistic, and without the need to confine the story; and the O'Henryan , more fantastical, self-contained, and with dramatic effects. The same thing happens in short films: there are serious, tension-filled thrillers , and then there are comedies with a touch of humor that poke fun at some aspect of our society. "We love telling stories through humor. Working together also helps us contain the story and not overdo it, but still have a laugh," Alina concludes.

The result is 'Before Six,' a road movie with hints of 'Little Miss Sunshine,' about a withdrawn man overwhelmed by his job who has to complete a task under a deadline. And the problems keep coming when he suddenly gets stuck in a traffic jam. Miguel Ángel Muñoz plays Enrique, the man whose life suddenly hangs in the balance. He plays a magnificent ten-year-old girl, who plays the stressed-out protagonist. "Seeing the story you've imagined a thousand times in real life is amazing. The truth is that both he and she have expanded the story so much with their performances that the film is much better than we had dared to imagine," says Gemma.

The jury for the award was composed of Kike Maíllo, María Ripoll, José Luis Rebordinos , director of the San Sebastián Film Festival, Jaume Ripoll, founder and director of Filmin, and Alberto Teichman, director of Audi Spain. "The short film is an excellent starting point. It creates a perfect terrain for a new filmmaker to experiment and test their ideas," Maíllo remarks.

What's clear is that, whether thriller or comedy, Spanish short films are in better shape than ever and are discovering brilliant new creators. In addition to the already well-known Sandra Romero, Javier Marco, Eva Libertad, Pilar Palomero, and Víctor Iriarte , why not consider the possibility that Gemma Morcillo and Alina Muñoz will soon join them? "Our idea is to continue telling stories. This experience is surreal," they confess.