Festivalito La Palma 2026: Nine Days of Cinema in El Paso
From 11 to 19 September 2026, the town of El Paso on La Palma turns into a film set: the Festivalito La Palma holds its 21st edition. This is not a red-carpet festival. It is one where the guests become the filmmakers — and that makes it unusual among the small island festivals of the Canaries.
Photo: Asebire, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Symbolbild).
According to the organisers and the local press, the edition opens on Friday 11 September at the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira in El Paso and closes on Saturday 19 September with the final gala. A full day-by-day programme had not been published in all its parts at the time of writing; the official site festivalito.com remains the binding reference.
A festival that has been shooting since 2002
Several sources agree that the Festivalito was founded in 2002. Its core is not the screening of finished films but making them together: teams of professionals, students and amateurs travel to the island to produce a short film there in a matter of days.
The festival's own framing — making cinema out of freedom, coexistence and territory — describes that stance fairly precisely. Local media accordingly present the Festivalito as a meeting point for directors, technicians, students and film lovers: less a contest for attention, more a temporary workshop with an island attached.
La Palma Rueda: the short film against the clock
The festival's signature strand is called La Palma Rueda. At the opening ceremony a secret motto (the lema secreto) is revealed; only from that moment may the registered teams develop their short film, shoot it on the island, edit it and hand it in. The window is tight — the published information describes a few days inside the festival week.
One point matters for anyone who knows the format from other cities: this is explicitly not a 48-hour contest. The festival describes La Palma Rueda as an express shooting competition running across the festival week. Team registration was extended, according to Festivalito, to Thursday 3 September at 14:00, and Baleària Canarias is named as the strand's new main sponsor. The organisers reported more than 200 participants.
New in 2026: Cinerama Canarias
The most visible addition this year is Cinerama Canarias, a new competitive and showcase section intended to give visibility to cinema made in the Canary Islands and to distinguish it from outside productions that merely shoot on the islands.
It comes with the first Premios Cinerama Canarias gala, which according to La Revista de La Palma takes place on 11 September at the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira as part of the official opening. Nine categories have been announced, among them best Canarian and best foreign performance (female and male), best Canarian direction in fiction and in documentary, and production categories. Published nominations include Emma Suárez for "Fragmentos" in best foreign female performance, alongside names such as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Ana Belén, Gael García Bernal, Kira Miró and Yazmina Estupiñán.
LAB and Sonorama: workshop and concerts
Two further strands run alongside the shooting contest. Festivalito LAB is aimed at training, professional development and emerging talent. According to eldiario.es and Panorama Audiovisual, the announced programme includes the workshops "Rodajes Sostenibles" with Yanira Cáceres, "Deconstrucción de un Lema" with Borja Texeira and "Todo en Verde" with Hugo Santa Cruz, plus the improvisation workshop "improVISADO", the pitching event "Cineasta busca productora" and, as a closing session, the round table "Encuentro del Cine Canario".
The second strand, Festivalito Sonorama, pairs film with live music. Announced items include "Un volcán habitado – revisitado por Pumuky", an intimate concert by Salomé Moreno and a joint closing set by Ant Cosmos and Arístides Moreno at the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira. The programme also lists a screening of "Rave Culture" (2025) followed by a conversation with DJ Jonay.
Where it happens and how to attend
The main setting is El Paso, a municipality in the island's interior on the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente. The venues named are the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira (opening, concerts, gala) and El Paso's Casa de la Cultura with the CreaLab (workshops, LAB activities, Sonorama concerts).
Access to the Sonorama concerts is announced as free. Professional LAB activities and taking part in La Palma Rueda require registration. The available sources do not state a general admission price for the festival as a whole; a large part of the public programme appears to be free to attend. La Palma is reached by air via Santa Cruz de La Palma airport (SPC) or by ferry; El Paso is roughly half an hour by car from the island capital.
If you want to shoot, you do not need a big crew — registration runs through festivalito.com, and the LAB workshops are the easiest entry point for newcomers.
Festivalito 2026 at a glance
- 21st edition, 11 to 19 September 2026, El Paso, La Palma (Festivalito / Palmerus / eldiario.es).
- Founded in 2002; built around collective filmmaking rather than screenings alone.
- La Palma Rueda: express shooting contest with a secret motto revealed at the opening; more than 200 participants, per the organisers.
- La Palma Rueda registration extended to 3 September, 14:00; main sponsor Baleària Canarias (Festivalito).
- New: Cinerama Canarias, with a first awards gala on 11 September and nine categories (La Revista de La Palma).
- Venues: Plaza Francisca de Gazmira and the Casa de la Cultura / CreaLab in El Paso.
FAQ
- When is the Festivalito La Palma 2026?
- From 11 to 19 September 2026 in El Paso, La Palma. The opening is on 11 September at the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira and the closing gala on 19 September.
- Is La Palma Rueda a 48-hour contest?
- No. The published information describes an express shooting competition spread over a few days of the festival week: a secret motto is revealed at the opening, after which teams shoot, edit and submit on the island.
- Does it cost anything to attend?
- The Festivalito Sonorama concerts are announced as free. LAB activities and La Palma Rueda require registration. The available sources do not name a general ticket price for the festival as a whole.
- What is Cinerama Canarias?
- A competitive and showcase section introduced in 2026 for cinema produced in the Canary Islands, with a first awards gala on 11 September and nine categories covering performance, direction and production.
- How do I get to El Paso?
- Fly into Santa Cruz de La Palma airport (SPC) or take a ferry to the island, then drive around half an hour inland. El Paso sits on the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente.
Read on
- La Palma: the complete 2026 travel guideLa Palma · 17 October
- La Palma: Full Moon Trail Tijarafe on 24 OctoberLa Palma · 15 October
- El Paso Rock and Blues Festival 2026: Four Days of Rock, Blues and Classic Cars on La PalmaLa Palma · 29 August
- La Palma: Rubén Simeó plays Los Llanos on 17 OctoberLa Palma · 15 October
- La Palma: Jet2 cancels flights from 30 October 2026La Palma · 14 October
- All events on La Palma →