‘KERATYNA’, THE DEBUT FEATURE BY THE FILMMAKER MIGUEL ARZUMENDI, CLOSES THE MEETINGS WITH THE AUDIENCE OF THE 33rd FANCINE
The journalist Jesús Cintora presents his new book “No quieren que lo sepas” (They don’t want you to know) on the eve of the closing ceremony, where this year’s winners will be announced
Starts the countdown to the farewell of the 33rd Fancine. On the eve of its closing, the fantastic film festival of the University of Malaga has concluded the meetings between the films’ teams comprising the billboard of this edition and the public with the screening of Keratyna, Miguel Azurmendi’s debut feature. The Cantabrian director, who has made the leap to feature films with this title after directing multi-award-winning shorts such as Mum, was accompanied at his presentation in Malaga by producer Pablo Lapastora and actor Fernando Ramallo, who plays the lead of this story that mixes black comedy, science fiction and horror. The plot focuses on a YouTuber in his 30s who still lives at his mother’s house. He spends most of his time in his room, broadcasting videos in which he creates fantastic stories about giant reptiles that intend to enslave humanity. But everything changes the day when, through his window, he is an unwelcome witness to what could be a crime upstairs.
The guests have shared with those attending the screening details such as the origin of the story, which according to Azurmendi himself, was born from his interest in reviewing how the idea of dogmatic, traditional, and toxic masculinity affects men who do not fit into this paradigm. Therefore, he explained, it seemed appropriate to condense the plot into a content creator on YouTube, especially influenced by some of the controversial statements that famous streamers have spread in social media. In fact, Ramallo has referred to the role of Rata, as he is known in the film, as one of the most important of his career, since it has allowed him to show the vulnerability and weakness of the character, ensuring that he wants to be remembered for it when he dies. “I put the frustration I had with my profession into it, it’s been like a way to do therapy”, he concluded.
But the afternoon at the Albéniz has also hosted the screenings of other titles, this time without audience votes. The films of the Official Selection Concrete Utopia, The Uncle and The Beast have been exhibited for the second time in the large room of Alcazabilla’s cinema. Friday’s programming has been completed with the animated film White Plastic Sky, the extraordinary She is Conan, the Korean thriller The Childe or the Turkish production The Funneral. And on the penultimate day, Sana, the new film by the Japanese Takashi Shimizu, which is going to be exhibited inside Horror Zone, has also arrived on the billboard. The plot is about a mysterious cassette tape that contains a melody and whoever listens to it gets involved in mysterious incidents.
In addition, at the Rector building (UMA), Fancine has finished the scheduled parallel activities with the presentation of the book “No quieren que lo sepas”, by the journalist Jesús Cintora. Together with the other communicators Laura Radoli and Héctor Márquez, who have highlighted the extensive career of Cintora in written press, radio and television, the author has discussed the issues addressed in the book, a broad and general reflection on current Spanish politics including topics such as the judiciary, revolving doors, the power of banking and utility companies, police corruption or inviolability and enforcement. In addition, Cintora has told to what extent, according to his experience, politics influences the media, appealing to the responsibility and commitment of professionals who work in journalism to report the story when there is one: “I have been cancelled from some media for having a critical spirit, but it is my duty”, he said.
Finally, at the Contenedor Cultural, The Escape Room “The Intruders” has filled all the spots for the six sessions of this skill game, an experience that has put the participants on the ropes in a dead-end room, endless riddles and a ticking that rumbled throughout the room. Moreover, without them knowing it, the participants have not been alone: the screams of a “mad scientist” have frightened the audience and added excitement to the activity, which combined fun and ingenuity perfectly in this experiment full of surprises.
And this morning the deliberation of the Young Jury took place, which with its votes awards the prize for the best animated short film and live action, endowed each modality with 3,000 euros. This quintet of UMA students has shared their opinions about the piece that has convinced them the most, in addition to deciding on other awards, such as the best photography of the RC Service award and the title that will represent Fancine at the Méliès gala of fantastic film festivals at European level. On Tuesday, the Official Jury, composed of festival programmer Annick Mahnert, film critic Carlos Aguilar and production director Melina Frías, did the same thing. Her failure will complete the podium of this 33rd Fancine with a winner at the front that will stand as the best film of the contest.
Closing gala 33rd Fancine
Fancine will close the doors of this 33rd edition with a festive end marked by the screening of We are Zombies, the film that will bid farewell to the nine days of cinema of the festival. It’s a film directed by the trio of Canadian creators François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell, whose previous works (Turbokid, Summer of ’84) have also appeared in the university competition in previous editions. In this new proposal, the filmmakers show off again their daring and hooligan conception of the genre with a comedy containing large doses of brutality about the walking dead and a bunch of slackers who need money to rescue the grandmother of one of them.
Before, room 1 of the Albéniz will have hosted the closing ceremony, presented by the actor from Malaga Miguel Ángel Martín (Tú no mandas) and the android Max Nitrofoska. At the same event, they are going to announce this year’s winners, and that film will be awarded with the 9,000 euros as the maximum Fancine prize, in addition to the awards granted by the public and the Young Jury and other honorary recognitions.
Apart from the gala, the last day will also have all the Alcazabilla rooms at full capacity. In the farewell of “Home Sweet Home” you will be able to see the first and only screening of Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, which will make its appearance on the billboard before turning off the fancining projector for good. Along with it, the second screening of titles such as Raging Race, Club Zero or Live inside will be screened in different shifts.