When and where does the Isla Calavera festival take place?
The Isla Calavera festival marks its tenth edition in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, from 6 to 15 November 2026. RTVC and Diario de Avisos report this.
It opens on Friday 6 November with a gala at the Teatro Leal, a theatre in La Laguna. Nobody has confirmed whether the gala is open to the public or when it starts.
Most films screen at Multicines Tenerife, in the Alcampo shopping centre. The festival takes place in La Laguna, not in the beach resorts.
The sources give no travel advice or journey times. Visitors should plan their route in advance.
How do you get tickets for the screenings?
Our research found no ticket price and no sign of sold-out screenings. The festival answers questions at info@festivalislacalavera.com.
The festival website offers a 2026 programme booklet to download. We have not gone through a day-by-day schedule.
The festival’s Noviembre Fantasma channel also hosts talks. One covers the film La abuela with Paco Plaza and Enrique López Lavigne, and another looks back at Amenábar’s Los otros.
Who receives the award at the opening gala?
Álex García receives the S.S. Venture award for Canarian talent, RTVC reports. He collects it at the Teatro Leal on 6 November.
García comes from La Laguna. He was nominated for a Goya as best new actor for Paula Ortiz’s film La novia (2015).
He also appeared in the miniseries Antidisturbios (2020) and in the television productions El inmortal (2022 to 2026) and El cuco de cristal (2025). The festival honours his career in film, television and theatre, as well as his international profile.
The award takes its name from the steamship S.S. Venture in the 1933 film King Kong. According to RTVC, past winners include Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Carolina Bang and Sara Sálamo.
Which films are in the Hecho en Canarias strand?
The Hecho en Canarias strand shows 19 productions, six feature films and 13 shorts. According to RTVC, the organisers picked them from 65 submissions.
The strand began in 2025 and gets a prominent slot for the second year running. It aims to give more visibility to filmmakers from the islands and to productions shot there.
Cuántica Rave is a science-fiction musical comedy by Paco L. Campano, starring Antonio Dechent, Pablo Carbonell, Javier Botet and África de la Cruz. Its co-producers are Insularia Films from the Canaries and Zanfoña Producciones from Seville.
The new label Noir Hollow specialises in horror and fantasy and presents its first productions. These include La casa de los monstruos by David Hebrero, with Jaime Lorente, Antonio Resines and Eva Isanta.
Also showing is Los que vienen, the debut of Víctor Català. Both films were made in the Canary Islands.
The horror film Exilio by Joel de León, produced by ALDA Projects, was shot on Fuerteventura. Tránsito and Gummy, directed by the brothers Kiko and Javier Prada, also compete in the contest.
What happened at earlier editions?
The festival began in 2017 and has run every year since, according to its website. The organisers say the seventh edition in 2023 drew more than 25,000 visitors.
Over ten days, 13 feature films and 18 shorts competed, alongside two documentaries and 13 classics. Guests included Amber Heard and Joe Dante.
The organisers count the event among the five most important fantastic cinema festivals in Spain. That is their own assessment, and no visitor figures after 2023 are available.
In 2025 the festival changed its programme because of a weather warning, as Diario de Avisos reported. Anyone travelling in November should check screening times shortly before.
According to the festival website, Christopher Lambert, known for Highlander, receives the 2026 honorary award. In May, Diario de Avisos also named Tom Berenger and Joanna Cassidy, who receive the Fantasy Legend Award.
Who pays for the festival and what is still open?
The main funder is the Ayuntamiento (town council) of La Laguna, Diario de Avisos reports. The Canary Islands government and the Cabildo de Tenerife (island government) also support the festival.
The sources give no amount. Our research also found no official notice in the BOC (the Canary Islands official gazette).
The opening film, the exact start time and who presents the award remain open. The dates for Lambert’s honour and the other awards are not fixed either.
The festival starts on Friday 6 November at the Teatro Leal. The programme then runs in the cinemas until 15 November.