The first event of the day took place at 12.00 noon, with the screening of 'The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga' (2019), by director Jonathan Bellés. The documentary was presented by Manuel Díaz Noda and explains the nature of the genre originating in Japan. Literally "monster movie", it is characterized by the appearance of strange beasts of divine origin almost with high destructive potential. The subsequent talk was developed with the participation of Díaz Noda himself, Manuel García de Mesa, Víctor Outon and Víctor Conde and they shared experiences about their link with this type of cinema as well as the evolution of characters like Godzilla over the years.
At 5 p.m. it was the turn of 'The Orphanage' (2007), debut film by filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona, with the subsequent intervention of the protagonist, Belén Rueda. The actress, described as the muse of the fantasy genre in Spain, was interviewed by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Villar and shared anecdotes and reflections with great naturalness. She invited those who are starting out in this world to follow what they are passionate about, despite criticism, remembering how in her first contact with cinema some people thought she would not be credible and that the public would see her as the character of Lucia in 'Los Serrano' (2003-2008). Finally, she shared her experience filming in Tenerife for some scenes of movies like 'El cuaderno de Sara' (2018) and shared her future projects among which is the series 'Madres' and a film directed by Arantxa Echevarría.
Closing Gala
The closing gala was the highlight of the last day of the event. The Blue Moon Cats were in charge of starting the ceremony with the song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow', on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of 'The Wizard of Oz'.
Then, Vanesa Bocanegra and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Villar presented the gala and the first step was to thank those present for coming, participating and being faithful to the festival. In addition, they gave way to a video summary of what was experienced in the festival in the previous 7 days.
At the end of the screening, the mayor of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, was called to the stage and recalled that next December marks the 20th anniversary of the city as a World Heritage Site. He also explained that it is essential to know the virtue of La Laguna and was optimistic when he said that "in the future I hope for the recognition and support that this festival should have".
It was time for the first award of the night. The award for Best Feature Film by the Audience was given to 'Amigo' and collected by David Pareja, actor of the film. After receiving it from the mayor of La Laguna, he thanked the audience for their support of the film and that he was looking forward to returning next year with something new. Also, a thank you video was projected by the director and producer of 'Amigo', Óscar Martín and Elena Muñoz.
The second award of the night was the Best Short Film by the Public for 'Bitter was the dessert' and the next guest was the rector of the University of La Laguna (ULL) Rosa María Aguilar. In her speech she highlighted the work of the university in developing students in matters of culture and that events of this type are promoted. Next, the names of the winners of the Official Short Film Section were announced.
With a jury composed of writer Víctor Conde, actor David Pareja and ULL professor of Journalism and film expert Fernando de Iturrate, the Best Short Film award was given to 'La Noria' for its graphic beauty, its amazing visual narrative and its ability to touch the heartstrings of the viewer. The last award of the short films was the special mention of the jury for 'La Guarida' for the excellent acting work, the staging and the escalation of tension that the scriptwriter and director were able to build.
The co-directors of the festival, Ramón González Trujillo and Daniel Fumero took the stage to thank family and friends, along with collaborators, sponsors and spectators, for the support they received at the event. Special mention was made to the authorities and to Multicines Tenerife for being the official venue of the festival. Finally, they warned that the 2020 edition is about to start its preparation and thanked the celebrities Belén Rueda, Rick Baker, David Naughton and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for attending the event.
When it was time to present the awards for the Official Feature Film Section, several zombies burst into the hall to terrorize the room and pay tribute to the legendary Rick Baker.
The jury was then presented, chaired by Fernando de Iturrate and composed of journalist Fran Domínguez, producer Luis Adern and two professors from the ULL, Esteban Torres and Vanessa Rodríguez Breijo.
The Colin Arthur Award for Best Special Effects went to 'Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver', the Isla Calavera Award for Best Actress went to Imogen Poots for 'Vivarium', Best Actor Ex Aequo to David Pareja and Javier Botet for 'Amigo' and presented by David Naughton where Javier Botet himself sent a video thank you for the award, Best Screenplay Award to Abe Forsythe for 'Little Monsters', Best Directing Award to Lorcan Finnegan for 'Vivarium' and Best Picture to 'Little Monsters'.
The Blue Moon Cats returned to the stage to pay tribute to the werewolf theme of the III edition of the Skull Island Fantastic Film Festival along with the film 'An American Werewolf in London' and the figure of Paul Naschy on the tenth anniversary of his death. The songs exhibited were 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Blue Moon', both belonging to the soundtrack of the famous film by John Landis.
Before the end of the gala, screenwriter and film director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo received the S.S. Venture Award, the first award of its kind in this edition, which rewards the trajectory of Canarian filmmakers who have taken the fantastic genre beyond the archipelago. After receiving the award from Rick Baker, the filmmaker wanted to emphasize what a privilege it is for him to be the first to receive the award.
In addition, he was proud to receive the award from the man he considers his teacher. As a final point, the short film 'Esposados'(1996) by Fresnadillo and starring Anabel Alonso and Pedro Mari Sánchez, the first short film nominated for an Oscar in Spain, was screened. The actor Pedro Mari Sánchez dedicated a video with a few words to the author of the work and the audience and, after the screening of the work, the closing gala was closed until next year.
Even so, at 23.00 hours, the last screening of the festival could be enjoyed with the classic 'Races of the Night' (1990) by Clive Barker.
