Martin I. Petrov

Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival opens this week with its 7th edition full of great new additions to the festival, including exclusive guests from the world of indie cinema, stronger educational platform and extended programme across larger venues. 

We spoke to festival director Sandra Seeling-Lipski, who grew up in Mallorca and now lives between the island and Los Angeles, gathering year-round the best festival contacts and films from global events to present to local audiences in Spain. 

“The festival is growing every year and I think the best thing about going forward is the fact that we know what to do, we have a sense of what is expected and how to make it all happen.” The festival is more compact this year, 7 days instead of 10, but with more diverse locations, screenings and programmes that all create a better platform for the local audiences to explore, attend and interact with the guests. 

The festival has over 100 films across all sections, showcasing short and feature fiction and documentary films. The opening film, Funny Story by Michael Gallagher, which Sandra saw and loved at Slamdance, is ‘a lovely coming of age LGBTQ+ drama, a story about a father-daughter relationship’ and is expected to attract all the local patrons and supporters of the event to celebrate its 7th year of bringing independent cinema to the Balearic islands. 

The industry aspect of Evolution! is also growing, with numerous panels, talks and workshops, which include a special masterclass with Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, who will also be honoured as Festival Icon. Mads Mikkelsen and Marisa Paredes will also receive the Evolution Vision and Evolution Honorary Awards respectively. “Melissa is such an independent spirit, she reflect a lot the vision of the festival with her attitude and perspective toward the film industry.” points out festival director Sandra Seeling-Lipski. 

“The funding and sponsorships are a battle and a challenge every year”, she notes, “ but the audiences have embraced what we are doing for the community, we support the local culture that is so important to the Balearic islanders and we encourage the participation of young audiences, making the festival very affordable and accessible every year.” 

The event brings a bunch of international guests to interact with the local scene, with film production in the area growing steadily in the past years. “Our goal since day one is to bridge cultures and get film professionals together with people and audiences” concludes Lipski, outlining the clear vision of Evolution! Film Festival so far and for the years to come. 

The festival runs October 25th to 31st in Palma De Mallorca. Full programme and info can be found on the official website: http://www.evolutionfilmfestival.com 

Interview by Martin I. Petrov