Born in 1986 in Barcelona, Carla Simón grew up in a small village in Catalonia. She studied audiovisual communication at the University of California and at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She later received the Obra Social – La Caixa scholarship, which enabled her to study at the London Film School. She made several short films, including two experimental works, Women (2009) and Lovers (2010), co-directed with filmmaker Marco Businaro, followed by two further films in London: the documentary Born Positive (2012) and Lipstick (2013). She went on to direct Las pequeñas cosas (2015), Llacunes (2016), If Then Else (2019), Correspondencia (2020), and Carta a mi madre para mi hijo (2022). She is also involved in film education for children and teenagers through the association “Cinema en Curs”. Her first feature film, Summer 1993 (2017), an autobiographical work shot in the rural region of La Garrotxa where she grew up, received numerous awards, including three Goya Awards and a nomination at the European Film Awards and was selected as Spain’s submission for the Academy Awards. Having become one of the leading voices of contemporary Spanish cinema, Carla Simón received the Golden Bear at the Berlinale for her second feature, Alcarràs (2022). The film was selected at more than 90 international festivals, represented Spain at the Academy Awards, and won six Gaudí Awards. Her third feature film, Romería (2025), inspired by her own personal history, was presented in the Competition at the Festival de Cannes.
Jury attendance
- President La Cinef & Short Films, 2026
