“They call me the Panzer” thrills audiences at its special screening during the CIIF Market 2025
- Success of the special screening and discussion of “They Call Me the Panzer” at the CIIF Market 2025. The film about the life of footballer Rommel Fernández thrilled the audience at Espacio Price in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in a special session with his creative team.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, October 31, 2025. The special screening of the film “They Call Me the Panzer”, held yesterday Thursday, October 30 at Espacio Price, became one of the most emotional moments of the 21st edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market (CIIF Market).
The event, which was attended by some of the film’s creative team, brought together professionals from the audiovisual sector, football fans and the general public in a joint tribute to the legendary Panamanian and Tenerife player Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez.
The feature film, directed by Panamanian filmmaker Rodrigo Quintero Arauz, returned to the CIIF Market after having participated in its 2018 edition as a project in development, thus closing a cycle that links its origin with the market that promoted its creation.
Filmed in Panama and Tenerife, the movie, starring newcomers Orlando Alexis Ortiz, Priscilla Liztel López Ramos, and Eloris Yamirelis Lastra, portrays the personal and sporting journey of Rommel Fernández, from his childhood in the Chorrillo neighborhood to his rise as an idol at CD Tenerife, becoming a symbol of hard work, humility, and perseverance. The film, winner of the Best Foreign Film award at the Oriana Awards and which premiered at the 55th International Film Festival of India (2024), has garnered critical acclaim and widespread international success.
Following the screening, the audience participated in a discussion moderated by Ramón Hernández, a journalist from Radio Marca. Participants included Jairo Ramos, producer and screenwriter (Infocus Video Factory, Panama); Marco Toledo, executive producer (La Chola Creativa, Spain); and Viviana Caló, associate producer (Bibika Films, Spain).
During the conversation, the speakers highlighted the symbolic value that this film has for both Panama and Tenerife.
“This film, made with the support of Ibermedia and the National Film Fund of Panama, also belongs to the people of Tenerife. Rommel left his mark not only on football, but also in the hearts of those who saw him play and in the streets where his name is still remembered,” said Jairo Ramos, who explained that the project was the result of several years of research. He also conveyed the words of Rodrigo Quintero, the film’s director, who is in Panama and wanted to express his gratitude for the screening of the film at the CIIF Market.
“We wanted to recapture the true story of Rommel, that of a dreamer, a beloved neighbor, and a man who never forgot his roots. We discovered a hero without a cape, someone who transcended football to become a collective inspiration. That’s why the director wanted unknown actors for the project, to highlight only the name and legacy of Rommel Fernández,” Jairo Ramos emphasized.
Tenerife-born producer Marco Toledo highlighted the parallel between the player’s life and the film’s production process: “The journey of this film closely resembles Rommel’s career: a path of effort, enthusiasm, and teamwork.”
Set in Panama in the eighties, “They call me the Panzer” shows the beginnings of a young man nicknamed “Big Head” who, through talent and perseverance, manages to fulfill his dream and become “The Panzer”, a symbol of pride for his country and for the fans of Tenerife.
The film was shot in emblematic locations such as Tenerife North, the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, Las Teresitas beach and Tomé Cano street, spaces that reinforce the emotional bond between the footballer and the island.
“Rommel brought hope and joy back to Tenerife. He wasn’t just an exceptional athlete, but someone who embodied the values of an entire community,” said Viviana Caló during the meeting. The producer added: “I wasn’t familiar with him before this project, but when I discovered his story, I was captivated by his humility, his generosity, and the beauty of everything this film represents.”
Jairo Ramos thanked the CIIF Market, and especially its director, for the support given to the project, first by being selected in the last edition and now by facilitating the special screening, a preview prior to the premiere in Tenerife and nationally in Spain that will take place in 2026.
For his part, Guillermo Ríos, director of CIIF Market, thanked Ramos for his words and highlighted the beauty of the project and the way it captivated him from the first moment.
The session, with a full house, concluded with warm applause from the audience, visibly moved by the intimate portrait of the player and the message of overcoming adversity that the film conveys.
With this screening, the CIIF Market 2025 reaffirms its commitment to cinema that connects cultures and highlights universal stories born from the local.
The 21st edition of the Canary Islands International Film Market, which closes today in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the awards ceremony and special screening of the film “Under a Volcano”, is organized by Festeam Comunicación y Eventos and is sponsored by the Cabildo de Tenerife, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council and PROEXCA, with the collaboration of Turismo de Tenerife, the Tenerife Film Commission and the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, among other entities.
