Movistar Plus+, Spain’s most-viewed pay TV operator, is partnering on “Los domingos,” a new film from “Lullaby” director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa and the producers of that critically acclaimed film.
A Movistar Plus+ Original, “Los Domingos” is set in and will shoot in Ruiz de Azúa’s native Basque country, said Nahikari Ipiña at Sayaka Producciones (“Colossal”).
Now in development, “Los Domingos” is produced by Movistar Plus+ and Sayaka and Marisa Fernández Armenteros’ Buenapinta Media (“The Mole Agent”), Sandra Hermida at Think Studio and Colosé Producciones (“Society of the Snow”) and Manu Calvo (“Wounded”).
“‘Los domingos’ is a co-production between Movistar Plus+ and four producers and as independent producers for us that’s important,” Fernández Armenteros said at Cannes.
“Domingos,” which shoots in the first half of 2025, is a drama, although plot details are under wraps.
“It is such luck to accompany Alauda in ‘Los domingos’ after ‘Lullaby’ success with audiences and critics.
A Movistar Plus+ Original, “Los Domingos” is set in and will shoot in Ruiz de Azúa’s native Basque country, said Nahikari Ipiña at Sayaka Producciones (“Colossal”).
Now in development, “Los Domingos” is produced by Movistar Plus+ and Sayaka and Marisa Fernández Armenteros’ Buenapinta Media (“The Mole Agent”), Sandra Hermida at Think Studio and Colosé Producciones (“Society of the Snow”) and Manu Calvo (“Wounded”).
“‘Los domingos’ is a co-production between Movistar Plus+ and four producers and as independent producers for us that’s important,” Fernández Armenteros said at Cannes.
“Domingos,” which shoots in the first half of 2025, is a drama, although plot details are under wraps.
“It is such luck to accompany Alauda in ‘Los domingos’ after ‘Lullaby’ success with audiences and critics.
- 5/18/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish sales agents are on some kind of roll. The European Film Market during the Berlinale proved robust, and Malaga Film Festival better still.
“Malaga was great for our movies,” Latido Films’ Antonio Saura reported at its conclusion. “We have one of the best lineups in our history covering all genres and all very marketable.”
That lineup includes Jim Sheridan’s drama “Recreation,” starring Vicky Krieps, and “La Casa” and “Saturn Return,” both Malaga standouts that together won seven awards.
With the market more receptive to Spanish projects, it’s important to pick the right genre mix. “Definitely for thrillers, for animated films, things are good. Spanish thrillers are prestigious now. They’ve performed well theatrically in many countries,” says Filmax’s head of international Iván Diaz. But for comedies, dramas or romantic comedies, it’s a bit more arduous. “If you’re trying to sell Spanish romantic comedies, however,...
“Malaga was great for our movies,” Latido Films’ Antonio Saura reported at its conclusion. “We have one of the best lineups in our history covering all genres and all very marketable.”
That lineup includes Jim Sheridan’s drama “Recreation,” starring Vicky Krieps, and “La Casa” and “Saturn Return,” both Malaga standouts that together won seven awards.
With the market more receptive to Spanish projects, it’s important to pick the right genre mix. “Definitely for thrillers, for animated films, things are good. Spanish thrillers are prestigious now. They’ve performed well theatrically in many countries,” says Filmax’s head of international Iván Diaz. But for comedies, dramas or romantic comedies, it’s a bit more arduous. “If you’re trying to sell Spanish romantic comedies, however,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish cinema is expanding, opening up attractive film avenues to reach the worldwide market, driven by upscale commercial projects, blending of genres and a new generation of emerging female directors.
The country’s filmmakers landed three Oscar nominations: Juan A. Bayona with “Society of the Snow” (inter- national feature and makeup and hair styling); and Pablo Berger with “Robot Dreams” (animated feature). Also, four of Netflix’s top five most-popular non-English films ever are from Spain.
“The boom in talent is making for a unique and very diverse cinema,” says Guillermo Farré, Movistar Plus+ head of original films and Spanish cinema.
“The great foreign perception of Spanish cinema is driven by the productions’ quality and their international diffusion,” says Elástica Films’ María Zamora, producer of Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Alcarrás.”
“Spanish cinema is evolving with the appearance of new voices especially female and new ways of narrating,...
The country’s filmmakers landed three Oscar nominations: Juan A. Bayona with “Society of the Snow” (inter- national feature and makeup and hair styling); and Pablo Berger with “Robot Dreams” (animated feature). Also, four of Netflix’s top five most-popular non-English films ever are from Spain.
“The boom in talent is making for a unique and very diverse cinema,” says Guillermo Farré, Movistar Plus+ head of original films and Spanish cinema.
“The great foreign perception of Spanish cinema is driven by the productions’ quality and their international diffusion,” says Elástica Films’ María Zamora, producer of Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Alcarrás.”
“Spanish cinema is evolving with the appearance of new voices especially female and new ways of narrating,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
The Match Factory is set to handle international sales on a new film by “Fire Will Come” director Oliver Laxe, headlined by Sergi López, star of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Having begun production, shooting in Spain and then Morocco, the untitled Oliver Laxe project is a Movistar Plus+ original film produced with Pedro and Agustín Almodovar’s El Deseo, Laxe’s Galicia-based label Filmes da Ermida, Oriol Maymó’s Uri Films in Barcelona, and Paris’s 4 A 4 Productions.
The latest from Laxe follows Cannes wins for all his first three features. 2010’s “You Are All Captains,” Laxe’s debut feature, walked off with a Directors’ Fortnight Fipresci Award; 2016’s “Mimosas” scooped the Critics’ Week top Grand Prize, “Fire Will Come” a 2019 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
Co-written with “Matadero” director Santiago Fillol, also a co-scribe on “Fire Will Come,” Laxe’s next turns on a man...
Having begun production, shooting in Spain and then Morocco, the untitled Oliver Laxe project is a Movistar Plus+ original film produced with Pedro and Agustín Almodovar’s El Deseo, Laxe’s Galicia-based label Filmes da Ermida, Oriol Maymó’s Uri Films in Barcelona, and Paris’s 4 A 4 Productions.
The latest from Laxe follows Cannes wins for all his first three features. 2010’s “You Are All Captains,” Laxe’s debut feature, walked off with a Directors’ Fortnight Fipresci Award; 2016’s “Mimosas” scooped the Critics’ Week top Grand Prize, “Fire Will Come” a 2019 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
Co-written with “Matadero” director Santiago Fillol, also a co-scribe on “Fire Will Come,” Laxe’s next turns on a man...
