The Lanzarote International Film Festival commemorates its 25th anniversary between 15 and 24 May, consolidating its position as a benchmark in short films in Spain. Organised by the Department of Culture of the Council of Lanzarote and Fisme Producciones, the festival has announced that 63 short films out of 2,780 submitted works have been selected for this year's edition. The competitive categories are: National Fiction Shorts, International Fiction Shorts, Animation Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Canarian Shorts and Children's Shorts (aimed at audiences between 3 and 17 years old). The works entered in the competition are eligible for a prize of €1,500.

This 25th edition of the film festival celebrates the vitality of Spanish cinema with an official selection of 17 films in competition. These works, created by a new generation of filmmakers alongside more established names, explore contemporary issues with fresh and personal approaches. Among the selected titles are La mort directed by Jesús Martínez “Nota”; Solo yo by Laia Rodas; Insalvable by Javier Marco (Josephine [+lire aussi :
critique
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fiche film]); Discordia by Álvaro Amate; and Piel fina by actor Antonio Muñoz De Mesa (the series Galgos [+lire aussi :
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fiche série]), along with provocative offerings such as El arte de cagar by José Rodríguez, and Quinqui by Luis Saavedra.

The Canarian Short Film category showcases both emerging and established talent from the islands. This year, nine works have been selected to compete, reflecting the diversity of the archipelago. These include: Las noches rotas directed by Valentino R. Sandoli; La Mancha by Nacho Peña Ahedo; Los muchachos by Alejandro Artiles; La isla errante by Pablo Borges; Esa vocecilla by Carlos Acosta; Drowned by Damián Ramos Díaz; El Jable by Bruno Atkinson; S.S by Lionel Marrero; and Mateo and Minguito by Néstor Garma.

Another 15 films will also compete in the Best International Fiction Short Film category, representing a wide range of countries and consolidating the global spirit of the event. Among the selected films are: Secuencia directed by Claudia H. Castellano (Colombia); La cascada by Pablo Delgado Sánchez (Mexico); A Summer's End Poem by Lam Can-zhao (China); Chang Dong by Yuan Yuan (United States); Sette Settimane by Enrico Acciani (Italy); Nothing But the Truth by Hamoun Dolatshahi (United States); and Barlebas by Malu Janssen (Netherlands).

The Documentary category presents a selection of works that explore reality with sensitivity and depth, including Lagun by Juan Larrañaga; Volver cantando by Lázaro Louzao; La conversación que nunca tuvimos by Cristina Urgel; También lo siento by Ignacio Marín; Vollúpya by Éri Sarmet and Jocimar Dias Jr; and El mal d'Hèrcules directed by a collective of young filmmakers.

The Lanzarote International Film Festival will also screen a dozen animated short films that tackle complex and emotional themes, from the critical boldness of Free the Chickens directed by Matúš Vizár (Slovakia), to the delicacy of Le Chevreuil by Delphine Priet-Mahéo (France), and contemporary reflections such as Unliked by Spaniard Pablo Jiménez Gallardo, through to the dystopian imaginary of Awaiting the Lightning Bolt by Italian director Marco Russo. The Spanish animated shorts Carmela by Vicente Mallols, and Periquitos by Alex Rey, among others, complete a programme that proves animation is also a medium for social critique and artistic innovation.

To round off the festival, three Spanish-produced feature films will be screened, Devil Dog Road [+lire aussi :
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interview : Guillermo Polo
fiche film], a road movie by Valencian director Guillermo Polo; the dramatic comedy Un paseo por el Borne, by Mallorcan director Nick Igea; and the documentary Noah directed by Catalan filmmaker Louise Brix Andersen.