Island Film Fests Forge Links Between Archipelagos
Insularia-Islas del Mundo en Red fostered collaboration between island communities at the Menorca Doc Fest through film screenings, discussions, and jury participation, strengthening ties between the Canary and Balearic Islands.
Insularia-Islas del Mundo en Red is still building bridges between island communities. They recently took part in the VII Menorca Doc Fest in the Balearic Islands.
Carla Valdés, who organizes the Insularia festival, represented the Canary Islands at the event. The goal was to strengthen ties between island regions through film.
One result was the "Islas del Mundo" session. It featured five short documentaries from Cuba, Scotland, Lanzarote, the Philippines, and Chiloé (Chile). All of these films had previously been shown at Insularia.
At the same time, three documentaries that won the Biosphere Award for Documentary Creation at the Menorca Doc Fest 2024 were screened in El Hierro. These were: "Calma chicha" by Arnau Cloquells, "Souvenir" by Macià Florit, and "Característica nocturna" by Claudia Barthelemy (who attended Insularia's Isla Mujeres meeting).
This exchange isn't just about films. It's a conversation that strengthens the connection between the two Spanish archipelagos.
Insularia has also created spaces for collaboration, such as Ecoislas. This section features films about sustainability and environmental issues on islands. Isla Mujeres is another initiative, bringing together island filmmakers. Representatives from CIMA Canarias and CIMA Baleares, Cristina Vivó and Claudia Barthelemy, attended, along with directors whose films were selected for the festival.
Furthermore, Juanma V. Betancort, the director of Insularia, served on the jury for the Premi Ullastre. This further strengthens the relationship between the two film events. In return, the three short films produced with the Premi Biosfera 2025 grant will be shown at the tenth Insularia-Islas del Mundo en Red festival in 2026.