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The Faculty of Fine Arts of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has awarded the Sant Carles Medal 2025 to the Valencian Film Library and to the philosopher and art critic María Teresa Begiristain Alcorta.

The prestigious recognition, created in 1996 to honour institutions and individuals who promote and disseminate the culture and arts of Valencian society, celebrated its 27th edition this year. Since 2019, it has been held every two years, coinciding once again with the celebration of the faculty's patron saint.

The Film Library, key to the recovery of Valencian cultural identity

Created in 1985 by the Valencian Regional Government, the Valencian Film Library is a public institution dedicated to the conservation, restoration, research and dissemination of the cinematographic and audiovisual heritage of the Valencian Community.

Born in a context of strong momentum for the recovery of Valencian cultural identity after the dictatorship, the Filmoteca has had the objectives of preserving Valencian films and audiovisual documents, disseminating the history of classic and contemporary cinema, and supporting film culture through cycles, retrospectives and publications since its inception.

During the 1990s, the Filmoteca significantly expanded its film and documentary collections, incorporating historical and contemporary Valencian cinema, copies of international classics, and non-film materials (posters, photographs, scripts and technical documentation). Today, the institution, which is part of the Institut Valencià de Cultura (IVC) and whose Sala Berlanga cinema in the Rialto has become a cultural landmark of the city, is an essential archive of Valencian audiovisual memory, a key agent in the defence of cinema as an art form and historical document, and a reference point for researchers, students and filmmakers.

Álvaro López-Jamar Caballero, director general of the IVC, was responsible for collecting the Medal on behalf of La Filmoteca. He was accompanied by his colleagues, José Antonio Hurtado Álvarez, head of Programming, and Luis Gosálbez Payá, Deputy Director of Audiovisuals and Cinematography.

Begiristain: 'The world of art is essential for humanity'

Alongside La Filmoteca, the Faculty also awarded a Medal in recognition of the work of María Teresa Begiristain Alcorta. With a degree in Philosophy and English Philology and a PhD in Philosophy, Begiristain was an academic staff member and researcher at the University of Valencia.

A prestigious philosopher, critic and art curator, her political commitment to the feminist movement and her ties to the international contemporary art scene have made her a key figure in understanding the history of modern art, especially that created by women.

Begiristain, who was the director of the Valencian Association of Art Critics and vice-president of the International Association of Art Critics, also did extraordinary work as a translator, disseminating the aesthetic thinking of the great philosophers of the 18th century.

A founding member of Ediciones Mahali, a publishing project related to the performing arts in general and dance in particular, as well as art monographs, dance histories, and educational notebooks and guides, Begiristain began her speech by expressing her gratitude for being remembered 'at this stage of my life and for allowing me to return to Valencia, to meet up with people I miss very much and to share the award with La Filmoteca, whose inauguration I remember brought a breath of fresh air to the city'.

The award winner, who has defined herself as 'a theorist' whose career reflects her desire to 'understand the world', highlighted the importance of art and culture in addressing the enormous challenges facing contemporary society today.

"The world of art is essential for humanity. If humanity paid more attention to art and culture, there would be fewer featherless bipeds committing atrocities around the world. It won't be easy to turn them back into human beings. What is coming, and I don't think I need to explain what we are talking about, is going to give you a lot of work. Therefore, I raise a toast to art, artists and philosophy," concluded Begiristain to the applause of the audience.

History of the Sant Carles Medal

1996: Francisco Baños Martos / José Esteve Edo / Santiago Rodríguez García

1997: IVAM-Valencian Institute of Modern Art (Ciprià Ciscar, Tomás Llorens, Carmen Albors, José-Francisco Ivars and Juan Manuel Bonet) / Ricardo Llorens Cifre / Víctor Manuel Gimeno

1998: Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos / Cañada Blanch Foundation / Edgard Neville Gallery, Alfafar / Eduardo Sales Encarnación / Walkiria

1999: Jesús Martínez Guerricabeitia / Club Diario Levante / Román de la Calle / Rafael Sánchez Carralero

2000: Josep Renau Foundation / Vicente Aguilera Cerni / José de Santiago Silva / Vicente Castellano / Francisco Arquillo Torres / Silvestre de Edeta

2001: Bancaixa Foundation / Nassio Bayarri / Manuel Sánchez Arzanegui

2002: Equipo Crónica / Felipe Garín Llombart / Vicente Todolí / Associació Cultural "De Reüll" / Chipi Garrido (posthumously)

2003: Plataforma Salvem El Cabanyal / Antonio Pérez Pineda / Joaquim Michavila

2004: Equipo Realidad (Joan Cardells and Jordi Ballester) / Justo Nieto

2005: Manolo Martín / Rafael Contreras / Editorial Pre-Textos

2006: Carles Santos / Paco Brines / Ca Revolta / Calcsicova (Coordinator of Associations Fighting AIDS in the Valencian Community) / Alfonso Pérez Plaza / Ángeles Marco / Ignacio Lorente

2007: Erasmus Programme

2008: José Luis Roig (posthumously) / La Nave Design Collective

2009: MuVIM-Museu Valencià de la Il·lustració i la Modernitat / Carmen Calvo / Paco Bacuñán (posthumously)

2010: Miquel Navarro / National School of Plastic Arts of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

2011: Miquel Guillem / Institut Français de Valencia / Artur Heras

2012: Ana Juan / Al Tall

2013: Juan Juliá Igual / Estudio DVEIN / Chirivella Soriano Foundation

2014: Cànem Gallery / Josep Soler Vidal 'Monjalés' / Sole Giménez

2015: Futurama Bookshop / Arduino Project / Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of the Valencian Community (LaVAC) / Doro Balaguer

2016: Sebastià Miralles / Railowsky Bookshop / Jordi Teixidor / Valencia Museum of Fine Arts

2017: Gremi Artesà d'Artistes Fallers de València / Juan Uslé / Vicky Civera

2018: José Mª Yturralde / La Nau Cultural Centre of the University of Valencia

2019: Juan Genovés / Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art

2021: Cristina de Middel / Hortensia Herrero Foundation / José Morea

2023: Soledad Sevilla / Enric Mestre / Carme Teatre Hall

2025: The Valencian Film Library / María Teresa Begiristain Alcorta