The director, screenwriter and actress Elena Martín Gimeno received the Málaga Talent-La Opinión de Málaga Award on Tuesday 18 March, an award that recognises the promising career of the author of 'Júlia Ist' – winning film in the Zonazine section of the Festival de Málaga in 2017 – and 'Creatura'. The filmmaker accepted the award, which she receives "as a vote of confidence" in her work. Martín was accompanied on stage at the Cervantes Theatre by the director and screenwriter Clara Roquet, the producers Marta Cruañas and Ariadna Dot, and the actor Oriol Pla, with whom she has collaborated in her numerous projects.

Elena Martín Gimeno, born in Barcelona in 1992, is an actress, screenwriter and film director. Her career began with her participation in the film 'Las amigas de Ágata', a generational portrait that received critical acclaim. She then made her directorial debut with 'Júlia Ist', a project that won her major awards, such as the Biznagas de Plata at the Festival de Málaga for Best Film, Best Director and the Movistar+ Zonazine Award. She also co-starred in the successful short film 'Suc de síndria', which won several awards, including the Goya and Gaudí, and where she won Best Actress at the Festival de Málaga. She has also participated in several feature films such as 'Con el viento', 'No nos mataremos con pistolas' and 'Unicornios'.

In the meeting prior to the Málaga Talent gala with the Festival's director, Juan Antonio Vigar, Elena Martín Gimeno referred precisely to these multiple artistic facets, which emerge in her work "as something organic": "As an artist, I like to communicate and tell stories, and some stories are better expressed on one side than the other." However, despite directing and starring in her two feature films, she is convinced that she will not repeat the experience because "writing, acting and directing oneself is not the ideal plan."

In fact, she acknowledged that the awards won in Malaga with 'Júlia Ist' allowed her to "start working on series, films and other people's projects", opportunities for which she feels very fortunate. That is why this Malaga Talent-La Opinión de Málaga Award is received as "a vote of confidence" from a Festival. "The fact that you give me this recognition means that you still want to know about my work and that is very important. If we creators don't have places to show our work, the things we do are of no use," she confessed.

Her most recent directorial work was 'Creatura', a project she co-wrote, directed and acted in, exploring sexual awakening from childhood to adulthood. This film received several awards, including the Best European Film Award at Cannes and several Gaudí and Goya Awards. In addition to her work in film, she has collaborated in fiction projects such as 'Vida perfecta', 'Veneno' and 'En casa'; and maintains an active relationship with the theatre as co-founder of the laboratory Els malnascuts and member of the VVAA collective.