Arrecife once again dressed up for cinema to bid farewell to a new edition of the Lanzarote International Film Festival. An edition that turned the island into a meeting point for creators, stories, and perspectives from all over the world. A brilliant Closing Gala that brought together the public, filmmakers, juries, and guests in an atmosphere of shared celebration. held on Saturday night at El Salinero, which highlighted why this festival has established itself as the biggest cinematic event of the year in Lanzarote.
Jesús Machín Tavío, Minister of Culture of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, highlighted that "the Lanzarote International Film Festival once again concludes an edition that confirms its growth and its ability to continue positioning the island within the cultural and audiovisual map of the Canary Islands". He also pointed out that "beyond the awards, this festival has once again demonstrated its value as a meeting space between creators, the public, and new perspectives, reinforcing Lanzarote's connection with cinema, culture, and external projection".
El Salinero, epicenter of national cinema
The ceremony was hosted by a duo that is already a tradition at this festival: Nacho Peña and Emilio González, who guided a night full of humor, dynamism, and emotion.
Also present were all the members of this year's jury, formed by Arantxa Echevarría, Carlos Bardem, Javier Pereira, Tamar Novas, Alberto Jo Lee, Boré Buika, Ruth Gabriel, Susana Castañón, Joel Barrios, Silvia Navarro, Paola Domínguez, Andrés Martinón, Elena Tejera, and Mare Cabrera. A jury that was very present at the gala, where they shared impressions with the audience at El Salinero, discussing points of view and praising the great work of the short filmmakers and the festival in its twenty-sixth edition.
The night featured performances by the comedian from Gran Canaria, Delia Santana, who with her irreverent and biting humor, unleashed laughter from everyone present. For their part, singer and actress Silvia Criado and musician and producer Yeray Herrera, provided a musical interlude with a brilliant performance of Nancy Sinatra's iconic song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", adding rhythm to a gala that progressed swiftly, between celebration and praise.
An awards list that celebrates the diversity of perspectives
One of the most anticipated moments of the night arrived with the awards ceremony, where the winning short films from the various official sections were announced. An edition marked, once again, by great participation, variety of styles and origins.
In the category for Best Documentary Short Film, both the audience award and the award for best documentary short went to 123 Nim Seeds, by Murcian director Adrián Buenaventura, a work especially praised for its deep emotional weight and social commitment, portraying with humanity the lives of children with functional diversity in Kenya.
The special mention in this section went to Las Malas by Elisa Moreno Borrego. A short film that narrates the lives of brave mothers who decide to compete professionally in rugby, a sport socially associated with masculinity.
In Animation, the jury awarded Planeta Fome, by Éider William (Brazil), a proposal based on real events that stands out for combining a sensitive perspective with a deep political dimension.
Meanwhile, the audience favored the film Whispers by the French filmmakers Alexandra Pewinski, Marie Lombard, Florian Reignier, Emma Pluchard, Lisa Francillon, and Alicie Parmentier. The jury's special mention went to the short film The Pool Or Death of A Goldfish by Polish director Daria Kopiec.
Local talent played a particularly celebrated role in the Best Canarian Short Film category, where the award went to La Habitación, by Nacho Peña, a short film that participated in the already renowned "Mayores Sin Reparo" competition and this year takes home the top award in its category.
The audience, for their part, decided to award the short film Countdown, by director Iván Umpiérrez, while the jury's special mention went to Azul by Adrián Viador. A section that, without a doubt, showcased the creative strength of cinema made on the islands.
The award for Best National Short Film went to María Rita by Galician director Juan Barbazán. A piece that stands out for its raw and deeply human portrayal of drug addiction and motherhood in coastal Galicia, also working with real victims of drug trafficking.
The audience, for their part, awarded the short film I owe you one by Santi Capuz and Diego Jiménez. The jury's special mention went to the short film It Was a Summer by Sandra del Olmo, who premiered this film nationally on May 19th at CIC El Almacén.
Finally, in the category of Best International Short Film, the award went to No Skate!, by French director Guil Sela, a work that stood out for its melancholic humor and its ironic portrayal of Olympic Paris, mixing romantic comedy and social criticism.
The Audience Award went to Icarus by director Christos Kardana, a short film with co-production of Belgian, French, Greek, and British origin. The special jury mention went to the Filipino short film Agapito by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romero.
Beyond the awards
Although the closing ceremony marked the official end of this edition, the events will continue with the screening of the awards from our partner festivals in Ireland and Lebanon on the 27th; and the following day, May 28th, we will screen the Awards of the 26th Edition of the Lanzarote International Film Festival, both screenings will be at the El Almacén Cultural Innovation Center.
This session will allow a revisit of the most outstanding works and extend the life of the festival for a few more days, reaching out to those who could not attend or simply, to those who want to relive short films with very broad perspectives.
In addition, on June 4th at 8:00 PM, we can enjoy an incredible combination of cinema and music with Sonidos Líquidos, at CIC El Almacén, with the screening of Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) and the performance of its soundtrack by the group Zabala.
If you want to attend any of these events, tickets are available on the web platform of Ecoentradas.com.
This cinematic event is organized by Fisme Producciones, with the support of the Culture Area of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Financed by the European Union- Next Generation EU, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Lanzarote Film Commission Canary Islands Film, Instituto Canario de Desarrollo Cultural and Sociedad de Promoción Exterior de Lanzarote through its product brand Lanzarote Film Commission, Promotur Turismo de Canarias, Arrecife City Council and Lanzarote Centers for Art, Culture and Tourism.
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