The Lanzarote International Film Festival (FICL), co-produced by the Culture area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and Fisme Producciones, bid farewell to its twenty-second edition this Saturday night with a closing gala in which the awards were presented to the winners in the five official categories in competition: International Fiction Shorts, National Fiction Shorts, Animation Shorts, Documentary Shorts, and Canary Shorts. In this edition, 1472 applications from 80 nationalities have been received.
In this edition of the Festival, the memory of the Lanzarote director and screenwriter Roberto Pérez Toledo, who passed away last January, has occupied a place of honor. The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, officially announced, in this regard, that the Express Short Film Contest “will now bear his name, so his memory will be forever linked to this Festival.”
The gala, dynamic and with many gags that brought smiles to the audience, was led by the Lanzarote actor and comedian Nacho Peña, accompanied at times by the audiovisual creator Emilio González. The awards ceremony and the screening of the winning shorts in their respective sections was the dazzling closing to ten days of short films, activities, and meetings between the public and professionals of the seventh art.
The night kicked off with the rock music of the Marius John Band, formed by this young pianist of Romanian roots, drummer Julio Santana (Treintaytantos), Yeo Beta on saxophone, Daniel Cruz on guitar, and Juanjo Mora on bass.
After this fast-paced start, Ismael Curbelo, director of FICL, addressed those present, telling an anecdote about Ildefonso Aguilar, a jury member in this edition of FICL, who, 'Pampa' recalled, cleaned his small plot of sand on beach days, “leaving it cleaner than he found it.” Curbelo said that Ildefonso Aguilar and Roberto Pérez Toledo, with his inclusive cinema, have been people who have provoked a 'click' in his mind, for being an example of sensitivity and empathy, just what he thinks cinema is: “Hopefully this programming has clicked with those who have seen the short films of the Festival,” he said.
The president of the Cabildo, María Dolores Corujo, who picked up this memory of Roberto and also mentioned the figures of César Manrique or Saramago for their valuable contribution to Lanzarote, highlighted in her speech the magnificent conditions that the island offers for the establishment of an audiovisual industry “tax advantages or connectivity”, but, above all, “unique landscapes, abundant and high-quality natural light, and an unbeatable climate”. The president's words included the wish that “the talent of Canarian professionals in all areas of this industry expands and that the audiovisual sector can develop here, because I am sure that was also the wish of Roberto Pérez Toledo”. María Dolores Corujo concluded by thanking the organization of the Festival, the collaborating institutions and companies, and congratulating the winners.
'Quand les hirondelles s´en vont', Best Documentary Short
The awards ceremony began with the category of Best Documentary Short, which went to “Quand les hirondelles s´en vont', by Sebastièn Pins. The odyssey of a young man to help his elderly neighbors take care of their last cows moved the jury, formed by Isaki Lacuesta, Macarena Nieves, and Roberto Cabrera. In this section, a total of eight “very interesting” works were viewed, with themes such as climate change, inequality, or migratory processes, and the choice was difficult, although, finally, the poetry of Pins won. The French filmmaker thanked through a video for the award that he said he did not expect and explained that with his story he tried to “reflect the love for simple things”. The jury also awarded two special mentions to the film 'Maldita. A love songo of Sarajevo', by Raúl de la Fuente and Amaia Ramírez, and 'Angie Mort', by Lofti Archour, who also took the Audience Award.
'Pintango', Best Animated Short
The Argentine director Rodolfo Pastor won the award for Best Animated Short with his film 'Pintango', starring Pacho and Mimí, a painter of figurative and tango paintings and his intelligent wife. The jury of the Animation section, composed of Ernesto Alterio, Mayte Pozo, and Víctor Hubara, praised the level of the 12 short films viewed, which they described as “very imaginative” and advanced that the three members of the jury had agreed to choose this piece “with a very interesting invoice and touches of comedy”. The author sent an original video with a small performance to the Festival, thanking for the award. The short 'Loop' by Pablo Polledri received a special mention and the audience award.
'Madres', Best Canarian Short
The jury of the Canarian Shorts, composed of Iván Messegué, Silvia Romero, and Paola Delgado, awarded 'Madres', by Daniel León, a story that addresses surrogate motherhood. The public endorsed this choice by also awarding the popular award to the Gran Canaria filmmaker. León remembered, in his words of thanks, his professional colleagues: “In the Canary Islands, 500 short films are shot a year. Here we have seen seven, I ask you for applause for the other 493”.
'Cemento y acero', Best National Fiction Short
Alicia Borrachero, José Pedro Carrión, and Yanely Hernández make up the jury that decided to award 'Cemento y acero', by Oriol Villar, the award for Best National Fiction Short. The film tells the story of two mobsters chained to a block of cement, who decide to have a burst of sincerity. The comedy was highly applauded in the room. The Jury also awarded special mentions to the films 'Baltasar' (Brietta Hague) and 'Emilia' (Cristian Guillén) and the public gave its award to the short film '36', by Ana Lambarri.
'All that glitters', Best International Fiction Short
The director Dan Bronzite won the award in the International Shorts section with his film 'All that glitters'. The jury, composed of Philippe Mayanobe, Ildefonso Aguilar, and Pepón Nieto, assured that there had been total consensus in the choice of this short film that narrates the meeting of a rich woman and a teenage thief that will change their lives. Bronzite thanked his team for the support received, especially the leading actors. The other winning film in the section was 'País improvisto', by Alfredo Hueck, which received a special mention and the Audience Award.
FICL closes its 2022 edition, with a very positive balance and its mind set on the next appointment with short films in Lanzarote.
The Lanzarote International Film Festival is organized by the Culture Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and the company Fisme Producciones and sponsored by the Island Council, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Arrecife City Council, the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT) of Lanzarote and the companies CICAR, Arrecife Gran hotel, TV Canaria and Lafugran.