Fuerteventura has set a new participation record in the 11th edition of Cinedfest, the educational film festival, with nearly 400 students taking part. The Fuerteventura Film Commission, part of the Island Council of Fuerteventura, has successfully engaged fifteen educational centres across the island, marking a milestone in participation.
The President of the Island Council, Lola García, and the Councillor responsible for the Film Commission, Nereida Calero, announced this achievement during a visit to the programme’s training activities. Experienced filmmaker Roberto Álvarez leads the educational initiatives, introducing students to the world of cinema. Over the course of a month, participating students receive both theoretical and practical training through a range of resources, including educational materials, video workshops, in-person and online classes, as well as a screenwriting laboratory with ongoing mentoring and support.
Nereida Calero highlighted that “the programme provides students with fundamental knowledge of audiovisual language and the skills required to create their own fiction short films or documentaries. The process covers everything from the initial concept through scriptwriting, pre-production, filming and editing.”
Through the Fuerteventura Film Commission, students are given free access to the materials and equipment needed to successfully develop their audiovisual projects.
The resulting productions will compete in two gala events. The first will take place on 13 June in Fuerteventura, where the winning short film will be selected to represent the island at the grand final on 20 June in Tenerife.
The educational centres participating in Fuerteventura this year include CEIP Valles de Ortega, Lajares, Puerto del Rosario, Pablo Neruda, Gran Tarajal and Tuineje; IES San Diego de Alcalá, Puerto del Rosario, Santo Tomás de Aquino, Jandía, La Oliva, Corralejo and Puerto Cabras – Rafael Báez; CEPA Fuerteventura; and EA Puerto del Rosario.
In addition to the schools from Fuerteventura, this edition of Cinedfest includes 211 educational centres from the Canary Islands, with 86 from Tenerife, 74 from Gran Canaria, 18 from Lanzarote, 16 from La Palma, one from El Hierro and one from La Gomera. The festival also welcomes 70 educational centres from mainland Spain, three universities and four associations.
Cinedfest, an educational and cultural initiative, has evolved from its beginnings in the Canary Islands into a national event with international participation. The festival is supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Island Councils of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and La Palma, the Canary Islands Institute for Equality, San Cristóbal de La Laguna Town Council, the DISA Foundation, and the SGAE Foundation.