- 5/6/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Top Spanish Titles brought to market at MipTV:
“Dating in Barcelona,” (Filmax)
Produced by Filmax’s Arca, Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and Prime Video in Spain, a first season of “Dating in Barcelona” bowed last year in Spain to big ratings, both on its first-window debut on 3Cat and on Prime Video, where it became one of the streaming service’s most-watched debuts. A modern take on romance and sex in an online age, “Dating in Barcelona” also reflects a swing in TV towards a lighter, more episodic fare, whether in crime thrillers or other categories. Each episode features two dates which, as Variety has observed, play off each other. Powered in creative terms by Pau Freixas, behind iconic series from “Red Band Society” To “I Know Who You Are” And “Todos Mienten,” All Produced By Filmax, “Dating In Barcelona” features a top-tier cast, this time round in Season...
“Dating in Barcelona,” (Filmax)
Produced by Filmax’s Arca, Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and Prime Video in Spain, a first season of “Dating in Barcelona” bowed last year in Spain to big ratings, both on its first-window debut on 3Cat and on Prime Video, where it became one of the streaming service’s most-watched debuts. A modern take on romance and sex in an online age, “Dating in Barcelona” also reflects a swing in TV towards a lighter, more episodic fare, whether in crime thrillers or other categories. Each episode features two dates which, as Variety has observed, play off each other. Powered in creative terms by Pau Freixas, behind iconic series from “Red Band Society” To “I Know Who You Are” And “Todos Mienten,” All Produced By Filmax, “Dating In Barcelona” features a top-tier cast, this time round in Season...
- 4/5/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
“I’m Nevenka,” a Movistar Plus+ original film and the awaited next feature from Spain’s Iciar Bollaín, has closed its earliest pre-sales, struck by Film Factory Entertainment, including a bellwether deal in France.
The deals come as “I’m Nevenka” has wrapped production, shooting in the Basque city of Bilbao before transferring to rural Zamora, western Spain.
Daniel Chabannes’ Epicentre Films, a classic 30-year-old distributor and producer of non-English language art pics, especially from Europe and Latin America, whose recent acquisitions take in San Sebastian Gold Shell winner “The Rye Horn” and Amos Gitai’s “It’s Not Over,” has acquired French rights.
A distributor of both big Cannes winners – “Triangle of Sadness,” “Rosetta,” “The Child” – and slightly more out-there propositions, such as Pablo Berger’s silent movie “Blancanieves,” Xenix Film Distribution has clinched rights to Switzerland.
Iciar Bollaín: A Broader Audience Auteur
The early pre-sales are hardly surprising. Since her big breakout,...
The deals come as “I’m Nevenka” has wrapped production, shooting in the Basque city of Bilbao before transferring to rural Zamora, western Spain.
Daniel Chabannes’ Epicentre Films, a classic 30-year-old distributor and producer of non-English language art pics, especially from Europe and Latin America, whose recent acquisitions take in San Sebastian Gold Shell winner “The Rye Horn” and Amos Gitai’s “It’s Not Over,” has acquired French rights.
A distributor of both big Cannes winners – “Triangle of Sadness,” “Rosetta,” “The Child” – and slightly more out-there propositions, such as Pablo Berger’s silent movie “Blancanieves,” Xenix Film Distribution has clinched rights to Switzerland.
Iciar Bollaín: A Broader Audience Auteur
The early pre-sales are hardly surprising. Since her big breakout,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Pablo Sandoval and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Two Spanish female stars who have broken out to huge global audiences in Netflix hits – “Nowhere” and “A Perfect Story” lead Anna Castillo and Ester Expósito, highly prominent in “Elite” in early seasons – are set to star in dramedic vampire thriller “Death to Love,” (“Que muera el amor”), the first series created by “Piggy” director Carlota Pereda, who will also serve as its showrunner.
“If there are two actresses you can believe are immortals, with their out-of-this-world allure and talent, it’s Anna and Ester. I can’t wait to explore this world of darkness, joy and Eternal Love with them,” Pereda told Variety.
With that talent package, and the backing of two Spanish powerhouse producers, Morena Films and Buendía Estudios, “Death to Love” is shaping up as one of the hottest packages to come to market from Spain after it emerged from February’s Berlinale Series Market as one...
“If there are two actresses you can believe are immortals, with their out-of-this-world allure and talent, it’s Anna and Ester. I can’t wait to explore this world of darkness, joy and Eternal Love with them,” Pereda told Variety.
With that talent package, and the backing of two Spanish powerhouse producers, Morena Films and Buendía Estudios, “Death to Love” is shaping up as one of the hottest packages to come to market from Spain after it emerged from February’s Berlinale Series Market as one...
- 3/4/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Malaga — Antonio Chavarrías’ “Holy Mother,” Celia Rico’s “Little Loves” and Diogo Viegas’s “Alice’s Diary” play at this year’s 3rd Spanish Screenings Content, the Malaga Festival’s part of the Spanish Screenings Xxl, Spain’s biggest international industry platform in its history, featuring over March 4-7 and – when it comes to Málaga – the monumental number of 222 titles.
In production volume, Spain has never had it so good. The market screenings at Malaga’s Rosaleda Multiplex range across over 80 Spanish movie titles, taking in recent past gems such as “The Girls Are All Right, “Something Is About to Happen,” “Jokes & Cigarettes and “The Chapel,” just to mention titles on Monday’s program.
Also on offer are 11 Works in Progress, 62 Film Library titles and 65 shorts.
The Screenings come at a propitious time in many ways for Spanish cinema. Two Spanish movies – J.A. Bayona’s Andean air crash disaster...
In production volume, Spain has never had it so good. The market screenings at Malaga’s Rosaleda Multiplex range across over 80 Spanish movie titles, taking in recent past gems such as “The Girls Are All Right, “Something Is About to Happen,” “Jokes & Cigarettes and “The Chapel,” just to mention titles on Monday’s program.
Also on offer are 11 Works in Progress, 62 Film Library titles and 65 shorts.
The Screenings come at a propitious time in many ways for Spanish cinema. Two Spanish movies – J.A. Bayona’s Andean air crash disaster...
- 3/3/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Series from Atresmedia TV, Rtve, Movistar Plus+, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (“La Mesías”), Zeta Studios (“Elite”) and director Carlota Pereda and Morena Films (behind Sundance hit “Piggy”) will unspool or be unveiled at the Berlinale. They underscore the breadth and depth of Spanish TV output:
“Death to Love,”
Carlota Pereda dazzled at Sundance with first feature, “Piggy.” Now, Pereda’s at the Berlinale Co-Pro Series on Feb. 20 with her debut series, “Death to Love,” in which afemale vampire struggles over centuries to end a toxic relationship with her vampire female lover and culminates in a modern-day climax. “A visceral and romantic proposition,” Pereda says.
