The closing of the Atlàntida Mallorca Film Fest brought together filmmakers, musicians and authorities in Palma for an evening with its own stamp, where Queen Letizia presented the Master of Cinema award to the composer Alberto Iglesias before a full audience.
The contest, of hybrid format, lowered the curtain on its in-person edition at the La Misericòrdia cultural center and maintains its online programming on Filmin until August 25th, XNUMX, thus expanding its reach beyond its physical locations.
Closing ceremony and tribute to Alberto Iglesias
The ceremony took place in the courtyard of The Mercy, with the last rays of sun in Palma and a serene atmosphere that accompanied the presentation of the Master of Cinema, a recognition that the festival reserves for decisive careers in the industry.
Queen Letizia He handed over the statuette to Alberto Iglesias, who accepted the award with a measured speech in which he underlined the elusive and powerful nature of music, and its role in cinema in expressing what words cannot.
The composer defended the role of music as a narrative and emotional element on the big screen, and appealed to the union between truth and beauty in complex times, an idea that connected with the spirit of the festival.
Is the first time in more than half a decade The closing speech was given by a Spaniard; in previous years, the Master of Cinema Award has honored international figures such as Michael Douglas, Isabelle Huppert, Judi Dench, Stephen Frears, and Ken Loach.
Churches has four Oscar nominations, two awards at Cannes and a record of 12 Goya awardsHe is an undisputed reference in Spanish cinema, and his connection with Pedro Almodóvar includes titles such as The Flower of My Secret, All About My Mother, Talk to Her, Volver, The Skin I Live In, Pain and Glory, and The Room Next Door.
In addition, he maintains a sustained creative relationship with Julio Medem in works such as the red squirrel, Tierra, Lovers of the Arctic Circle and Lucia and Sex, scores that have left their mark on cinephiles' memories.
A gala with a musical accent and big names
The afternoon opened with the flamenco touch of Yerai Cortes, whose brief concert set the tone for a deeply musical closing ceremony, presented with agility and without losing sight of the essence of the festival.
The final screening was The song of the hands, María Valverde's directorial debut, a documentary that accompanies three deaf interpreters in the preparation of a sign language version of Fidelio under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.
They walked down the blue carpet faces of cinema such as Chino Darín, Carolina Yuste, Rossy de Palma, Alba Flores, Itzan Escamilla, Edu Sola, Carla Tous and Greta Fernández, along with international guests such as Celine Song, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Andrea Segre and Sepideh Farsi.
In the institutional chapter, queen letizia was received by the balearic authorities: Marga Prohens, Rosario Sánchez Grau, Jaime Martínez and Llorenç Galmés, and had the opportunity to greet the young people who participated in the festival's film and networking workshop.
Days before, the Queen went with Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia to the Rivoli Cinema to see In a Place of the Mind, a documentary on mental health presented within the Atlàntida program.
List of winners and figures of an expanding edition
The jury of the national official section awarded the Lady Agustí Villaronga a Best National Film to Jone, Batzuetan (Jone, sometimes), Sara Fantova's debut film, and gave a special mention to Downriver to Tiger, by Victor Diago.
In the international section, Julie's silence, by Leonardo Van Dijil, won the highest award, while How to be normal and the oddness of the world, by Florian Pochlatko, received an Honorable Mention.
The Balearic jury awarded Dreaming of Lions, by Paolo Marinou-Blanco, as Best Balearic Film, and distinguished as Best Short Film to Eixam, by Eugenia Sampedro.
El Critics Award fell on Eat the Night, by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, and the Audience Award was to The designer is dead, by Gonzalo Hergueta, a portrait of the Mallorcan designer Miguel Adrover.
The in-person edition brought together more than 45.000 attendees, around 5.000 more than last year, with activities spread across Ses Voltes, La Misericòrdia, the Es Baluard museum, the Rívoli and Cineciutat cinemas, and the Pilar and Joan Miró Mallorca Foundation.
The festival director, James Ripoll, highlighted the leap forward this year's event, thanks to the audience response, the quality of the premieres, and the solidity of the screenings and concerts, in a program that combines reflection and celebration.
The programming will continue online on Filmin until August 25, prolonging the life of the festival and making it easier for a wide audience to discover titles that are usually left out of the commercial circuit.
The festival, focused on Alberto Iglesias, music and its role in cinema, reaffirms its role as a key event in the summer film industry and as a showcase for new perspectives, both in Palma and in its digital edition.
