The next Lanzarote Film Festival, which will be held between November 23 and December 3, will have emigration as its main theme. As in previous editions, the purpose of this year is to address a topic that has been fundamental to the history of Lanzarote as well as to the "history of humanity." In 2018 the chosen theme was the volcano, en 2019 salt, in 2020 crises, in 2021 the wind and in 2022 fishing; all of them topics that have both a local and a global imprint, and that always connect "the uniqueness of Lanzarote with some of the great issues of the planet."
The festival returns, once again, with its vocation to connect the unique character of Lanzarote with themes of universal scope. Emigration has left a fundamental mark on the history of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands, both in their ways of life, as in their economy, in their culture or in their social structure. This imprint of the migratory phenomenon has in turn "a clear reflection in the history of all humanity."
For this, it has selected as the central axis for the next edition an issue that has been key in the social and human history of the island, but that has also marked and marks, to this day, many of the great political and humanitarian issues of the planet: the phenomenon of emigration.
In addition to a wide selection of films from the history of cinema, numerous parallel activities will be carried out, such as meetings with emigrants from the island, talks, debates, hikes or children's and school sessions in which the first moment of the migration processes will be explored: the one in which someone decides or is forced to leave their home. During the Exhibition, filmmakers and specialists of the first national and international level will also attend the island to address the theme of the edition.
This year's poster, made once again by the prestigious Lithuanian designer Jurgis Griškevičius, "reflects with the synthetic image of a suitcase, the moment in which the abandonment of the home is prepared."
Javier Fuentes Feo, director of the contest, has pointed out that “this edition is going to be one of the most emotional that we have organized to date, because emigration has marked our history as an island". "For centuries and until today, for very diverse reasons, the people of Lanzarote have been forced to leave the island. In this edition we are going to see, listen to and feel incredible stories, from people from our land, and at the same time we are going to have films that will tell those same sensations experienced in distant places and cultures. It is going to be a totally transformative experience”.
One more year, the Jury of the Exhibition will be made up of recognized personalities from the world of cinema and culture from the international, state and regional spheres. Following the commitment that the Lanzarote Film Festival launched five years ago, the jury will debate and make its decision publicly, something that currently does not happen in any other festival in the world.
The 13th edition of the festival is organized by the non-profit association Tenique Cultural and is sponsored by the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society through its product brand Lanzarote Film Commission, the Centers for Art, Culture and Tourism and the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts of Spain.