07/06/2024 - The Canarian gathering has wrapped its 24th edition, cementing its position as one of the world’s foremost short-film events

The jury of the national section handing its prize to Cura sana by Lucía G Romero during the closing ceremony (© Dani Cabe/Lanzarote International Film Festival)

The Lanzarote International Film Festival wrapped its 24th edition on 25 May, once again consolidating its position as one of the world’s foremost gatherings for short films. After several weeks of events and screenings, the festival’s climax came with the handing out of various awards to the winners in the five official sections: International Short Fiction, National Short Fiction, Canarian Shorts, Animated Shorts and Short Documentaries. This edition of the festival was especially noteworthy because of the record number of works presented: a total of 2,605 short films of more than 100 different nationalities, 59 of which were in competition.

The jury for the international section, made up of actress Blanca Portillo (whom we have just seen in Teresa [+see also:
film review
film profile]), director Iván Umpiérrez Cañada and Irish artist Lauren Collins, picked the Japanese production The Old Young Crow by Liam LoPinto, which follows an Iranian boy who strikes up a friendship with an elderly Japanese lady, as the winner.

The jury for the national section, consisting of actress Irene Escolar (seen recently in The Girls Are Alright [+see also:
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interview: Itsaso Arana
film profile]), actor Pablo Padrón and multidisciplinary expert María del Río, handed its trophy to Cura Sana, a work by Barcelona-based Lucía G Romero, which previously took home the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film in the Generation 14plus strand of the most recent Berlinale, as well as the Best Actress Award at Málaga. It will also shortly take part in the EFP’s Future Frames programme at Karlovy Vary (see the news).

Meanwhile, the jury for the documentary section, comprising director Benito Zambrano (who has just released Jumping the Fence [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] in Spanish cinemas), actress Marta Etura and psychologist María Paz Vargas, handed their prize to Neighbours, helmed by South African-based Colombian director Salym Fayad and Spaniard Marcela Ascencio, which homes in on the current political and social crisis in the Central African Republic.

The Lanzarote International Film Festival is an official qualifying event for the Goya Awards, which means that the winner of the national section and that of the international section are automatically shortlisted for the Spanish prizes. The next edition of the festival promises to continue upping its level of quality and strengthening its impact.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best International Short Fiction
The Old Young Crow - Liam LoPinto (Japan)

Best National Short Fiction
Cura Sana - Lucía G Romero (Spain)

Best Short Documentary
Neighbours - Salym Fayad, Marcela Ascencio (Colombia)

Best Canarian Short
Tras los pasos perdidos - Concha de Ganzo (Spain)

Best Animated Short
Star Wars Visions 2: In the Stars - Gabriel Osorio (USA)

(Translated from Spanish)