The Opera Prima International Competition is the REC’s main competitive section. It brings together ten films competing for several awards. All selected works are the directors’ first or second feature films. These are previously unreleased films, many of them making their Spanish premiere, and include some of the most outstanding international debuts of the season.

The section offers a showcase of contemporary emerging filmmaking, introducing audiences to some of the most exciting new voices on the international film scene. While maintaining a strong European and Latin American presence, Opera Prima also presents films from Asia, Africa and North America, offering a diverse overview of contemporary international cinema.

The section features an international jury that awards the Best Film Award. It also presents the Cineclubs Jury Award, the Young Jury Award —presented by a jury of film enthusiasts aged up to 30— and the Audience Award, decided by public vote.

• Best Film Award, including a cash prize, and the International Jury Special Mention.
• Cineclubs Jury Award and the Cineclubs Jury Special Mention.
• Young Jury Award and the Young Jury Special Mention.
• Audience Award.