Founder and Festival Director Sandra Lipski today announced the full programme for the 9th edition of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF) via a press conference held this morning in the Mallorcan capital, Palma.

The Festival, which will take place from 23rd – 29th October, will showcase over 100 narrative feature, documentary and short films across a variety of sections.

Opening the Festival will be Marjane Satrapi’s latest feature Radioactive, starring Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley, about the renowned French scientist Marie Curie, and the Closing Night Film will be Gregory Kirchhoff’s Baumbacher Syndrome; a German comedy about a late-night talk show host who becomes an overnight success after waking up one morning with an unusually deep and magical voice. The film stars Tobias Moretti and Elit Iscan.

The Festival’s programme includes a diverse range of independent films from across the world - from homegrown Spanish talent and international filmmakers, as well as panel discussions and master classes. And for the first time, the Festival will premiere a selection of its programme on the Spanish online streaming platform, FILMIN.

EMIFF announced last month that this year’s Centrepiece Gala Tribute and Screening will honour France-based filmmaker Marjane Satrapi. She will receive EMIFF’s Evolution Vision Award which will be presented on the Festival’s Opening Night. The award is given to an artist who consistently inspires audiences, breaks boundaries, and has shaped diverse stories that have touched international audiences. Along with Radioactive, EMIFF will screen Satrapi’s Oscar®-nominated animation feature film Persepolis. The film is an intimate portrait of a precocious and outspoken Iranian girl who grows up during the Islamic Revolution.

Additional Festival highlights this year include an array of films which will screen in the Narrative Feature (Competition) section: The European Premiere of Moroccan Director Mohamed el Badaoui’s Lalla Aïcha which premiered at the Morocco International Film Festival earlier this year. Its star, Ángela Molina, will receive the Evolution Honorary Award 2020 for her inspiring work across film and television over the past four decades; Sekuritas from Swiss director Carmen Stadler, which won the New Directors Award at the Max Ophüls Film festival in Saarbrücken, Germany; and Fernando Trueba’s El Olvido Que Seremos (Forgotten We’ll Be), which last month screened as the Closing Night Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

EMIFF’s unique Made in Baleares section will this year present films produced and directed by the most talented filmmakers from the Balearic Islands, celebrating local filmmakers of the future. The section will feature 14 short films In Competition which highlight the themes of sexual abuse (Ann Perelló’s Control), family secrets (Marga Meliá’s Dona) and self- discovery (Jessie Folley’s Hydra).

EMIFF’s Sandra Lipski said of today’s programme announcement: “I am excited to present the 9th edition of EMIFF. Our international audience and filmmakers from around the world will experience stories of endurance, bravery, struggle, sacrifice and most importantly, unwavering love – on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. This line up aims to unite, inspire and smash intolerances as we continue our mission of Bridging Cultures and Bridging People.

Like many other international film festivals this year, we decided to stream part of our programme online in order to ensure that our audience can still enjoy the Festival even in these times of restricted travel. We therefore look forward to welcoming audiences virtually and physically to this year’s edition.”

For a second year in a row, Competition winners will receive a €15,000 worth of equipment hire from new Festival partner MN Studios, a Mallorca-based camera and equipment supplier to the film industry.

www.evolutionfilmfestival.com

ABOUT EMIFF

As the Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival enters its 8th edition, EMIFF is now recognized as one of the fastest-growing film festivals in Europe, using international film to shape a creative community, allowing independent filmmakers to feel inspired, to network and thrive in this idyllic Mediterranean island paradise.

For seven days and six nights, EMIFF’s program is curated to showcase a culturally diverse, inclusive and provocative mix of feature films, short films, documentaries, music videos, childrens’ films, experimental films, animation shorts and Virtual Reality projects.

Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival has a clear mission statement; BRIDGING CULTURES – BRIDGING PEOPLE. Known as THE hub for networking, EMIFF brings together the brightest local and international minds in cinema in Mallorca’s buzzing and the culturally rich city of Palma.

With competitive screenings unfolding at the most striking island locations, EMIFF is an ideal place for indie filmmakers to rub shoulders with industry professionals at the festival’s Producers Club, its Pitch Forum and regular workshops, with the opportunity to win prizes worth up to 15,000€ across the 13 categories of the festival programme. EMIFF’s Made In Baleares section presents films produced and directed by the most talented filmmakers from the Balearic Islands. Other programmes include Evolution Edge - films by first/ second-time directors with a distinct and avant-garde vision and Wake Up Europe - films and documentaries highlighting stories from in and around Europe.

EMIFF is proud to have been one of MovieMaker’s “TOP 50 Film Festivals Worth The Entry fee” two years in a row, as well as appearing on the 100 Best Reviewed Film Freeway List for six months in a row, ranking in the top 1.5% of more than 8,000 film festivals and creative markets around the world.