The 13th edition of the upcoming Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF) will open with Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina on October 30 and close with the Spanish Premiere of Thomas Napper’s Widow Clicquot on November 5, it was announced today by festival founder and director, Sandra Lipski.
The festival also revealed today that Oscar and BAFTA winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle ASC BSC DFF will receive the festival’s 2024 Cinematography Icon Award.
Written and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, La Cocina focuses on the life in the kitchen of a restaurant in New York City, where cultures from all over the world blend during the lunchtime rush. The feature film is based on the critically acclaimed 1957 stage play by British playwright Arnold Wesker and stars Raúl Briones and Oscar-nominated Rooney Mara.
La Cocina will screen as the Opening Night Gala at EMIFF at the historic Teatro Principal, following its world premiere in competition at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.
The seven-day festival will close on November 5 with the Spanish premiere of Thomas Napper’s Widow Clicquot, starring Haley Bennett, Tom Sturridge and Natasha O’Keefe.
Set in France during the Napoleonic Wars, the film tells the true story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the ‘Grande Dame of Champagne’, otherwise known as Veuve Clicquot. Based on the novel of the same by Tilar J. Mazzeo, Napper directs from a screenplay by Erin Dignam and Christopher Monger. The film opened to strong reviews at its world premiere in Official Selection at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and has continued to delight audiences during its festival and theatrical runs this year.
Said Sandra Lipski of these film selections, “At our festival, we pride ourselves on giving audiences the opportunity to discover international stories of endurance, humanity and spirit; both La Concina and Widow Clicquot are fantastic examples of this, with incredible performances at their heart. We are thrilled to have both films leading our programme this year.”
The festival is proud to be honouring British cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle ASC BSC DFF with the 2024 Cinematography Icon Award, as part of the Cinematography Focus, which was introduced to the EMIFF programme in 2022. Previous recipients of this award include Erik Messerschmidt ASC and inaugural award winner, Ed Lachman ASC. The initiative welcomes Directors of Photography from across the world to participate in panels, networking events, and screenings.
Dod Mantle is a veteran cinematographer who has worked with an array of hugely successful, powerhouse filmmakers across his long-lasting career, including Danny Boyle, Ron Howard, Oliver Stone, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.
His partnership with Boyle began on the critically acclaimed 28 Days Later and continued with the box office and award-winning hit, Slumdog Millionaire, for which he won both an Oscar and BAFTA for Best Cinematography. His collaboration with Boyle continued with T2 Trainspotting and 127 Hours as well as the upcoming 28 Years Later, set for release in 2025.
The British DP is also known for his work on Dogme 95 films and his collaboration with Danish filmmakers, including working with Vinterberg on The Celebration as well as with Lars von Trier on Dogville and Antichrist. Other credits include Kevin Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland, Ron Howard’s Rush and Oliver Stone’s Snowden, amongst many more.
Said Antony Dod Mantle, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Cinematography Icon Award at the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. This festival, with its passionate focus on the art of cinematography, resonates with my heart and soul as a filmmaker. To be part of such a vibrant, young event is exhilarating; it reminds me of the boundless creativity that fuels our craft. I truly appreciate the recognition, and I look forward to celebrating the artistry of my peers and the future of cinema in this beautiful setting.”
The festival recently announced that Annette Bening will be the recipient of the 2024 Evolution ICON Award and will be in Mallorca to receive her award at the end of the month. Additional Honourees will be announced in the coming weeks.
Now in its 13th year, Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival is recognised as the longest-running physical film festival in Palma de Mallorca. Founded by filmmaker and Mallorca-raised Sandra Lipski, EMIFF has been proudly supported by the Fundació Mallorca Turisme and the Mallorca Film Commission since its inception in 2012. Media partners include Screen International, British Cinematographer magazine, Camera & Light, with festival sponsors also including ARRI, Engel & Völkers, and Mallorca-based production company and equipment rental facility, Palma Pictures.
EMIFF’s full programme line-up will be announced on October 16th.
