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MOVIEMAKER.COM WINTER 2019 81but I am also truly honored to
have received this special award,”
he remarked.
The Evolution Icon Award
was presented to Melissa Leo for
her trailblazing achievements as
an actress and her unshakable
independent spirit. Leo, also
in attendance, gave a heartfelt
acceptance speech, during which
she proclaimed, “My faith in
humanity has been given new
hope by my visit to this wonder-
ful island.” Out of utmost respect
for the local moviemakers in
attendance, Leo, who attended
the Made In Baleares short film
screenings, quieted down crowds
in the theater’s hallway during
the moviemakers’ Q&A. Her Icon
award is well-deserved, not only
due to her gifts as a performer,
but also because of her endearing
humbleness and dedication to
indie moviemakers.
Over the ensuing six days,
movies from all over the
world were screened,
including the U.S.’ Funny Story,
Germany’s Away You Go, Spain’s
Ana de día, and France’s M (all
favorites of mine). Leo was also
on hand to teach a masterclass
in acting, producers’ panels were
filled with enthusiastic attend-
ees, and special time was given
to films made in Baleares.
An Evolution Honorary Award
was presented to Spanish screen
legend Marisa Paredes, who has
been one of Pedro Almodóvar’s
go-to actors for almost 20 years
and has sustained a prolific ca-
reer that’s spanned five decades.
Tobias Lindholm, the Danish
screenwriter and film director
received the much-deserved
Evolutionary Award, which
honored the evolution of the cul-
turally relevant artist as a taste-
maker and influencer on today’s
international movie scene.
Mikkelsen’s latest film, Arctic,
was screened, followed by an
entertaining and quirky Q&A
with the star. David O. Russell’s
The Fighter, carried in large
part by Leo’s Oscar-winning
performance, was also screened,followed by an educational Q&A
with the iconic actor. Both
Mikkelsen and Leo stuck around
for moviemaker panels, and
seemed to enjoy discussing their
art and hearing from local movie-
makers about their own work.
During one panel, the
moderator, EMIFF founder
Sandra Seeling Lipski, had the
tables turned on her by Leo,
who asked Lipski, “What does
‘Evolution’ mean to you?” Sandra
replied, “It means creating a
festival that will evolve every
year, bridge cultures, and gather
people together through indepen-
dent film.”
The seven-year-old festival has
succeeded on that front. With
support from her wonderful
team, the very pregnant and tire-
less Lipski was involved at every
moment—present at every Q&A,
there to introduce every film
and moviemaker. Lipski and her
team’s upbeat spirit were infec-
tious; she’s a true champion for
moviemakers and clearly enjoys
every minute of it. That’s what
makes EMIFF so special.
Aside from the delightful
festival, what can go wrong when
it’s in such an alluring part of
the world? As each day came to
a close and the early hours of the
morning quieted the city down,
I wandered the narrow, cobble-
stone streets, belly filled with
cured meats, olives, and wine,
and my mind inspired by the
people I’d met and the movies I’d
seen. Felicidades, EMIFF!
—Hus Miller MMMOVIEMAKER HUS MILLER (R) AND
EVOLUTION VISION AWARD RECIPIENT
MADS MIKKELSEN (L) SOAK IN
EVOLUTION! MALLORCA INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL 2018COURTESY OF HUS MILLER