A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OF STORYTELLING

After a quarter of a century, the FICL (Canary Islands International Film Festival) has established itself as a leading event, driven by a passion for cinema and a constant promotion of audiovisual culture on the island. The gala, hosted by audiovisual creator Emilio González and actor and comedian Nacho Peña, combined humor and tributes to the festival's 25-year history. The jury, composed of actors, directors, and journalists specializing in film, including Miguel Ángel Muñoz, María Esteve, Mina El Hamani, Rubén Cortada, Sergi López, Loreto Mauleón, Críspulo Cabezas, Yolanda Flores, Michelle Calvó, Raúl Maro, Carlos Serrano, Agustín González, Laura Balde, and Yeray Betancor, was also in attendance. Guests, nominees, and award winners also enjoyed performances by Canarian comedian Delia Santana and Yeray Herrera and Silvia Criado.

The Lanzarote International Film Festival concluded its twenty-fifth edition with the closing gala held this Saturday at the Víctor Fernández Gopar “El Salinero” Theatre in Arrecife, filling the venue with audience and lovers of the seventh art.

During the ceremony, awards were presented to the best short films in the festival's five official sections: International Fiction Shorts, National Short Films, Canary Islands Short Films, Animation, and Documentaries. This edition broke records with 2,780 submissions from over 100 countries, 63 of which competed in the official selection.

“From the Cabildo we want to congratulate the winners, but above all, our island for continuing to host such an important festival as this, which not only showcases quality cinema, but also consolidates Lanzarote as a cultural and creative benchmark within and outside the Canary Islands,” highlighted the Councilor for Culture, Jesús Machín Tavío.