Somewhere along the one-lane, heart-stopping drive through the Pyrenees, you might begin questioning if your GPS is pointing you in the right direction. The endless curves, near-vertical drops and forests of pine trees are broken up only by the occasional cow wandering onto the road.

Then this 17th-century village breaks into view atop a ridgeline perched between tree-lined peaks and the Ara River valley, about 1,500 vertical feet below. Ascaso consists of a series of stone buildings, including a church and accompanying bell tower and seven homes. A screen hangs from the side of one of two old stables.

Welcome to the “Muestra del Cine,” the world’s smallest film festival.

In 1997, Miguel Cordero, who was working at city hall in Coslada, just outside Madrid, stumbled onto Ascaso while helping a friend look for a place to live. His friend couldn’t live so remotely; she had children and getting to school would be a challenge, especially in the winter months.

“She couldn’t buy the place, so I did,” Cordero said.

Thirteen years ago, Cordero’s love of cinema, pushed him and his partner Nestor Prades to start a film festival where they could screen films for their friends under the stars.

“I was working for a while to set up an online platform for independent cinema,” says Cordero. “I met a director from Radio 3, and with him we started showing films to a few friends at the house in Ascaso. But we wanted to open it up.”

Big skies, at night peppered with stars, sprawl over the screening area where the films are presented and talks with the filmmakers, famous critics and film producers take place. Cordero and Prades are hopeful that they can work out the finances for a 14th edition. The rights to screening a film are the same whether you are on a Pyrenees mountain top or on the beach at Cannes. Volunteers make it happen.