14/05/2026 - The head of this short-film packed festival reflects on the joy of seeing both young and old audiences take part in in an event designed for everyone

The 26th edition of the Lanzarote International Film Festival  is taking place this week and runs until the 23rd (read news). We spoke with its director, Ismael Curbelo, about his thoughts, recommendations and what’s new.

Cineuropa: Yours isn't an ageist film festival, because everyone from children to pensioners takes part.
Ismael Curbelo: We’ve always been committed to ensuring that cinema is enjoyed by all and is inclusive, so that every audience member has a seat. Film festivals are becoming increasingly specialised, but we’ve gone against the grain, whether that means arranging for children from a rural school to take a bus to a theatre, or visiting the schools ourselves. It’s with this spirit of romance that we continue our work.

And how do they get on with the short film format?
We began by screening only feature films for the first five editions. We taking a year off, we returned with the realisation that short films offer enormous freedom and immediacy. They aren’t driven by commercial pressures and they tackle stories that others don’t. Seeing a cinema full of 300 children fall silent the moment the film begins is pure magic.

It seems that one of the key aspects of the film festival is that the audience plays an active role, voting for awards and even filming.
We organisers come from a film background ourselves and have great respect for creators, but also for the audience, whom we need to encourage to leave the house and come to the cinema. They’re involved in every section, such as the children’s shorts and the express short. We always work with the audience in mind; we even run training courses on the language of film.

How has this year’s crop of short films been?
We’ve watched 2,900 short films from 102 countries. Our selection committee includes nearly 50 people, ranging from industry professionals to artists and teachers, to ensure a wide range of criteria when making our selections. We’ll screen 62 short films in total, though we could easily have selected 200.

Feature films also have their place at the Lanzarote film festival.
Yes. Among others, we’re premiering a documentary by Álex O’Dogherty, De todos lados un poco, which connect directly with the reality of the Canary Islands. He’s from Seville, but has spent his whole life explaining his surname - so he interviews people with surnames of diverse origins: Arab, Portuguese Irish. A diversity we often overlook, and a very topical issue.

Does the film festival help foster a love of cinema in very young children?
Children need to be encouraged to develop their own judgement. Educators work with them before and after the screenings. Once, we showed an American short film about a child undergoing gender transition. When the mother made a transphobic comment, the audience booed loudly. We must continue like this: forming our own opinions, not letting ourselves be manipulated.

You even take films into a prison on the island…
When you go in and the bars close behind you, it’s quite a shock. But when we screen the short films, the inmates thank us. Last year they even suggested we shoot one there, but it wasn’t possible due to security reasons.

And you’re holding screenings with live music, featuring Taxi Driver.
We’re doing it in a small, charming screening room designed by the late artist César Manrique in an old house. There’s no need for microphones, as the musicians are so close to the screen. It’s for the 50th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. This is the fourth year we’ve organised this event.

Which festival guests are you particularly looking forward to?
For example, actress Ruth Gabriel is presenting her book Mujeres de cine. Actors Carlos Bardem and Tamar Novas will also be joining us, as well as filmmaker Arantxa Echevarría, among others. I’m really looking forward to getting to know them better.

Has the Spanish short film finally shed its inferiority complex internationally?
We can now hold our heads high. There are plenty of high-quality short films being made in Spain. This is also evident at film festivals, as is the case this year in Cannes. We’ve shaken off that “Spanish” stigma. Some people may still harbour prejudices, but there’s no longer any justification for them anymore. It’s a thing of the past. Our cinema is universal.

One final thought on this year’s edition?
The older participants really touch my heart. I’m especially excited by what they’re filming, and the children too. We’re very lucky that they’re taking such an active part in our festival.

(Translated from Spanish)