“Dressed in Blue: Veneno Season 2,”
The Sundance world premiere “La Mesías” sealed the standing of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi as most probably the coolest creative duo in Spain. This time around, they produce, with Mikel Rueda, a director on “Veneno,” and Claudia Costafreda and Ian de la Rosa,...
“Death to Love,”
Carlota Pereda dazzled at Sundance with first feature, “Piggy.” Now, Pereda’s at the Berlinale Co-Pro Series on Feb. 20 with her debut series, “Death to Love,” in which afemale vampire struggles over centuries to end a toxic relationship with her vampire female lover and culminates in a modern-day climax. “A visceral and romantic proposition,” Pereda says.
“Dressed in Blue: Veneno Season 2,”
The Sundance world premiere “La Mesías” sealed the standing of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi as most probably the coolest creative duo in Spain. This time around, they produce, with Mikel Rueda, a director on “Veneno,” and Claudia Costafreda and Ian de la Rosa,...
- 2/19/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Jean Labadie’s Le Pacte and sales agency Film Factory have joined Spanish pay giant Movistar Plus on the next film from Alberto Rodríguez (“Marshland”), which is shaping up fast with as one of the biggest packages from Spain this year at the Berlinale’s European Film Market.
Le Pacte will co-produce the thriller out of France and handle French distribution rights. Film Factory is launching international sales at Berlin. Movistar Plus, co-producing out of Spain with Kowalski Films and Feelgood Media, will bring the deepest pocket of any production powerhouse in Spain, backing what looks like a potentially big-budgeted movie.
Currently in pre-production, Rodríguez’s latest is scheduled for release in Spanish theaters via Buena Vista Intl. in 2025.
The film is also the latest from one of the most prominent Spanish directors of his generation, co-writer-director of both “The Plague,” still one of Movistar Plus+ biggest series, and “Prison 77,...
Le Pacte will co-produce the thriller out of France and handle French distribution rights. Film Factory is launching international sales at Berlin. Movistar Plus, co-producing out of Spain with Kowalski Films and Feelgood Media, will bring the deepest pocket of any production powerhouse in Spain, backing what looks like a potentially big-budgeted movie.
Currently in pre-production, Rodríguez’s latest is scheduled for release in Spanish theaters via Buena Vista Intl. in 2025.
The film is also the latest from one of the most prominent Spanish directors of his generation, co-writer-director of both “The Plague,” still one of Movistar Plus+ biggest series, and “Prison 77,...
- 2/18/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
It may not match last year’s sheer quantity in competition strands, but Spain still boasts a high quality presence at the Berlinale. Following, highlights the festival and EFM:
“Every You Every Me,” (Michael Fetter Nathansky)
A factory worker strives to reconnect with her distant husband, exploring the rediscovery of love within the complexities of relationships. From Contando Films, Studio Zentral, Network Movie and Nephilim, a German-Spanish production.
“Cura Sana,” (Lucía G. Romero)
Produced by Escac Films, this Generation 14plus premiere delves into sisters’ lives shaped by ancestral violence, exploring deep familial bonds and lasting impact of abuse.
“Deprisa, Deprisa,” (Carlos Saura)
A classic: Set to a memorable flamenco-pop score, four young Madrid delinquents pull robberies, snort heroin, steal cars the film capturing the raw energy youth and their vague, but visceral sense of ‘liberty.’ A restoration of a seminal work.
“The Human Hibernation,” (Anna Cornudella)
A sci-fi exploration of siblings undergoing hibernation,...
“Every You Every Me,” (Michael Fetter Nathansky)
A factory worker strives to reconnect with her distant husband, exploring the rediscovery of love within the complexities of relationships. From Contando Films, Studio Zentral, Network Movie and Nephilim, a German-Spanish production.
“Cura Sana,” (Lucía G. Romero)
Produced by Escac Films, this Generation 14plus premiere delves into sisters’ lives shaped by ancestral violence, exploring deep familial bonds and lasting impact of abuse.
“Deprisa, Deprisa,” (Carlos Saura)
A classic: Set to a memorable flamenco-pop score, four young Madrid delinquents pull robberies, snort heroin, steal cars the film capturing the raw energy youth and their vague, but visceral sense of ‘liberty.’ A restoration of a seminal work.
“The Human Hibernation,” (Anna Cornudella)
A sci-fi exploration of siblings undergoing hibernation,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Going into Berlin’s European Film Market, Spain’s biggest sales agents are under no illusion just how tough international markets have become.
“Paradoxically, in one of the best moments for Spanish productions, we are finding that some of our top dramas are getting hard to sell unless selected in Cannes, Venice or Berlin,” says Latido Films CEO Antonio Saura.
Also, “If American productions dominate at least 80% of markets, and local productions claim about half what remains. You’re left with just 10% of markets for many wonderful films to try to find audience opportunities. Competition is fiercer than ever,” he says.
“Many newer platforms are insisting on revenue shares. This rarely works for us,” observes Feel Sales’ Yennifer Fasciani.
Yet companies are fighting back. “Either a film works very well or not at all. Our strategy is increasingly focusing on major titles, leaving no middle ground,” states Film Factory Entertainment’s Vicente Canales,...
“Paradoxically, in one of the best moments for Spanish productions, we are finding that some of our top dramas are getting hard to sell unless selected in Cannes, Venice or Berlin,” says Latido Films CEO Antonio Saura.
Also, “If American productions dominate at least 80% of markets, and local productions claim about half what remains. You’re left with just 10% of markets for many wonderful films to try to find audience opportunities. Competition is fiercer than ever,” he says.
“Many newer platforms are insisting on revenue shares. This rarely works for us,” observes Feel Sales’ Yennifer Fasciani.
Yet companies are fighting back. “Either a film works very well or not at all. Our strategy is increasingly focusing on major titles, leaving no middle ground,” states Film Factory Entertainment’s Vicente Canales,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
A new film industry superclass is emerging in Spain: movies powered or co-backed by its streaming giants.
Perhaps the biggest example, Netflix Spain’s Andes flight disaster “Society of the Snow,” scored two Academy Award nominations last month.
