- The first short film produced by Maura Abad and directed by Alberto Pablo Rivera is competing in the Docente category Víctor Estrada Jara Award, at the festival in Ecuador.
Memento Vivere, Maura Abad’s award-winning film that marked her debut as a producer and screenwriter, will be screened on October 16 as part of Cine Espol Fest, the university film festival held in Ecuador.
Cine ESPOL Fest is organized by the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Ecuador and was created in 2018 with the goal of recognizing, rewarding, and showcasing audiovisual films created by students at universities, technological institutes, and recent graduates. Its original name was the VISTA PREVIA University Audiovisual Festival. The awards are presented according to the following competition categories: Fiction and Documentary, Screenplay Contests, and a special category for Educators that Víctor Estrada Jara Award, for which Memento Vivere is competing.
The festival features specialized juries, a variety of activities, and a red-carpet gala. The selected and winning entries are screened at commercial movie theaters in the city, often at Supercines Ceibos. Submissions were accepted between April and May of this year, and now, in October, the selected short films will be presented to the public as part of the competition.
Memento Vivere was produced by Maura Abad and co-written with director Alberto Pablo Rivera. It was filmed in Ecuador and conveys a profound and revealing message about the strength of emotions, the power of love, and the ability to overcome grief and loss. This short film is inspired by Maura Abad’s first book of poetry, 42 Poems, It’s All About the Context, published last year. Memento Vivere premiered in December 2025 and has since garnered some twelve awards and honors at international film festivals.
“I think this is an extraordinary opportunity to continue showcasing our work. Memento Vivere is my first short film, and I’m very pleased that we’re competing in Ecuador, in the university sector, because it’s a work that explores the depth of human emotions and also features a very carefully crafted aesthetic, thanks to the work Alberto Pablo Rivera has done as director. We hope to keep working and creating, and that people continue to enjoy our work” -said Maura regarding this new award for her debut film.
