Evolution Mallorca Prizes: ‘Ink,’ ‘Fatherland’ and ‘Club Kid’ Win Big at a Banner 15th Edition

Danny Boyle’s “Ink” has won the Best International Feature Film prize at Spain’s burgeoning Evolution Mallorca Film Festival. Paweł Pawlikowski scooped Best Director in the International Feature Film competition, while Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” scored Best Debut Feature following a buzzy gala screening as this year’s opening film at the island event.

This year marked a banner 15th edition for Evolution Mallorca, which featured more than 140 films and welcomed over 10,000 attendees from over 23 countries and nearly 400 filmmakers from around the world. The festival, which took place over Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, also handed out career awards to four illustrious guests: “Black Swan” cinematographer Matthew Libatique, “Conclave” director Edward Berger, “Inglourious Basterds” star Diane Kruger and legendary “Triangle of Sadness” actress Iris Berben.

The festival ended with a gala screening of the closing film “The End of It,” directed by María Martínez Bayona, and celebrated homegrown talent in Marine Auclair March’s “Gamberra,” which was awarded Best Made in Baleares Short Film and Best Cinematography – Made in Baleares Short Film for Simón García’s work.

Spanish actor and producer Marc Clotet (“This is Not Swden”) presided over this year’s debut features 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 was comprised of producers Alanna Sampietro and Paulo de Sousa, alongside filmmaker Alex Arroyo.

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

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

Festival’s founder and director Sandra Lipski said in a statement: “Celebrating our 15th anniversary with more than 10,000 attendees from over 23 countries and nearly 400 filmmakers from around the world is a source of immense pride.”

“Professionals from the United States, Canada, Peru, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and many other countries have spent these days sharing experiences and projects with Balearic audiovisual talent,” she added. “We have achieved our goal of strengthening the audiovisual industry in the Balearic Islands and connecting its professionals with the international filmmaking community. 15 years on, those connections are what inspire us to keep growing.”

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

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

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

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

See full list of winners below:

International Feature Films

Best International Feature Film: “Ink,” by Danny Boyle

Best Director: Paweł Pawlikowski for “Fatherland”

Best Cinematography: “Primavera,” Daria D’Antonio

Debut feature films

Best Debut 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”, by Jon Lange

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

Best Cinematography – International Short Film: “Khufu,” by Mahmoud Assi

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

Made in Baleares Short Films

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

Best Cinematography – Made in 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 Godoi

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

Made in Baleares Documentaries

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

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

Emerging Talent and Special Formats

Best New Talent Short Film: “Dirt,” by Isabella Speaight

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: “Cuando Caen Los Árboles,” Marina Oliveros Verdejo Special awards of the 15th edition

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