Canary Islands Environmental Film Festival Announces 2024 Brote Award Winners
The 28th Canary Islands International Environmental Film Festival (Ficmec) returns to Garachico and Icod de los Vinos, featuring a program of climate-focused cinema and the presentation of its annual "Brote Awards" to leaders in environmental science and activism.
The 28th Canary Islands International Environmental Film Festival (Ficmec) is set to return, continuing its mission as a key meeting point for filmmakers and thinkers to tackle the climate crisis. This year’s festival will be held in two stages: first in Garachico, followed by Icod de los Vinos. Organizers have just announced the winners of this year’s "Brote Awards," which honor leaders in science, activism, and environmental communication.
The awards highlight the festival’s diverse focus. This year’s recipients include scientific photographer Luis Monje; meteorologist and veteran communicator Mónica López Moyano; and Salvadoran human and environmental rights lawyer Zenayda Serrano. The "Brote Canarias" award goes to biologist José García Casanova, who works with the Canary Islands government, while the "Brote Joven" award honors researcher Sofija Stefanovic for her work on climate justice and digital rights.
Beyond the awards ceremony, the winners will participate in "Cafés con Aroma"—informal discussion forums supported by the Tenerife Film Commission. These sessions allow the public to engage directly with the honorees. The schedule features talks with López Moyano and Stefanovic in Garachico, and with García Casanova and Serrano in Icod de los Vinos. The program also includes technical workshops with Monje and collaborative sessions with local groups like Acadevi and Vulcanalia.
Julieta Schallenberg, Deputy Minister of Ecological Transition, Climate Change, and Energy, emphasized that the festival uses cinema as a powerful tool to promote sustainability. This commitment is reflected in a competitive lineup of animated short films, including regional premieres like Captives, Snow bear, and Water girl, as well as A man who takes pictures of flowers and Bats & Bugs. Additionally, the festival will screen Tsunami by María Pulido, a film set in Garachico, outside of the competition.
The festival runs from this Thursday through Sunday in its first location, before moving to Icod de los Vinos from June 4 to 7. The event aims to strengthen the connection between local landscapes and film production. For the full schedule and ticket information, please visit the festival’s official website.