‘The Fight’ scores worldwide festival success with a dozen awards
Three awards at Argentina’s BAFICI festival and two more at the International Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria add to the accolades earned by the feature shot entirely in Fuerteventura. The Cabildo and the Fuerteventura Film Commission have presented a special recognition to its creators.
The film La Lucha, filmed completely on the island of Fuerteventura, received three awards at the 27th International Independent Film Festival of Buenos Aires (BAFICI): the Jury’s Special Prize in the International Competition, the Best Production Design award, and the SIGNIS prize. With these honors, it becomes the most‑decorated feature ever shot on the island, accumulating a total of twelve awards worldwide.
The Canarian director José Alayón collected the prizes on Saturday, 25 April, in the Argentine capital. La Lucha was the sole Spanish entry in the festival’s International Competition.
In addition to the Argentine accolades, the film secured two further honors in the past week at the International Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria:
- The Richard Leacock Award for Best Feature Film.
- The CIMA Award in the “Canarias Cinema” section, presented to producer Emma Tusell.
“La Lucha”: Promotion of Majorcan Culture and Identity Through Cinema
The President of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, Lola García, and the head of the Fuerteventura Film Commission, Nereida Calero, congratulated José Alayón and everyone involved in the production, noting that the island is increasingly becoming a filming hub.
“These international recognitions are very important for the island, and in the case of La Lucha they represent a double pride: on one hand we showcase our locations, landscapes, light and climate, and on the other we also promote Majorcan culture and identity with something as quintessential as the Canarian wrestling tradition,” Nereida Calero said.
The premiere night in Fuerteventura was a celebration of local talent. The shoot employed more than 300 extras, all residents of the island, and the production deliberately hired real wrestlers, conducting a dedicated casting process to find authentic performers capable of embodying the film’s characters.
International Tour of La Lucha
Since its debut at the San Sebastián Film Festival in September 2025, La Lucha has toured festivals around the globe, earning a string of honors:
- Jury Honorary Mention at the São Paulo International Film Festival (Brazil).
- Best Music award at the Cinespaña Toulouse Festival (France).
- Best Film and Young Jury awards at the Efebo d’Oro Film Festival in Palermo (Italy).
- At the Punta del Este International Film Festival (Uruguay), it received the Best Director award in the Ibero‑American Fiction Competition and the Best Film prize from the Uruguayan Association of Film Critics (ACCU).
The film has also been selected for screenings at festivals in Thessaloniki (Greece), Vancouver (Canada), the FIFIB International Independent Film Festival of Bordeaux (France), and Alice nella Città (Italy).
Production details: La Lucha is an international co‑production led by El Viaje Films, financed by MEDIA (Creative Europe sub‑program), the ICAA (Spanish Ministry of Culture), Ibermedia, the Government of the Canary Islands, Promotur, the Cabildo of Tenerife, and Televisión Canaria, with associated production by Macaronesia Films.