The Lanzarote Film Festival kicks off, celebrating its tenth edition, and it does so with good news: the island's main film event is moving from being a showcase to achieving the category of festival. This was announced on Monday morning, at a press conference, by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés, the Minister of Education and Culture, Francisco Cabrera, and the director of the Festival, Ismael Curbelo.
In this way, the Lanzarote Film Festival will become part of the official calendar of festivals of the Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences of Spain. The meeting held in Lanzarote can be elevated to that category, since it meets the requirements of having official competition sections (those of Canarian, national and international short films), an official jury in each category, cash prizes and parallel non-competition sections, among many other requirements.
"It is good news because, despite its budgetary modesty and the fact that this is a difficult year economically, it means that the Festival is growing every year and is becoming consolidated in the national scene. That is why I believe that all the sponsors and collaborators who, together with the Island Corporation, make the celebration of the Lanzarote Film Festival possible deserve special recognition from the Cabildo", said the President of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés.
For his part, the Minister of Education and Culture, Francisco Cabrera, highlighted that the Festival continues to grow "but maintains its spirit and its main characteristics that make it different from the others: its commitment to reaching all types of audiences and that the public is precisely the main protagonist". Cabrera recalled that the Lanzarote Film Festival contains among its parallel sections one dedicated to children, another to young people, another to the elderly, to people with disabilities, to people in prison, etc.
Likewise, the director of the Festival, Ismael Curbelo, from Fisme Producciones, highlighted the importance of the event in terms of the tourist impact of the island. "Lanzarote has already been a film set for high-level films and can undoubtedly be so again, since it has unique landscapes. Some of the guests are producers of great Hollywood successes and it is fortunate that they can visit the island to get to know it and talk about its qualities outside of here", said Curbelo.
Candela Peña, Miguel Albaladejo or Callum MacDougall
Among the guests confirmed to attend the 10th Lanzarote Film Festival, it is worth mentioning the actress Candela Peña, star of the film "La isla interior", by Dunia Ayaso and Félix Sabroso, or the director Miguel Albaladejo, who signed the film "Nacidas para sufrir", both films that are screened in the feature film section.
Among the guests, forming part of the jury of international short films, there are some of the most prestigious Hollywood professionals. Among them is the British Robin Higgs, one of the most important location assistants in the world. Higgs has worked on blockbusters such as "Saving Private Ryan", "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "Casino Royale". Another assistant will be Eddie Folcarelli, also specialized in location and production tasks, having located exteriors for films such as "Quantum Of Solace" or "Batman: The Dark Knight". On the other hand, the producer Callum MacDougall has produced films such as "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", "Quantum Of Solace" or "Die Another Day".
Programming
The 10th Lanzarote Film Festival will take place from May 3 to 14, and will have as its main stage the Atlántida multiplexes in Arrecife, specifically Hall 4. During the week of May 3 to 7, the short films competing in its sections of Canarian short films (7:00 p.m.), national (8:30 p.m.) and international (10:00 p.m.) will be screened. Admission is free, until full capacity.
In the week of May 10 to 14, the feature films will be screened, with two screenings: at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. As with the short films, admission to the feature films is free, until full capacity. On May 10, "The Widows of Thursdays" will be screened; on the 11th, "Born to Suffer"; on May 12 it will be the turn of "Yo también; on the 13th, "El baile de la victoria", while, finally, on the 14th, "La isla interior" will be screened.
Organizers
The 10th Lanzarote Film Festival is organized by Producciones Fisme and the Education and Culture Area of the Cabildo de Lanzarote. The Culture and Youth councils of the Arrecife City Council, Canarias Cultura en Red of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Obra Social de La Caja de Canarias sponsor it. The Spínola Group, the Arrecife Gran Hotel, the Rotary Club of Lanzarote, and the César Manrique Foundation collaborate.
