Evolution Mallorca Main Awards: ‘Ink’, ‘Homeland’ and ‘Club Boy’

Danny Boyle’s “Ink” won Best International Feature Film at Spain’s emerging Evolution Mallorca Film Festival. Paweł Pawlikowski was awarded the Best Director award at the International Feature Film competition, while Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” received the Best First Feature Film award after an enthusiastic gala screening as this year’s opening film at the island event.

This year marked the 15th edition of Evolution Mallorca, featuring more than 140 films and welcoming more than 10,000 participants from more than 23 countries and nearly 400 filmmakers from around the world. At the festival, which was held between October 31 and November 4, career awards were also distributed to four famous guests: “Black Swan” cinematographer Matthew Libatique, “Conclave” director Edward Berger, “Inglourious Basterds” star Diane Kruger and “Triangle of Sorrow” legendary actress Iris Berben.

The festival concluded with a gala screening of the closing film, “The End of It,” directed by María Martínez Bayona, celebrating local talent in Marine Auclair March’s “Gamberra,” which won Best Baleares Short Film and Best Cinematography – Baleares Produced Short Film for the work of Simón García.

Spanish actor and producer Marc Clotet (“This Is Not Sweden”) chaired this year’s first jury, alongside cinematographer Dani Sánchez López, AEC and actress Neus Cortés. International feature films were evaluated by Titus Gust and actress Maria Drăguș, while the international short film jury consisted of producers Alanna Sampietro and Paulo de Sousa, as well as director Alex Arroyo.

Made in Baleares short film categories were judged by filmmaker Regine Richards and Gregory Kirchoff. Daniel Sol formed the short film jury for Made in Baleares and David Auerbach was on the jury for the documentary section of Made in Baleares. While Clara Donoso evaluated the New Talent, experimental film and music video categories, the script competition jury was composed of Marina Wagner, Ferran Bex, Joe Eddy, Llorenç Ramis and Kit Hopkins.

Clotet was present at the closing ceremony, along with other talents such as “Pretty Babies” director Tyler-Marie Evans and “Sender” director Russell Goldman, as well as actors Marten Semmelrogge, Josep Orfila and Neus Cortés. The event was also attended by Pedro Vidal, Regional Secretary for Culture of the Government of the Balearic Islands, and Andreu Ferrer, Island Culture Director of Consell de Mallorca.

Sandra Lipski, founder and director of the festival, said in a statement: “It is a source of great pride to celebrate our 15th anniversary with more than 10,000 participants from more than 23 countries and nearly 400 filmmakers from around the world.”

“Professionals from the United States, Canada, Peru, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and many other countries spent these days sharing their experiences and projects with Balearic audiovisual talents,” he added. “We have achieved our goal of strengthening the audiovisual sector in the Balearic Islands and connecting its professionals with the international filmmaking community. 15 years later, these connections inspire us to continue to grow.”

A key pillar of this edition was Made in Baleares, a showcase and professional networking platform featuring 44 projects linked to the Balearic Islands, including scripts entered in the Script Club competition. Highlights included the world premiere of Juan Sut’s “Lathe.”

As for industry activities at the festival, Evolution has positioned itself as a destination festival for cinematographers thanks to its Cinematography Focused sidebar. This year’s event included talks and workshops on cinematography, as well as discussions on co-production, distribution, women’s leadership in the audiovisual industry and sustainability. Participants included Valentina Caniglia, Kim Magnusson, Gabriela Ortega and Matthew Libatique.

Highlights of this year’s program include new voices in independent cinema, such as Stefanos Tsivopoulos’ “Elena’s Shift”; Russell Goldman’s feature debut, “Sender,” produced by Jamie Lee Curtis; and Tyler-Marie Evans’ “Pretty Babies.”

“The program received an outstanding response, with sold-out screenings at CineCiutat, Rívoli and Estudi General Lul·lià,” said Lipski. “But one of the great successes of this edition has been the power of industry events: Script Lab, Cinematography Focus workshops and conversations with Edward Berger, Diane Kruger, Iris Berben and Pau Aulí. This combination of cinema, education and professional exchange reflects the identity of Evolution Mallorca.”

You can see the full list of winners below:

International Feature Films

Best International Feature Film: “Ink” by Danny Boyle

Best Director: Paweł Pawlikowski (Motherland)

Best Cinematography: “Primavera,” Daria D’Antonio

First feature films

Best First Feature: “Club Kid” by Jordan Firstman

Best Director: “Pretty Babies, Tyler-Marie Evans”

Best Cinematography: “The End of It,” Andrés Arochi

International Short Films

Best International Short Film: “Everest”, Jon Lange

Special Mention: “Good Morning (A Kind of Prayer)”, Diogo Brito

Best Cinematography – International Short Film: Mahmoud Assi’s “Khufu”

Cinematography Special Mention – International Short Film: “Oneiros”, Cal Ola

Short Films Made in the Baleares

Best Short Film Made in the Baleares: “Gamberra” by Marine Auclair March

Best Cinematography – Baleares Short Film: “Gamberra,” Simón García

International Documentaries

Best International Feature Documentary: “Miss Jobson” by Amanda Sans Pantling

Best International Short Documentary: “La Metro” by Amanda de Godi

Special Mention – International Short Documentary: “The Hardest Working Man” by Aaron Cassara

Made in Baleares Documentaries

Best Feature Documentary Made in the Baleares: “Amílcar” by Miguel Eek

Best Short Documentary Made in the Baleares: “Utopus” by Jordi Nadal Perelló

Rising Talent and Special Formats

Best New Talent Short: Isabella Speaight’s “Dirt”

Best Experimental Short Film: “What Do You Know About Us” by Enzo Paredes Díaz

Best Music Video: “Marcha” by Ruben Do Valle

Screenplay Competition

Best Feature Screenplay: “Under the Same Sky”, Isabella Rose

Best Short Screenplay: “When The Trees Fall”, Marina Oliveros Verdejo 15th Special Award

Evolution Icon Award 2026 — Iris Berben

Cinematography Icon Award 2026 – Matthew Libatique, ASC, LPS

Evolution Vision Award 2026 — Edward Berger

Evolution Icon Award 2026 – Diane Kruger

Evolution NEW TALENT Award 2026 — Pau Aulí