Now, in the run-up to Berlin, London-based Film Constellation has acquired most world sales rights to “The Captive,” from Oscar winner Alejandro Amenábar (“The Sea Inside”) and Mod Producciones, a $15 million period adventure epic on the literary makings of “Quixote”author Miguel de Cervantes, held to ransom in a Moorish corsair jail.
Film Factory Ent. will take to market Iciar Bollain’s “I Am Nevenka,” about a feminist pioneer in Spain, and an untitled project from “Prison 77’s” Alberto Rodriguez, two fruit of the first movie slate from Movistar Plus+, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD player, announced in January.
Spanish movies overperform on Netflix and Movistar Plus+. As of Feb.
Perhaps the biggest example, Netflix Spain’s Andes flight disaster “Society of the Snow,” scored two Academy Award nominations last month.
Now, in the run-up to Berlin, London-based Film Constellation has acquired most world sales rights to “The Captive,” from Oscar winner Alejandro Amenábar (“The Sea Inside”) and Mod Producciones, a $15 million period adventure epic on the literary makings of “Quixote”author Miguel de Cervantes, held to ransom in a Moorish corsair jail.
Film Factory Ent. will take to market Iciar Bollain’s “I Am Nevenka,” about a feminist pioneer in Spain, and an untitled project from “Prison 77’s” Alberto Rodriguez, two fruit of the first movie slate from Movistar Plus+, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD player, announced in January.
Spanish movies overperform on Netflix and Movistar Plus+. As of Feb.
- 2/16/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Film Factory will bring to market at Berlín Icíar Bollaín’s latest film, “I’m Nevenka,” a recount of Spain’s first high-profile case of sexual harassment starring Mireia Oriol (“The Girl in the Mirror”).
It will reunite much of the team behind Bollain’s “Maixabel, including Urko Olazaba who won a best supporting Spanish Academy Goya Award for “Maixabel” and now co-stars opposite Oriol in “I’m Nevenka.”
Disney will handle distribution in Spain. The film is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This acquisition signals Film Factory’s commitment to championing stories that not only entertain but also provoke important conversations about societal issues.
“I’m Nevenka,” is based on the true story of Nevenka Fernández, a young woman whose bravery and resilience became a pioneering beacon for the fight against sexual harassment in Spain.
At the young age of 23, Fernández faced widespread public scrutiny and...
It will reunite much of the team behind Bollain’s “Maixabel, including Urko Olazaba who won a best supporting Spanish Academy Goya Award for “Maixabel” and now co-stars opposite Oriol in “I’m Nevenka.”
Disney will handle distribution in Spain. The film is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This acquisition signals Film Factory’s commitment to championing stories that not only entertain but also provoke important conversations about societal issues.
“I’m Nevenka,” is based on the true story of Nevenka Fernández, a young woman whose bravery and resilience became a pioneering beacon for the fight against sexual harassment in Spain.
At the young age of 23, Fernández faced widespread public scrutiny and...
- 2/1/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Telefonica’s Movistar Plus+, Spain’s biggest pay TV-svod operator, is set to co-produce new movies from Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Iciar Bollaín, Alberto Rodríguez, Óliver Laxe and Ana Rujas. It’s a move which sees the high-end Spanish TV powerhouse become one of Spain’s most significant movie players.
Titles in the slate are backed by top Spanish producers such as Agustín Almodóvar and Esther García at El Deseo – backing Laxe’s next – and Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo at their high-flying new production house Suma Content, producing what will be Rujas’ debut feature as a director.
The acclaimed “La Mesías,” the latest series from Los Javis – as Ambrossi and Calvo are known – will have its international premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it will the only European series at this year’s event.
In a fillip for Spain’s box office, still 26% down on pre-pandemic levels, Movistar Plus+ will...
Titles in the slate are backed by top Spanish producers such as Agustín Almodóvar and Esther García at El Deseo – backing Laxe’s next – and Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo at their high-flying new production house Suma Content, producing what will be Rujas’ debut feature as a director.
The acclaimed “La Mesías,” the latest series from Los Javis – as Ambrossi and Calvo are known – will have its international premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it will the only European series at this year’s event.
In a fillip for Spain’s box office, still 26% down on pre-pandemic levels, Movistar Plus+ will...
- 1/18/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Filmax has boarded “The Monster of Many Noses,” which marks yet another feature debut of a Barcelona-based female director, Abigail Schaaff, here in a movie which blends fantasy genre and local lore to large social point.
Filmax, which also handles distribution in Spain, will show first images of the film at the American Film Market.
Connecting 1960s Spain to its 1930s, the decade of Spain’s Civil War whose atrocities were silenced as the price of transition to democracy in 1970s Spain, “The Monster of Many Noses” (“L’home dels lassos”) is set in 1968 in a small village in the mountains.
Three children try to escape the so-called Man of Many Noses, a figure in Catalan lore who hunts down children who have told too many lies on the last day of the year. “But the children aren’t the only ones who fear him. Lies from the past can also be smelled,...
Filmax, which also handles distribution in Spain, will show first images of the film at the American Film Market.
Connecting 1960s Spain to its 1930s, the decade of Spain’s Civil War whose atrocities were silenced as the price of transition to democracy in 1970s Spain, “The Monster of Many Noses” (“L’home dels lassos”) is set in 1968 in a small village in the mountains.
Three children try to escape the so-called Man of Many Noses, a figure in Catalan lore who hunts down children who have told too many lies on the last day of the year. “But the children aren’t the only ones who fear him. Lies from the past can also be smelled,...
- 11/2/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish distributors will present their international titles to exhibitors, broadcasters and platforms st the Merci market.
Seminci, the Valladolid International Film Week, will host an expanded third edition of Spain’s Independent Film Market for the first time from October 25-27.
Known as Merci Valladolid, the market is jointly organised by Seminci and the Association of Independent Film Distributors (Adicine).
The market used to be held at the Seville European Film Festival, which was previously run by Seminici’s new director José Luis Cienfuegos.
Sixteen Spanish independent distributors will present their international titles to exhibitors, television networks and platforms at Merci Valladolid.
Seminci, the Valladolid International Film Week, will host an expanded third edition of Spain’s Independent Film Market for the first time from October 25-27.
Known as Merci Valladolid, the market is jointly organised by Seminci and the Association of Independent Film Distributors (Adicine).
The market used to be held at the Seville European Film Festival, which was previously run by Seminici’s new director José Luis Cienfuegos.
Sixteen Spanish independent distributors will present their international titles to exhibitors, television networks and platforms at Merci Valladolid.
