• The eleven works competing for the Richard Leacock Award, whose screening is scheduled for April 26, show how prolific Canarian filmmaking currently is, with enough room for experienced and new authors to coexist in it
• Marta Torrecilla, Arima León, Pedro García, Fátima Luzardo, Marcos Crisostomos and María Abenia’s short films make up the section’s first group of screenings, while Miguel G. Morales, Chisco Valdés, David Pantaleón, Amos Milbor and Antonia San Juan’s second group will close the section
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.- Universal conflicts only approachable through intimacy, an illuminating memory of history, an alternative look at the territory undermining current mainstream discourse and a good deal of acid and sharp humor. The short film selection comprising the Canarias Cinema section of the 2025 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival proves, above all, that the islands’ filmmaking is quite alive, and beats with a present-day drive. In this section, experienced directors coexist with new emerging ones who are driven by their calling, formation and boldness, thus continuing the festival’s tradition. That is, a space that consistently incorporates new filmmakers to the national film circuit, as the authors themselves have noted.
Indeed, if Canarias Cinema has been known for anything, it is for standing as an essential platform for Canarian cinema, and for being a source of new filmmakers. Experienced and upcoming directors alike make up this diverse and appealing section: eleven short films that’ll compete for the Richard Leacock Award, as well as the distribution award granted by the Canarian production company Digital 104.
First group
Canarias Cinema’s first short film group will be screened on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. at Cine Yelmo Las Arenas Screen 6. At 5 p.m., at the same screen, it will be shown for a second and last time, on this occasion with some of the filmmakers themselves in attendance.
The works comprising this group are: De interés insular (Of Island Interest) (Marta Torrecilla, Spain, 2024, 4 min.); Koyas (Arima León, Spain, 2025, 16 min.); El grito de César del bosque (The Shout of César del Bosque) (Pedro García, Spain, 2025, 25 min.); Tour (Fátima Luzardo, Spain, 2024, 2 min.); Dime, Mari (Tell Me, Mari) (Marcos Crisostomo, Spain, 2025, 18 min.), and Las sirenas (Mermaids) (María Abenia, Spain, 2024, 20 min.).
Second group
Canarias Cinema’s second short film group is also scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 12:15 p.m. at Cine Yelmo Las Arenas Screen 6. Its second and final screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the same screen. Once again, some of the filmmakers themselves will be in attendance.
The pieces that make up this group are: Escuchar la sombra (Listen to the Shadow) (Miguel G. Morales, Spain, 2024, 30 min.); It Was Hot That Day: A Jandiman Story (Chisco Valdés, Spain, 2024, 11 min.); Cartas desde el Zoo (Letters From the Zoo) (David Pantaleón, Spain, 2024, 26 min.); Inmaculada (Inmaculate) (Amos Milbor, Spain, 2025, 14 min.), and La paciente desconocida de Freud (Freud’s Unknown Patient) (Antonia San Juan, Spain, 2025, 7 min.).
Share this Post