Insularia Islas en Red

Organizing Committee

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

AÏda Ballmann

Aïda Ballmann, a Canarian actress of German descent, is known for her multifaceted and international roles. She speaks Spanish, German and English, the result of a multidisciplinary training in the world of acting, the circus and the arts.

Known for her roles in the series Operación Barrio Inglés, Una vida menos en Canarias, Endlich Witwer, Crossfire, El tiempo entre costuras, Águila Roja, Lo que escondían sus ojos and La brigada de fenómenos and feature films such as L´avia i el foraster, Gleich, La metamorfosis de Narciso, Atlánticas, Die Insel, La velocidad de nuestros pensamientos, Los europeoes and The extraordinary tale.

She has been awarded as best actress at Film Bizarro, Cardiff International Film Festival, Festivalito and Leoncio Morales and has several nominations, including those from ASECAN and VIFA.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

JuanMa V. Betancort

Full member of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Member of SGAE and the ALMA Screenwriters’ Union. Filmmaker who has been specializing in musical films starring highly relevant artists. He has directed and produced the documentary feature films “Semilla del son” (2023) premiered at the 71st San Sebastian Film Festival and special presentation during the closing of the 68th SEMINCI in Valladolid; and “Playing Lecuona” (2016) Best Documentary Award at the Montreal International Film Festival, and with more than two hundred selections at international festivals. As well as the films “María en el exilio” (2018) and “Atlanticidad” (2019). His films have been presented at prestigious international festivals such as IDFA, New York IFF, SEMINCI, Rotterdam IFF, Krakow IFF, among others.

In 2023, he will begin filming the musical feature film “La partitura del cosmos”, an unprecedented dialogue between musicians and astrophysicists. The project is funded by ICAA through Selective Aid, among other organisations such as the Government of the Canary Islands. In 2024, he will begin filming as producer and director of the non-fiction feature film “Volcania, vida en Marte”. He is preparing the filming in the city of Berlin of his first fiction feature film “Zoo Station” as director and producer after having obtained the institutional support of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife. It is a tribute to David Bowie from the Berlin trilogy. He has also written the fiction feature film “Lennon no estaba aquí” with the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, TV Pública Canaria and the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, currently in pre-production and which he will also direct. This is a tribute to the early Beatles and their holidays in Tenerife in the spring of 1963.

In 2006 he founded INSULARIA FILMS, an independent production company associated with EGEDA, through which he has directed and produced numerous projects in various formats and genres, many of them in co-production with production companies in Latin America and Europe. These productions have had the support of the IBERMEDIA Programme, ICAA, the Government of the Canary Islands, IDFA, Tribeca Film Institute, the Media Programme of the European Union, TVE, Canal Sur, TV Canaria or the SGAE Foundation and have been distributed by important sales agents such as Taskovski, DA Planeta, SONY or Karma Films.

PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR

Carla Valdés León

Master Internacional en Cine Documental del Instituto de Cine de Madrid. Graduada en la especialidad de Dirección en la Universidad de las Artes (ISA), Cuba, en 2016. Formó parte de la 4ta Edición del Programa Residencias de la Academia de Cine organizado por la Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Ha dirigido los cortometrajes documentales: “Los Puros” (2021) con el que obtuvo el Premio Coral a Mejor corto documental en el 42 Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, Cuba, y “Días de Diciembre” (2016), Premio a Mejor Documental Muestra Joven ICAIC. Sus trabajos se han presentado en festivales en Holanda, UK, Alemania, Argentina, Uruguay, México y EEUU.

Fue miembro del Jurado Mezcal en el 30 FIC Guadalajara 2015 y miembro de la Junta Directiva del Festival Muestra Joven ICAIC, Cuba, entre 2018-2020. Ha comisariado muestras de cine cubano en Casa de Américas y el Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid en 2023.