- 10/24/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
Barcelona-born director Carla Simón, whose sophomore film “Alcarràs” clinched the 72nd Berlinale Golden Bear last year, received the 2023 National Cinematography Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by Spain’s Ministry of Culture.
On hand to present the award in a ceremony held at the San Sebastian Film Festival was Miguel Iceta, Spain’s Minister of Culture and Sports, who first addressed Simón in Catalan before switching to Spanish: “With only two feature films, you have left your mark on the recent history of cinema in our country: a short but undisputed trajectory in terms of its strength and personality, recognized both nationally and internationally. A career that is nothing but the promise of a much longer and fruitful one.”
“This award, if you’ll allow me the audacity, is also for all the women who accompany you, for all your professional colleagues and peers, for all those women who,...
On hand to present the award in a ceremony held at the San Sebastian Film Festival was Miguel Iceta, Spain’s Minister of Culture and Sports, who first addressed Simón in Catalan before switching to Spanish: “With only two feature films, you have left your mark on the recent history of cinema in our country: a short but undisputed trajectory in terms of its strength and personality, recognized both nationally and internationally. A career that is nothing but the promise of a much longer and fruitful one.”
“This award, if you’ll allow me the audacity, is also for all the women who accompany you, for all your professional colleagues and peers, for all those women who,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Anonymous Content has partnered with Spain’s Morena Films, one of the country’s top production companies, to launch a joint venture aimed at developing and producing Spanish-language content for the global market.
The alliance marks the fifth international joint venture for Anonymous Content as they continue to build partnerships with local producers and companies in key territories around the world.
Anonymous Content’s president of international, David Davoli, and Morena Films CEO Pilar Benito will oversee the joint venture, whose managing director will be named in the coming weeks, the companies announced Friday in a statement.
The partnership aims “to leverage Morena’s long-standing reputation” as one of the key production companies in Spain “to continue developing and producing premium film and TV projects,” the statement added.
Launched in 1999 to produce innovative, high-quality content for the international market, Morena is behind more than 100 titles, taking in feature films, TV series and documentaries,...
The alliance marks the fifth international joint venture for Anonymous Content as they continue to build partnerships with local producers and companies in key territories around the world.
Anonymous Content’s president of international, David Davoli, and Morena Films CEO Pilar Benito will oversee the joint venture, whose managing director will be named in the coming weeks, the companies announced Friday in a statement.
The partnership aims “to leverage Morena’s long-standing reputation” as one of the key production companies in Spain “to continue developing and producing premium film and TV projects,” the statement added.
Launched in 1999 to produce innovative, high-quality content for the international market, Morena is behind more than 100 titles, taking in feature films, TV series and documentaries,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Noted musician Sidhant Kapoor is releasing his latest single titled ‘Beparwah’, inspired by the spirited life of children from the slums, as depicted in the poem ‘Slum Children at Play’ by legendary writer Ruskin Bond. The verses touched Sidhant’s heart and inspired him to compose Beparwah as a song that celebrates the carefree nature of street children. The single released in a gala ceremony at the Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai in the presence of guest star Tabu and other eminent guests; Sidhant’s father actor-singer Ruhan Kapoor, Paul Marshal, Tejas Verma, Gunjan Sinha and Somansh Dangwal.
To get the rights, Sidhant went all the way to meet the revered writer at his famous home in the hills of Mussoorie. Mr. Bond was moved by Sidhant’s passion. He not only gave his permission but narrated the poem in the track and made a special appearance in the video. Making...
To get the rights, Sidhant went all the way to meet the revered writer at his famous home in the hills of Mussoorie. Mr. Bond was moved by Sidhant’s passion. He not only gave his permission but narrated the poem in the track and made a special appearance in the video. Making...
- 3/16/2023
- by agency
- GlamSham
The first 30 titles in the running for the EFAs have been announced.
The first 30 titles in the running for the 2022 European Film Awards have been revealed with a second wave of titles due to be announced in September.
Scroll down for first selection of films
The titles include Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness, Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner Alcarras and Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winner Belfast. Also selected is Colm Bairéad’s The Quiet Girl, which is Ireland’s submission for the best international feature Oscar.
Further Cannes award winners to make the first...
The first 30 titles in the running for the 2022 European Film Awards have been revealed with a second wave of titles due to be announced in September.
Scroll down for first selection of films
The titles include Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness, Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner Alcarras and Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winner Belfast. Also selected is Colm Bairéad’s The Quiet Girl, which is Ireland’s submission for the best international feature Oscar.
Further Cannes award winners to make the first...
- 8/18/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Agustí Villaronga, one of the most versatile of higher-profile Spanish auteurs, is attached to direct “Purgatory,” a project which will be presented at Locarno’s Match Me! Event by Nati Escobar at Spain’s Galápagos Media.
“Purgatory” turns on Father Tomás, a scholar of ancient history and biblical theology sent to a remote sanatorium as a penance for his sins. There, the priest discovers that the small community seems to be entranced by the teachings of a patient.
A title to track at Match Me!, a large networking event, “Purgatory” promises a study of the frontiers between faith and superstition, conviction and manipulation.
The project will be produced by director-producer Pau Calpe and Nati Escobar at Spain’s Galápagos Media and co-produced by Xavier Crespo at Dacsa Produccions. Calpe has just directed “Tros,” a Film Factory-sold drama thriller.. Galápagos has been recently involved in the co-production of Icíar Bollaín’s “Yuli.
“Purgatory” turns on Father Tomás, a scholar of ancient history and biblical theology sent to a remote sanatorium as a penance for his sins. There, the priest discovers that the small community seems to be entranced by the teachings of a patient.
A title to track at Match Me!, a large networking event, “Purgatory” promises a study of the frontiers between faith and superstition, conviction and manipulation.
The project will be produced by director-producer Pau Calpe and Nati Escobar at Spain’s Galápagos Media and co-produced by Xavier Crespo at Dacsa Produccions. Calpe has just directed “Tros,” a Film Factory-sold drama thriller.. Galápagos has been recently involved in the co-production of Icíar Bollaín’s “Yuli.
- 8/5/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Pedro Almodóvar has put his considerable weight behind Spaniard Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s first feature, ”Lullaby” (“Cinco Lobitos”) as it has initiated a spirited run at Spain’s box office.
“It is undoubtedly the best debut in Spanish cinema for years,” Almodóvar announced in a statement, describing the mother-daughter relationship drama as “a portrait of the role of women within the family, which is truthful, devoid of sentimentality and that does not exclude humor.”
