The 13th edition of Spain’s Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF, October 30-November 5) will include a screenwriters’ lab – the Evolution Mallorca Script LAB - for the first time, as part of the festival’s aim to build on its position as a key regional event in Spain with international appeal.
There will also be a Cinematography Focus for the third year, which will include a series of inspirational and educational events celebrating the importance of the craft.
Festival founder and director Sandra Lipski says the introduction of a script lab evolved organically. “For the last four years, the festival has run a screenplay competition,” Lipski says. “We had a team read all of the submitted screenplays, select a winner and help to set in motion the attention and support needed to get them into development. The Script LAB is an exciting, ambitious extension of this.”
Submissions to EMIFF have grown exponentially and for the last two editions, the festival has invited the short-listed writers to the event to watch films and rub shoulders with filmmakers, producers and international guests.
For 2024, EMIFF has assembled a trio of screenwriting doctors to do a final read of the scripts followed by 15- minute screenplay doctor sessions. All participants will receive notes from them and the winner will be mentored for six months by the trio.
“It will help them to move forward confidently with their scripts, make necessary changes to their work and also learn how to approach producers and backers,” notes Lipski.
Scripts from three categories will participate in the inaugural lab: International feature films spanning a mix of genres, short films and a Made in Baleares feature section, which aims to boost the profile of scripts looking to shoot on the Spanish islands.
Of the international guests in Mallorca, the Oscar and Bafta-winning UK cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle will receive this year’s Evolution Cinematography Icon Award from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund and will participate in a filmmaking Q&A about his craft and methods.
Dod Mantle has worked with filmmakers including Danny Boyle, Ron Howard, Oliver Stone, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. His partnership with Boyle began on 28 Days Later before Slumdog Millionaire secured him both an Oscar and Bafta award. His collaboration with Boyle continued with T2 Trainspotting, 127 Hoursand the upcoming 28 Years Later, set for release in 2025.
Dod Mantle is also known for his work on the Dogme 95 films and his collaboration with Danish filmmakers, including Vinterberg on The Celebration as well as with Lars von Trier on Dogville and Antichrist.
“The craft of cinematography is important for the director, for the actor to understand more, because the camera is what makes the movie,” says Lipski. “Understanding the nuances of Cinematography is essential for everyone involved in the process of filmmaking.”
This year’s festival also includes a special screening of Warner Bros’ Joker: Folie à Deux with a post-screening Q&A via Zoom with DoP Larry Sher as well as a special screening of Slumdog Millionaire followed by a Q&A with DoP Anthony Dod Mantle.
EMIFF’s commitment to spotlighting cinematography was boosted this year by the signing of German camera and optical lenses manufacturer Leitz and hi-def movie images resource ShotDeck as sponsors, joining film industry equipment giant ARRI and local production services outfit Palma Pictures.
The festival — which is supported by the Fundació Mallorca Turisme — will also showcase the island as a destination for international film and TV locations-based production. Armed with a boost in funding from the tourism board, the EMIFF will take international guests, filmmakers and producers on its annual “Mallorca Go!” tour of the island to showcase the variety and scope of locations on offer.
“Within an hour, we can be at the beach, then in the mountains. We have medieval towns and modern architecture,” says Lipski. “We are committed to showcasing Mallorca as more than just a beach vacation spot. It is a well-connected filming location in the Mediterranean, easily accessible from all regions across Europe and even internationally.”
Lipski adds that EMIFF encourages “cultural tourism” while aiming to build on playing a responsible role in the island’s community.
Also new for 2024 is Conscious Cinema, for which EMIFF has teamed with the Mallorca Preservation Foundation to present the first Environmental Film Series to raise awareness of climate issues that impact the island and internationally and “how we can do better as a community, for our island, for our city.”
Damon Gameau’s documentary 2040 about a filmmaker who predicts what the world will look like when his daughter turns 20 in 2040 is screening at the festival. It will be followed by a conversation that will explore how adults can talk to children about the optimism needed to meet the climate crisis.
Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina will open the festival on October 30. As part of the opening-night gala Annette Bening will receive the Evolution Icon award. Jessica Hausner, director of Club Zero, will receive the Evolution Vision Award on Closing Night. It will be followed by the Spanish premiere of Thomas Napper’s Widow Clicquot, the biopic of the grand dame of champagne, Veuve Clicquot, starring Haley Bennett and Tom Sturridge, that will bring the curtain down on this year’s event.
Contact: Sandra Lipski, Founder & Director, sandra@evolutionfilmfestival.com
