The comedian Leo Harlem will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th edition of the International Film Festival of Benalmádena (FICCAB), which will take place from October 10 to 17 at the Casa de la Cultura of Arroyo de la Miel.
The comedian and actor Leo Harlem will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th edition of the International Film Festival of Benalmádena (FICCAB), which will be held from October 10 to 17 at the Casa de la Cultura of Arroyo de la Miel. The recognition, supported by Caja Rural de Granada, will honour a career of over two decades dedicated to humour on stage, radio, television, and film.
The Councillor for Culture, Jésica Trujillo, presented the first details of this edition alongside the co-director of FICCAB, Jaime Noguera. During the event, the official image of the festival, the origin of the works in competition, and the jury that will evaluate the selected short films were revealed.
Trujillo highlighted that reaching the 25th edition is “a milestone for a festival that is already part of the cultural history of Benalmádena and that has maintained its commitment to cinema, to new creators, and to bringing cinematic culture closer to the public over all these years.” Regarding Harlem, she noted: “It is a well-deserved recognition for one of the great names in humour in our country, an artist immensely loved by the public who has managed to convey his personality and unique way of doing comedy from the stage to the big screen.”
Leo Harlem, the stage name of Leonardo González Feliz, began his career in comedy in the early 2000s and became popular with ‘El Club de la Comedia’. He made his film debut with ‘Torrente 5: Operación Eurovegas’ (2014) and has participated in titles such as ‘Villaviciosa de al lado’, ‘El mejor verano de mi vida’, ‘Perdiendo el este’, ‘Hasta que la boda nos separe’, ‘Superagente Makey’, ‘A todo tren. Destino Asturias’, ‘Como Dios manda’, ‘Vacaciones de verano’, and ‘La familia Benetón’, in addition to the ‘Padre no hay más que uno’ saga. His leading role in ‘El mejor verano de mi vida’ (2018), directed by Dani de la Orden, approached a million viewers in Spain.
The FICCAB award adds to the SGAE Honorary Award for Humour Miguel Gila 2025, granted to Leo Harlem for his career.
The 25th edition has recorded a high level of international participation in the short film competition, with entries from countries such as China, Russia, Norway, Iran, Mexico, and Thailand. There has also been significant registration of Andalusian short films, reinforced by the agreement between the festival and Radio Televisión Pública de Andalucía (RTVA).
“We want FICCAB to continue being an open window to cinematic talent from within and outside our borders and, at the same time, a space particularly committed to Andalusian and Málaga creators,” Trujillo stated. As a result of the agreement with RTVA, the festival will feature an award for the best Andalusian production, consisting of the El Dilema statuette and the broadcast of the winning short film on Canal Sur.
The awards will include a First Prize of 2,000 euros; a Second Prize of 1,000 euros, sponsored by Emabesa; the Best Málaga Short Film Award, sponsored by the Cine Club Más Madera; and mentions for best direction, performance, and script. The final list of selected short films will be announced in mid-September.
The official poster for this edition merges the marine universe and the Mediterranean identity of Benalmádena with cinematic language. Its central element is a colourful seahorse made from RGB (red, green, and blue) colours, surrounded by strips of film. For Trujillo, the poster “successfully brings together two elements that perfectly represent this edition: the identity of Benalmádena and the seventh art.”
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