“Life could offer another destiny for women other than caring for the whole family. [The film offers] very accurate interpretations, where Laia Costa stands out and I suppose will sweep all this year’s awards. You have to see it before the heat wave takes it away. Summer is the worst enemy of the theaters.”
Almodóvar’s advocacy is highly necessary as an exciting new generation of cineastes, often female, galvanizes Spain’s arthouse scene led by Carla Simón...
“It is undoubtedly the best debut in Spanish cinema for years,” Almodóvar announced in a statement, describing the mother-daughter relationship drama as “a portrait of the role of women within the family, which is truthful, devoid of sentimentality and that does not exclude humor.”
“Life could offer another destiny for women other than caring for the whole family. [The film offers] very accurate interpretations, where Laia Costa stands out and I suppose will sweep all this year’s awards. You have to see it before the heat wave takes it away. Summer is the worst enemy of the theaters.”
Almodóvar’s advocacy is highly necessary as an exciting new generation of cineastes, often female, galvanizes Spain’s arthouse scene led by Carla Simón...
- 5/28/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish satire starring Javier Bardem one of the big winners at the Ibero-American film awards held in Madrid.
The Good Boss, produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC. took home four prizes at the Platino Awards, the ninth edition of the Ibero-American ceremony that took place in Madrid, on Sunday (May 1).
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success t the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won the best actress...
The Good Boss, produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC. took home four prizes at the Platino Awards, the ninth edition of the Ibero-American ceremony that took place in Madrid, on Sunday (May 1).
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success t the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won the best actress...
- 5/2/2022
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Spanish satire starring Javier Bardem one of the big winners at the Ibero-American film awards held in Madrid.
The Good Boss produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC took home four prizes at the Platino Awards on Sunday (May 1), the Ibero-American equivalent to the Oscars which took place in Madrid.
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success at Spanish Film Academy awards the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won...
The Good Boss produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC took home four prizes at the Platino Awards on Sunday (May 1), the Ibero-American equivalent to the Oscars which took place in Madrid.
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success at Spanish Film Academy awards the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won...
- 5/2/2022
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Spanish satire starring Javier Bardem one of the big winners at the Ibero-American film awards held in Madrid.
The Good Boss produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC took home four prizes at the Platino Awards on Sunday (May 1), the Ibero-American equivalent to the Oscars which took place in Madrid.
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success at Spanish Film Academy awards the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won...
The Good Boss produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC took home four prizes at the Platino Awards on Sunday (May 1), the Ibero-American equivalent to the Oscars which took place in Madrid.
This satire about the petty boss of an industrial scales factory won best film, best director and screenplay for Fernando León de Aranoa, and best actor for Javier Bardem following its success at Spanish Film Academy awards the Goyas in February when it won six prizes.
Blanca Portillo won...
- 5/2/2022
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Spanish distributors, who have enjoyed a strong track record selling remake rights to local pics, have received a major boost this year with the Malaga Festival Industry Zone’s (Mafiz) inaugural Remake Day event on Thursday.
Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.
David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.
Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.
In Robert Bellsolà’s 2014 laffer “Dos a la Carta” (“Menu for Two”), another Cinema Republic title,...
Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.
David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.
Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.
In Robert Bellsolà’s 2014 laffer “Dos a la Carta” (“Menu for Two”), another Cinema Republic title,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
The festival drew to a close yesterday (March 13).
UK director Lizzie MacKenzie won the audience award at Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) for her documentary The Hermit Of Treig, as unveiled as part of the festival’s closing night (March 13).
The film made its world premiere at Gff, which ran from March 2-13 as a hybrid offering, with both in-person and select online screenings and industry events taking place.
Gala premieres were also screened in certain cinemas across the UK, for the first time in the festival’s 18-year history.
Five out of seven of the films nominated for the audience award were directed by women,...
UK director Lizzie MacKenzie won the audience award at Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) for her documentary The Hermit Of Treig, as unveiled as part of the festival’s closing night (March 13).
The film made its world premiere at Gff, which ran from March 2-13 as a hybrid offering, with both in-person and select online screenings and industry events taking place.
Gala premieres were also screened in certain cinemas across the UK, for the first time in the festival’s 18-year history.
Five out of seven of the films nominated for the audience award were directed by women,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Pedro Almodovar’s ‘Parallel Mothers’ went home empty-handed.
The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, scored big at the 36th edition of the Goyas, the Spanish Academy Awards held on Saturday in Valencia. With a record 20 nominations, it won six wards including best film, best director and screenplay for León de Aranoa and best actor for Javier Bardem.
Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, nominated for eight awards, left empty handed.
Produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC, The Good Boss premiered in competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival and went on to...
The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, scored big at the 36th edition of the Goyas, the Spanish Academy Awards held on Saturday in Valencia. With a record 20 nominations, it won six wards including best film, best director and screenplay for León de Aranoa and best actor for Javier Bardem.
Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, nominated for eight awards, left empty handed.
Produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC, The Good Boss premiered in competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival and went on to...
- 2/13/2022
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Spain has two films in this year’s main competition at the Berlinale, and a record haul of films participating across all sections. Similarly, the country boasts an impressive list of productions looking for buyers at the festival’s EFM. Below, a list of standouts from Spain looking to make moves on the global market.
“Prison 77” (Alberto Rodríguez)
A potential jewel in Spanish cinema’s 2022 crown, “Modelo 77” is produced by Spanish pay TV-vod giant Movistar Plus and Madrid-based Atípica Films, Rodríguez’s career-long producer. S.A. Film Factory
“Alcarràs” (Carla Simón)
In Berlin’s main competition, the much anticipated follow up to Simón’s “Summer 1993,” “Alcarrás” tracks the final harvest at a multi-generational family farm. Co-produced with Italy. S.A. MK2 Films
“The Beast” (Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
A Galicia-set thriller from Oscar-nominee Sorogoyen (“Mother”) and his regular co-scribe Esther Peña.
“Beyond the Summit” (Ibon Cormenzana)
Javier Rey and Patricia Lopez...
“Prison 77” (Alberto Rodríguez)
A potential jewel in Spanish cinema’s 2022 crown, “Modelo 77” is produced by Spanish pay TV-vod giant Movistar Plus and Madrid-based Atípica Films, Rodríguez’s career-long producer. S.A. Film Factory
“Alcarràs” (Carla Simón)
In Berlin’s main competition, the much anticipated follow up to Simón’s “Summer 1993,” “Alcarrás” tracks the final harvest at a multi-generational family farm. Co-produced with Italy. S.A. MK2 Films
“The Beast” (Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
A Galicia-set thriller from Oscar-nominee Sorogoyen (“Mother”) and his regular co-scribe Esther Peña.
