IUS of Time (2025) — Official Trailer
A short film by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi

Set in the mountains of Asturias, IUS of Time is an intimate, poetic drama about two strangers whose lives collide across generations, desires, and emotional wounds. Directed by award-winning filmmakers Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, the film explores memory, time, and the quiet tensions between solitude and connection.

Synopsis
Luca, a young photography student, arrives in an Asturian village to develop an artistic project and reconnect with his roots. He stays at the home of Xuan, a veteran cheesemaker who rents a room to supplement the meagre income from his artisanal work.

Xuan’s innate brusqueness hides a past marked by old rumours and rural prejudice, something Luca gradually perceives through his camera lens. As he films the meticulous work of Xuan’s hands, the older man rekindles emotions and memories long buried, awakening a spark of purpose he thought lost.

Drawn into a world far from his own, Luca discovers the beauty and hardship of rural life, confronting questions of identity, heritage, and belonging. Through shared silences and unspoken histories, the two men form an unexpected bond. Their encounter reveals how fragile the boundary between past and present can be — and how certain connections illuminate the invisible threads that unite us all.

Creative Vision
Blending realism with lyrical atmosphere, Canuto and Xu craft a nuanced study of masculinity, longing, and the emotional scars left by social exclusion. The film echoes the tradition of Asturian rural cinema while infusing it with queer subtext, introspection, and the directors’ unmistakable poetic realism.
The narrative suggests that certain encounters — fleeting or transformative — can alter the flow of time itself. Luca’s youth, driven by images and ephemeral connections, confronts Xuan’s grounded, weathered existence shaped by nature, work, and unspoken wounds. Their shared moments reveal how two lives from distant worlds can briefly resonate in ways neither expected.

Visual Atmosphere
Shot in the secluded valleys and stone villages of northern Spain, IUS of Time uses natural light and a restrained visual palette to evoke the stillness of rural life. The landscape becomes a character: mist, mountains, and artisanal work echo the inner states of the protagonists. The cinematography reinforces the film’s contemplative tone, blurring the edges between reality and memory.

Awards & Festival Journey
Since its premiere, IUS of Time has screened across Europe, Asia and the Americas, earning recognition for its emotional depth and visual beauty. The film has been honoured with multiple awards, including the Director’s Choice Award at the 45th Thomas Edison Film Festival (USA), the Asturias Audience Award at the 24th Avilés Acción Film Festival (Spain), the Honourable Mention at the I Goitacá International Film Festival (Brazil), and the 3rd Place Audience Award at the 24th Beijing Queer Film Festival (China).
It has also been selected for prestigious festivals such as the 53rd Huesca International Film Festival, 31st Chéries-Chéris (Paris), the 43rd Reeling Chicago LGBTQ+ Film Festival, 27th OUTshine Miami, the 34th Madrid Film Festival PNR, the 63rd Gijón International Film Festival, and the III Rural and Mountain Film Festival of Cervera, among many others.

About the Film
IUS of Time is a Spanish production set entirely in Asturias, spoken in Spanish and “amestao” (a local blend of Spanish and Asturian). The film builds on Canuto & Xu’s signature exploration of identity, desire, intergenerational dialogue, and the quiet ways in which human connection emerges where least expected.

Credits
Directors: Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi
Screenplay: Roberto F. Canuto, Xu Xiaoxi, Enrique Pérez Romero
Cinematography: Fran Córdoba
Cast: Manuel Pizarro, Pelayo Carrizo, Andy Almar, Laura Ubach, Martina Bueno
Country: Spain
Year: 2025
Languages: Spanish and “amestao” (optional subtitles available)

⭐ Selected Festivals & Awards
Awards
Awards
• Director’s Choice Award — 45th Thomas Edison Film Festival (USA)
• Asturias Audience Award — 24th Avilés Acción Film Festival (Spain)
• Honourable Mention — I Goitacá International Film Festival (Brazil)
• 3rd Place Audience Award — 24th Beijing Queer Film Festival (China)
• Best Cinematography — III Rural and Mountain Film Festival of Cervera (Spain)

Key Festival Selections (of nearly 50 festivales)
• 53rd Huesca International Film Festival (Spain — Oscar & Goya Qualifying)
• 31st Chéries-Chéris – Festival du Film LGBTQ+ de Paris (France)
• 43rd Reeling Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (USA)
• 27th OUTshine Miami LGBTQ+ Film Festival (USA)
• 63rd Gijón International Film Festival – Asturies Section (Spain)
• 27th ReelOut Queer Film Festival (Canada)
• 16th KASHISH Pride Film Festival (India)
• 24th Beijing Queer Film Festival (China)
• 29th MIX Mexico – Festival de Diversidad Sexual en Cine y Video (Mexico)

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