The Isla Calavera Fantastic Film Festival in La Laguna, Canary Islands, is nearing its conclusion with a strong turnout during the first half of its tenth edition. The festival has seen significant public interest, with numerous screenings, discussions, and parallel activities attracting both local and visiting audiences. This year's programme celebrates a decade of the festival with a diverse and high-quality offering.
Closing gala and awards
This Saturday, the festival will host its closing gala at the Teatro Leal, where it will present its major awards to Christopher Lambert, Sean Young, Lloyd Kaufman, and Lone Fleming. The local government of La Laguna has also announced an increase in its financial support to promote the festival's growth both nationally and internationally.
Awards and honourees
Christopher Lambert will receive the Isla Calavera Honour Award in recognition of his career and contributions to fantasy and adventure cinema. He is best known for iconic films such as Highlander (1986), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984), and Mortal Kombat (1995). Lambert is scheduled to participate in the screening of Highlander on Saturday at 12:00.
Sean Young, also honoured with the Isla Calavera Honour Award, is a key figure in the sci-fi genre, renowned for her portrayal of the enigmatic replicant Rachael in Blade Runner (1982) directed by Ridley Scott. Her filmography includes Dune (1984), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and Bone Tomahawk (2015).
Lloyd Kaufman will receive the Isla Calavera Legend of Fantasy Award. As co-founder of Troma Entertainment, Kaufman is a pivotal figure in independent and cult cinema, known for his irreverent, provocative style and low-budget productions. His notable works include The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet.
Lone Fleming, also a recipient of the Isla Calavera Legend of Fantasy Award, is a Spanish-Danish actress, director, producer, and screenwriter closely associated with the Spanish horror genre. Her notable films include The Night of the Blind Terror, The Attack of the Dead Without Eyes, and A Candle for the Devil.
Additionally, filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar, an Oscar winner and eleven-time Goya Award recipient, and actor Carlos Areces will also be honoured with the Isla Calavera Honour Award. Amenábar will accept the award in celebration of the 30th anniversary of his debut film Thesis (1996), which will be screened on Friday, followed by a discussion about its production and cultural impact with lead actor Eduardo Noriega.
Final events and family day
The festival will announce the winners of its official competition categories for feature films and short films on Saturday at 10:15 in Multicines Tenerife, in an event open to the public and media. The closing gala will also feature two highly anticipated screenings: Highlander with Christopher Lambert and The Toxic Avenger with Lloyd Kaufman.
On Sunday, the festival will conclude with a busy schedule, starting with the screening of the documentary Clint Spain Connection, directed by Víctor Matellano, who will present the film. Another documentary, Woman in Fan, directed by Mònica Garcia i Massagué, will also be shown. At 10:30, a roundtable discussion titled 'Film Influencers' will feature participants Javi Godoy, Serchu, and Bárbara Valverde.
The festival will celebrate Family Day with a screening of Matilda in honour of its 30th anniversary, during which the Isla Calavera Social Fantasy Award will be presented to the association Activoz, which uses film as a tool for social inclusion and leisure for people with disabilities.
As it marks its tenth anniversary, the festival continues to receive support from the La Laguna City Council as its main sponsor through its cultural department. The first half of this edition has also yielded positive results in the professional sphere, highlighted by the success of the 8th Industry Meeting, 'Filming in the Canaries', supported by the Tenerife Film Commission, and the inaugural Calavera Lab, in collaboration with the Tenerife Scientific and Technological Park.