“Beyond the Summit” (Ibon Cormenzana)
Javier Rey and Patricia Lopez...
- 2/11/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Santiago Segura’s ‘The Kids Are Alright’ was the fourth-highest grossing film of the year.
Spain was one of the few European markets where an independent local title made it into the top 10 in 2021.
Rarer still, Warner Bros Spain’s comedy The Kids Are Alright, directed by and starring Santiago Segura, landed in the top five with a year-end gross of $9.6m (€8.49m), ahead of Dune, No Time To Die and Eternals.
The total Spanish box office reached $284m (€251m) in 2021, up on the $193,5m (€171m) of 2020, but far from pre-pandemic figures that saw a total gross of $706m (€624m...
Spain was one of the few European markets where an independent local title made it into the top 10 in 2021.
Rarer still, Warner Bros Spain’s comedy The Kids Are Alright, directed by and starring Santiago Segura, landed in the top five with a year-end gross of $9.6m (€8.49m), ahead of Dune, No Time To Die and Eternals.
The total Spanish box office reached $284m (€251m) in 2021, up on the $193,5m (€171m) of 2020, but far from pre-pandemic figures that saw a total gross of $706m (€624m...
- 1/18/2022
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Javier Bardem in The Good Boss Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival Fernando León de Aranoa has secured a record 20 nominations for his film The Good Boss at this year's Goyas - the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars.
The satire stars Javier Bardem, who is in the running for Best Actor.
Icíar Bollaín’s terrorism drama Maixabel, meanwhile, secured 14 nominations while Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers - about two mothers who give birth on the same day - has eight nods.
The Goya awards ceremony will be held on February 12 in Valencia.
2022 Goya Nominations
Best Film
The Good Boss (Fernando León de Aranoa) Libertad (Clara Roquet) Parallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar) Maixabel (Icíar Bollaín) Mediterraneo, The Laws Of The Sea (Marcel Barrena)
Best Director
Fernando León de Aranoa (The Good Boss) Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) Manuel Martín Cuenca (The Daughter) Icíar Bollaín (Maixabel)
Best New Director
Carol Rodríguez Colás (Chavalas) Javier Marco Rico,...
The satire stars Javier Bardem, who is in the running for Best Actor.
Icíar Bollaín’s terrorism drama Maixabel, meanwhile, secured 14 nominations while Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers - about two mothers who give birth on the same day - has eight nods.
The Goya awards ceremony will be held on February 12 in Valencia.
2022 Goya Nominations
Best Film
The Good Boss (Fernando León de Aranoa) Libertad (Clara Roquet) Parallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar) Maixabel (Icíar Bollaín) Mediterraneo, The Laws Of The Sea (Marcel Barrena)
Best Director
Fernando León de Aranoa (The Good Boss) Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) Manuel Martín Cuenca (The Daughter) Icíar Bollaín (Maixabel)
Best New Director
Carol Rodríguez Colás (Chavalas) Javier Marco Rico,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
‘The Good Boss’ leads Icíar Bollaín’s ‘Maixabel’ and Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Parallel Mothers’.
The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, led the Goya nominations from the Spanish Film Academy with 20 nods, an all-time record.
The satire, also Spain’s entry for the Oscars, is ahead of Icíar Bollaín’s Maixabel and Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, on 14 and eight nominations respectively.
The Good Boss is the fifth highest-grossing film in Spain this year with €2.6m. Written and directed by León de Aranoa, it follows the petty boss of an industrial scales factory, played...
The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, led the Goya nominations from the Spanish Film Academy with 20 nods, an all-time record.
The satire, also Spain’s entry for the Oscars, is ahead of Icíar Bollaín’s Maixabel and Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, on 14 and eight nominations respectively.
The Good Boss is the fifth highest-grossing film in Spain this year with €2.6m. Written and directed by León de Aranoa, it follows the petty boss of an industrial scales factory, played...
- 11/29/2021
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Already selected as this year’s Spanish Best International Feature Film submission for the Oscars, Fernando León de Aranoa’s dark workplace comedy “The Good Boss,” starring Javier Bardem, has set a new record for most Spanish Academy Goya Award nominations with 20, ahead of Icíar Bollaín’s standout Basque drama “Maixabel” with 14 and Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers,” which secured eight.
The 20 nominations include: Best picture, director, original screenplay, original music, lead actor, three nominations for supporting actor, supporting actress, two nominations for best new male actor and one for best new female actor, production design, cinematography, editing, art direction, costume design, makeup, sound design and special effects. It’s a total which breaks an almost 30-year-old record held by Imanol Uribe’s “Numbered Days,” which received 19 nominations in 1994.
León’s latest, produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC, is a return to a fruitful partnership between the director and his leading man.
The 20 nominations include: Best picture, director, original screenplay, original music, lead actor, three nominations for supporting actor, supporting actress, two nominations for best new male actor and one for best new female actor, production design, cinematography, editing, art direction, costume design, makeup, sound design and special effects. It’s a total which breaks an almost 30-year-old record held by Imanol Uribe’s “Numbered Days,” which received 19 nominations in 1994.
León’s latest, produced by The Mediapro Studio and Reposado PC, is a return to a fruitful partnership between the director and his leading man.
- 11/29/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Since the 1980s Alberto Iglesias has created beautiful, thrilling music for the screen working broadly throughout his native Spain and Hollywood and with a versatile array of directors and genres—underpinned by his iconic collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar. Iglesias' film suites are fashioned with lucious jazz and emotive orchestral poetry. He beautifully balances the tension of theatrical melodrama with voyages into memory and the vibrancy of inner-city life, with its sophisticated glamour and debauched underbellies. This mix provides a healthy dose of Iglesias collaborations with Almodóvar, from their early years with films such as The Flower of My Secret (1995) and Live Flesh (1997) to this year’s Parallel Mothers and The Human Voice (where Igelsias’s key focus was to riff on his Almodóvar themes of the past). Julio Medem’s Sex and Lucia (2001) defines the 2000s moment of contemporary Spanish cinema’s bursts on the global sphere, soundtracked by that early millenium “Igelsias” sound.
- 11/23/2021
- MUBI
Director Icíar Bollaín’s “Maixabel” – which world premiered last month in San Sebastian’s main competition and screens at this week’s Spanish Screenings-Malaga de Cine – is a turbulent and emotional look into the repercussions of terrorist violence, both for the victims and the victimizers. The film follows the aftermath of the murder of politician Juan María Jáuregui from the perspective of his widow, Maixabel (Blanca Portillo), as well as the Eta terrorists who committed the killing.
