‘Balane 3’ wins the Almost-Finished Films Award and ‘Tres balas’ obtains the Films-To-Be-Made one

 The winning projects will receive 8,000 and 5,000 euros respectively

 The jury of experts has evaluated a total of 16 projects in this edition

 La hojarasca, by Macu Machín, has received the MECAS Island award

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Saturday, April 15, 2023.- The sixth edition of the International Market dedicated to Almost-Finished Films (MECAS) of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival held this afternoon the awards ceremony for its Almost-Finished Films, Films-To-Be-Made and MECAS Island prizes. A jury of experts made up of Jerónimo Atehortúa (Invasión Cine), Ewa Szablowska (New Horizons IFF), Antonia Girardi (FIDOCS) and Peter Stephens (Music Library &SFX) were in charge of evaluating the 16 projects selected for the two international markets of Almost-Finished Films, Films-To-Be-Made and the MECAS Island distinction that goes to a Canarian project in development or in the final stages of production.

The Almost-Finished Films Award, endowed with 8,000 euros, went to the project Balane 3, by Ico Costa “for being a project directed with a powerful vital drive, capable of seeing beauty and freshness in the chronology of a day, approached with great freedom, without melancholy or solemnity,” according to the jury.

On the other hand, the 5,000-euro Films-To-Be-Made Award went to Tres balas, by Genésis Valenzuela. The judges has chosen it “for being an honest and radical project, with an intelligent approach to colonial violence and its contemporary echoes.”

Macu Machín’s La hojarasca project has received the MECAS Island distinction, thanks to the support of Canary Islands Film, with an endowment of 1,200 euros for the internationalization of the project. The jury awarded it for “being a sensitive portrayal of a community of women pierced by family ties and the telluric influences of the territory.”

The Music Library &SFX Award for an Almost-Finished Films project consisting of the transfer of production music from the company’s catalogs and musical supervision valued at 1,500 euros went to El príncipe de Nanawa, by Clarisa Navas. Maspalomas, by Reka Valerik, will be offered a three-hour consultancy with Anna Ciennik thanks to the Very Good Script Award for a Films-To-Be-Made project.

Finally, Lionel Braverman’s Donde estés será mi hogar will travel to the next edition of the Gijón International Film Festival thanks to the SEMILLERU Lab Award for a project in development and Ivan Blanco’s M-X will participate in the Cinema Pendent 2023 project development support program of l’Arternativa Pro.

The industry area of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is a specialized platform of activities aimed primarily at directors, producers and industry agents from Europe and Latin America seeking support in the completion and development of feature films. MECAS is sponsored by Canary Islands Film (Instituto Canario de Desarrollo Cultural), Gran Canaria Film Commission (Sociedad de Promoción Económica de Gran Canaria), Spanish Public Agency for Cultural Action (AC/E), Proexca and Music Library &SFX.