‘Conclave’ Director Edward Berger, Matthew Libatique to Be Feted at Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival

Oscar-winning Swiss-Austrian director Edward Berger (“Conclave,” “All Quiet on the Western Front”) and American cinematographer Matthew Libatique (“Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan”), a triple Oscar nominee, will receive the top honors at the upcoming Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. The event, which takes place in the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, will also honor veteran German actress Iris Berben (“Triangle of Sadness”).

Berger will receive the Evolution Vision Award, which recognizes narrative excellence reflecting the mission of building bridges between cultures and people. Libatique will receive the Cinematography Icon Award, recognizing artistic and technical excellence in the art of cinematography, while Berben will be honored with the Evolution Icon Award in homage to a performer whose extensive and brilliant career has achieved international acclaim.

In celebration of Berger, the festival will host a special screening of Cannes Best Director winner “Fatherland,” directed by Paweł Pawlikowski and produced by the “Conclave” director. The screening will be followed by a conversation between Berger and producer Jeanne Tremsal. Earlier this week, it was announced Berger would be reteaming with “The Riders” star Brad Pitt for a long-anticipated “World War Z” sequel.

Berben will receive the inaugural Evolution Icon Award during the festival’s opening gala on Oct. 28. The festival has praised Berben’s work beyond the screen, especially her tenure as the President of the German Film Academy between 2010 and 2019, where she “helped strengthen the public profile and cultural significance of German cinema.”

As for Libatique, Darren Aronofsky’s frequent collaborator will give an Icon Talk followed by a roundtable discussion on cinematography. Libatique is the fifth recipient of the award dedicated to the craft, with the festival also hosting a Cinematography Focus forum between Oct. 28-30. The forum “reinforces one of Evolution’s key professional platforms, dedicated specifically to the craft, technique, and creation of the cinematic image.”

Spanish actor and producer Marc Clotet will preside over this year’s jury. The actor’s return to Mallorca has a special significance, given that he was featured in Benito Zambrano’s “The Sleeping Voice,” the opening film of the festival’s inaugural edition in 2012. “I am delighted to serve as jury president for a festival as special to me as the Evolution Film Festival,” Clotet said. “15 years after attending the first edition, being able to contribute my perspective after all these years of experience is a challenge I approach with great respect and excitement.”

Goya-nominated Clotet has built a career spanning both national and international projects. In 2021, Clotet founded the production company Funicular Films alongside Aina Clotet, Marta Baldó, and Jan Andreu. Through this company, he has spearheaded projects such as the successful series “This Is Not Sweden” and the Cannes Critics’ Week-winning film “Viva,” which played at the major French festival earlier this year.

The festival also revealed more details of its Made in Baleares section, dedicated to bridging together films from the Balearic Islands. This year, the section will feature 32 projects, including 17 short films, seven feature films, five documentary short films and three student short films. The selection reflects the diversity, professional growth, and rising ambition of the Balearic audiovisual sector. It also reinforces Evolution’s commitment to a program that blends local talent with new voices and established figures from international cinema.

The festival’s 15th edition will also see the event expand into the municipality of Calvià, which is celebrating its Year of Cinema in 2026. The festival notes the expansion reinforces “its commitment to the audiovisual sector as a cultural, creative, and economic driver, as well as a tool to showcase the region and attract new productions.”

“Celebrating our fifteenth edition is a momentous occasion for Evolution,” said Sandra Lipski, founder and director of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. “We are proud to continue building a platform where international voices and local talent converge. Our new collaboration with Calvià reflects a shared ambition: to create meaningful opportunities for filmmakers, promote Mallorca as an exceptional filming location, and contribute to the growth of the island’s audiovisual community.”

The Mayor of Calvià has highlighted the significance of the municipality hosting the festival this year, stating that the “arrival of the Evolution festival represents a renewed commitment to cinema as an audiovisual sector that helps reduce seasonality, while also attracting high-quality tourism.”

The Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival was founded in 2012 to promote Mallorca as a key destination for international film culture. The full program, screening schedules, and upcoming guest announcements will be revealed on Oct. 15.