Good Afternoon Lovelies,

About a week ago, I was contacted by the Mallorca Film Festival team, who messaged to tell me about the upcoming event that is about to take over our film screens!

Kindly the festivals founder Sandra Seeling Lipski spoke to the blog about everything to do with this years event, what films she is looking forward to seeing and how the festival brings everyone together.

Firstly, congratulations on what looks to be another amazing year for the Mallorca Film Festival. How does it feel to be marking its sixth year?
Thank you Joey, the entire festival team has worked really hard all year and we are very excited to present the 6th edition to our audience very soon.

When planning the film festival, what is your favourite thing to do?
My favourite thing to do while planning the film festival is having the initial meetings at the beginning of the year with the entire team, when all our ideas are fresh and everything seems possible. Everyone is full of energy and excited, it’s always a very invigorating time.

Paul Haggis has been chosen to be this year’s Evolution Vision Award winner. What was it about him and his work that made you choose him as the recipient?
Paul is an incredible social justice advocate and it fit’s really well with EMIFF’s mission; BRIDGING CULTURES - BRIDGING POEPLE. His work as a filmmaker and humanitarian makes him the perfect recipient for the Evolution Vision award, an award given to a filmmaker with an active Vision to encourage unity and peace on our planet.


You mentioned that the festival was created to bring people together. Do you have any memories where this really stands out? E.g. filmmakers coming together on projects, castings, audience interactions. 
You're right, EMIFF has been bringing people together since its inception in 2012. Our first program included 24 films from 12 countries, and now in our 6th edition we screen 80 films form 23 countries. Filmmakers visit the festival from all over world, this year we welcome directors, actors and producers from Canada, Germany, Iran, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, France, USA and many more. One of my favourite stories is about the short film Martha that we premiered last year in the Made in Baleares Section. 2 years ago in 2015, 10 filmmakers from around the world met at EMIFF, had an idea for a script and met the following January in 2015 to shoot the film. I love the fact that it was EMIFF that brought these people together, gave them a platform to exchange ideas and then support them to actually shoot the film and later screen it.

What films are you most excited to see at the event this year? And why this one?
Obviously all films are very dear to my heart, I am the programming director and the films are my children. Picking one is difficult but I will try my best. I am obsessed with our closing night film THELMA, from Norway by director Joachim Trier. It’s a visually delicious and emotionally intoxicating journey that I loved being on. I am also very happy to have Tiger Girl by German director Jacob Lass. This movie was improvised by mega talented actresses Ella Rumpf (RAW) and Maria Drags (The White Ribbon), and it’s a tour the force - provocative, modern and emotionally invasive. I love it and I know the audience will be satisfied with this one.

Finally, can you tell us if there is anything we don’t know about the festival or if there is any secret screenings happening?
Our drive in cinema is always a lot of fun. The date falls on Halloween night, October 31st and we came up with a special Halloween treat for our audience.