- Six documentaries, six feature films, and twenty-one short films have been shortlisted for the FIMUCINEMA Official Selection organized by the Tenerife International Film Music Festival (FIMUCITÉ).
- This year FIMUCINEMA kicks off with a special selection of non-competing works that have taken centre stage at the Muestra de Cine Astronómico de La Palma (MICA).
The Tenerife International Film Music Festival (FIMUCITÉ) official competition FIMUCINEMA XI has shortlisted a total of 21 short films, 6 documentaries, and 6 fiction feature films for the sixth edition of the competition. Finalists include entrees from Spain, the U.S.A, France, the U.K, Italy, Colombia and Poland. As with previous years, and in keeping with FIMUCITÉ’s philosophy of supporting and shining the spotlight on film music, these works will be competing for the following awards: the Alex North Award for Best Original Score in the category fiction feature films; the FIMUCINEMA Award for Best Original Score in the categories documentaries & short films; and the FIMUCINEMA Award for Best Original Song.
Presenting the awards this year will be the official competition president, Darío Palomo, who is both a composer and president of Musimagen: Asociación de Compositores de Música para Audiovisual. Acting as jury will be Antonio Herrera (Director of MICA), Pedro Ferrer (CEO of Ediciones Rosetta, the record label and publisher specialising in film scores) & Lamberto Guerra (actor, director, musician, and also winner of the FIMUCINEMA Award for Best Original Song 2016).
This year, in addition to competition finalists, FIMUCINEMA will also be presenting a special selection of works from the Muestra de Cine Astronómico de La Palma (MICA), including the jury award, the public award, and those that stand out for their musical value. This sample of non-competing works will be kicking off FIMUCINEMA activities on 21st September. All the selected works can be seen at Multicines Tenerife on the 22nd & 23rd of September, and at TEA - Tenerife Espacio de las Artes on the 24th and 27th of September. Admission is free; entry will only be restricted upon full house. Once again, the official competition poster was created by graphic designer Daniel Fumero of Limbo Kids studio. In alluding to the musical nature of the event, he was inspired by the space themes from both FIMUCITÉ and MICA.
The Official Selection will commence on Saturday 22nd September with the animated short films: ‘A Song For The Whales’, ‘The Fox’, ‘Meraki’, ‘Homesick’, ‘Grands Canons’, and ‘Invaders’. The programme will be complemented with the screening of the Polish film ‘Behind the Blue Door’, directed by Mariusz Palej. It is a film based on the novel by Marcin Szczygielski, and has a colourful score by the musician Michał Szablowski. The film, which takes us on a youthful and fanciful adventure, did well in the box office in its home country, and has won several awards from festivals across the globe.
On Sunday 23rd the zombie apocalypse hits FIMUCINEMA. There will be a double session full of humour, guts & gore, and nods to fantasy in its purest form with the screening of the films ‘Apocalipsis Voodoo’ by Canarian director Vasni Ramos and ‘Lost in Apocalypse’ by the Chinese director Sky Wang. The composer Sara López and musician Kike Perdomo provide the music for the Canary production, while Jason Gertel is responsible for the Chinese-American production.
Monday 24th will be dedicated to Canarian documentary. Within the audiovisual sector of the islands, this format has predominated as a result of the excellent quality of its productions, and its sensitive handling of the local environment and traditions. It is precisely these topics that converge in the three films selected: ‘Las Postales de Roberto’ by Dailo Barco, ‘Telúrico’ by Sergio Morales, and ‘El Huido’ by Pablo Fajardo. Musically speaking, they have involved a range of different artists, such as the group GAF, the singer Belén Álvarez Doreste, or the composer Samuel Aguilar.
Tuesday 25th will begin with a new selection short films containing national and international proposals. All of these films trace the gender narrative, but simultaneously map out discourse surrounding social divide: ‘L’hypothese de la Reine Rouge’, ‘Flow’, ‘Xyx’, ‘Tauro’ and ‘Insidia’. The documentary of the day will be ‘The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo’, a film dedicated to the figure of Oscar Zeta Acosta, also known as Dr. Gonzo. He was a lawyer, writer, and activist in the Chicano Moratorium. He was also known for his friendship with the writer Hunter S. Thomson. The actor Benicio del Toro takes on the role of Dr. Gonzo in the film ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ directed by Phillip Rodríguez, as well as being its executive producer. The film’s music is written by Aaron Drake and Alejandro Cohen. The screening session will close with a showing of ‘La Isla Rota’, a story of racism and revenge produced in the Dominican Republic, directed by Félix Germán, and with music by Sergio Jiménez Lacima.
On Wednesday 26th, the third instalment of the FIMUCINEMA competition brings audiences the short films ‘Small Fish’, ‘Coplillas for Bombay’, ‘Between the Volcano & The Shell’, ‘The Ladder’, ‘Duelos’ and ‘Exhalación’. Music takes centre stage in these films, and at times some of venture almost entirely into musical terrain. The feature film and documentary of the day take us to Texas and “oil fever”. Directed by Alan Thompson and with music by Ian Chen, the documentary ‘This Land’ analyses the effects of fossil fuel extraction methods and distribution chains on the environment and local indigenous communities. For its part, ‘The Iron Orchard’, directed by Ty Roberts with music by Duncan Thum, focuses on oil prospecting during the middle of the XX century in the United States.
FIMUCINEMA will close its programme on Thursday 27th September. The last section of short films will include ‘A Prinprick of Light’, ‘El Gigante y la Sirena’, ‘Las Otras Camas’, and ‘Distintos’. Each of these shorts deals with the topic of disability from different angles and perspectives. The documentary category will close with the screening of ‘Invierno en Europa’ by Polo Menárguez, with music by Luis Hernáiz. It tells the story of Pakistani and Afghani refugees who survive as best they can in an abandoned station.
The Chinese-American feature film ‘The Jade Pendant’ will be the last film to screen as part of FIMUCINEMA XI and will close the event. The film, directed by Po-Chih Leong and with music by Anne Kathrin Dern, is a historic drama exploring Chinese immigration in the United States during the second half of the XIX century.