25/06/2024 - The director of the film festival on the Canary Island of La Palma talks about this unique event, its initiatives and its connection with the island where it takes place

The 19th edition of Festivalito – Festival de las Estrellas de La Palma is taking place from 21st to 29th June with screenings, concerts and meetings (this year, with actresses Lola Dueñas and Malena Alterio and the actor and singer Albert Pla). Its director José Víctor Fuentes talks about the unique event, its initiatives, and above all, the connection it has with the Canary Island where it takes place.

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Cineuropa: How has Festivalito evolved since its first edition and what have been the main challenges you have faced over the years?
José Víctor Fuentes: Festivalito started in 2002 and we always knew that we didn't want to be a film festival, we wanted to be a festival where we made films. We don't use film as an end, but as a means, and since 2015 we understand that film has to be a tool to discover ourselves. It's a means that makes all those trying to make a film have to coexist together to help each other. And by helping each other they get to know each other. And it also brings about a coexistence between all the filmmakers, actors and technicians who come here, and the people who live on the island of La Palma, who end up participating in the filming, either as actors, telling stories, leaving their houses or providing locations.

What initiatives does Festivalito have in place to support and promote local talent in the Canary Islands, and how has this impacted their careers?
Festivalito has an enormous impact on the place where it is held, which in this case is the island of La Palma, because it was created to take place solely and exclusively on the island. Filming activities take place in practically every municipality on the island. Normally audiences are used to seeing stories on screen in places other than where they live, but we’ve been telling stories in our own country for 19 years and we’re lucky enough to have made more than a thousand short films. There are stories that are to do with this island and other stories that are universal and have absolutely nothing to do with it. But the fact that different locations on La Palma are shown over and over again gives us a very interesting cultural impact, because it makes us highlight its different values.

Festivalito also has a very important economic impact on the whole island because we’ve been trying to be a sustainable and zero-kilometre festival for many years. This means that most of the companies offering services to us are local to begin with. From technical audiovisual companies to car rental companies, catering, accommodation and travel companies. Practically 85% of what Festivalito spends stays on the island of La Palma. We conducted a study on the island: our budget is €240,000 and the impact on the island is €1,000,000. On the other hand, the advertising impact, equivalent to all media appearances, both digital and traditional, is almost €400,000.

What strategies do you use to attract both residents and visitors to La Palma to participate in the festival?
Being very active on social media and using a lot of modern language to attract visitors wanting cultural experiences. All the events of Festivalito are free and we have activities for all audiences. Not only for auteur or experimental cinema audiences, but, for example, we show films of different styles, including comedies, action thrillers and horror films.

We’ve made sure that each year all the Canarian filmmakers come to participate directly in the screenings. We also challenge them to take part in the La Palma Rueda challenge, which is an express shooting or film creation competition. Participants are challenged to come up with a story, find locations and form a technical and artistic team to shoot, edit and premiere a short film over the week of the event, based around a slogan that is read out at the opening ceremony [see all the information about the rules, registration and participants here].

(Translated from Spanish by Vicky York)