The Basque film is produced by San Sebastian-based Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films, with Film Factory Entertainment handling international sales. The screenplay, based on the real life story of Basque Country political activist Maixabel Lasa, was co-authored by Bollaín and Isa Campo, co-scribe of “Between Two Waters,” a San Sebastian Golden Shell winner
Variety spoke with Bollaín during the Spanish Screenings.
“Maixabel” is filled with nuanced, complex characters. How did you go...
The Basque film is produced by San Sebastian-based Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films, with Film Factory Entertainment handling international sales. The screenplay, based on the real life story of Basque Country political activist Maixabel Lasa, was co-authored by Bollaín and Isa Campo, co-scribe of “Between Two Waters,” a San Sebastian Golden Shell winner
Variety spoke with Bollaín during the Spanish Screenings.
“Maixabel” is filled with nuanced, complex characters. How did you go...
- 10/21/2021
- by JD Linville
- Variety Film + TV
Other winners included Earwig, Jessica Chastain, Tea Lindeburg and Terence Davies.
A debut feature by Romanian director Alina Grigore, Blue Moon has won the Golden Shell award for best film at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff).
The victory adds another woman director as winner of a festival’s main prize following the Palme d’Or win at Cannes for Julia Ducournau’s Titane and the Venice Golden Lion triumph for Audrey Diwan’s Happening.
Other awards in Ssiff’s main competition included a special jury prize for Earwig, by Lucile Hadzilhalilovic; the Silver Shell...
A debut feature by Romanian director Alina Grigore, Blue Moon has won the Golden Shell award for best film at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff).
The victory adds another woman director as winner of a festival’s main prize following the Palme d’Or win at Cannes for Julia Ducournau’s Titane and the Venice Golden Lion triumph for Audrey Diwan’s Happening.
Other awards in Ssiff’s main competition included a special jury prize for Earwig, by Lucile Hadzilhalilovic; the Silver Shell...
- 9/25/2021
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Vicente Canales’ Film Factory Entertainment has sold Icíar Bollaín’s San Sebastian Festival-bound Basque reconciliation drama “Maixabel” to Germany, striking a deal with Berlin-based distributor Piffl Medien.
The film is set to make its theatrical release in Spain on Sept. 24 via Buena Vista Intl.
World premiering in San Sebastian’s main competition this weekend, Bollaín’s film – which she co-wrote with screenwriter Isa Campo (“The Next Skin”) – stars “Volver’s” Blanca Portillo as the widow of murdered socialist leader Juan María Jáuregui who makes steps towards forgiving the Eta terrorist who killed her husband a decade earlier.
The feature is based around the experience of Maixabel Lasa, a key figure in the journey that the Basque Country is making towards peace and reconciliation following the violence of its recent past.
Co-starring Luis Tosar (“Retribution,” “Way Down”), the film was made by top Basque production company Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films...
The film is set to make its theatrical release in Spain on Sept. 24 via Buena Vista Intl.
World premiering in San Sebastian’s main competition this weekend, Bollaín’s film – which she co-wrote with screenwriter Isa Campo (“The Next Skin”) – stars “Volver’s” Blanca Portillo as the widow of murdered socialist leader Juan María Jáuregui who makes steps towards forgiving the Eta terrorist who killed her husband a decade earlier.
The feature is based around the experience of Maixabel Lasa, a key figure in the journey that the Basque Country is making towards peace and reconciliation following the violence of its recent past.
Co-starring Luis Tosar (“Retribution,” “Way Down”), the film was made by top Basque production company Kowalski Films (“Coven”) and Feelgood Films...
- 9/17/2021
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary Exposure from The Babushkas Of Chernobyl director Morris gets its world premiere.
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival has unveiled its international competitions line-up, a roster that includes Venice Silver Lion winner The Power Of The Dog, Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers For The Stolen, and the world premiere of Holly Morris’s documentary Exposure.
The programme includes the international premiere of Franziska Stünkel’s The Last Execution. The festival runs October 13-24 and is the longest running competitive festival in North America.
The International Feature Competition line-up comprises: Péter Kerekes’s 107 Mothers (Slo-Czech-Ukr); Mohammed Diab’s Amira (Egy-Jor-uae-Saud...
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival has unveiled its international competitions line-up, a roster that includes Venice Silver Lion winner The Power Of The Dog, Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers For The Stolen, and the world premiere of Holly Morris’s documentary Exposure.
The programme includes the international premiere of Franziska Stünkel’s The Last Execution. The festival runs October 13-24 and is the longest running competitive festival in North America.
The International Feature Competition line-up comprises: Péter Kerekes’s 107 Mothers (Slo-Czech-Ukr); Mohammed Diab’s Amira (Egy-Jor-uae-Saud...
- 9/16/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Fernando León de Aranoa’s ‘The Good Boss’, Icíar Bollaín’s ‘Maixabel’ and ‘La Abuela’ from Paco Plaza are all in competition.
A total of 14 Spanish productions have been selected for the 69th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 17-25).
These include four titles which will compete for the Golden Shell, including The Good Boss, starring Javier Bardem, which marks the third time in official selection for Fernando León de Aranoa. The Madrid filmmaker won the Golden Shell for best film with Mondays In the Sun back in 2002. The Good Boss is a black comedy and is set in an industrial sales manufacturing business.
A total of 14 Spanish productions have been selected for the 69th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 17-25).
These include four titles which will compete for the Golden Shell, including The Good Boss, starring Javier Bardem, which marks the third time in official selection for Fernando León de Aranoa. The Madrid filmmaker won the Golden Shell for best film with Mondays In the Sun back in 2002. The Good Boss is a black comedy and is set in an industrial sales manufacturing business.
- 7/30/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
San Sebastian Film Festival has unveiled the Spanish titles that will comprise its official selection this year.
On the roster is Fernando León de Aranoa’s latest pic The Good Boss, a tragicomedy starring Javier Bardem. Aranoa has been in San Seb’s competition three times before, winning the Golden Shell for best film in 2002 with Mondays in the Sun. Bardem stars in the new pic as a benevolent factory owner.
High-profile Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza will also compete at San Seb this year with his latest horror movie La Abuela. Plaza is the director behind [Rec] and Veronica, his latest follows the nightmarish journey taken by the life of a young woman who leaves her job as a model in Paris to return to Madrid and take care of her sick grandmother.
Also returning this year is Icíar Bollaín, who will present Maixabel, starring Blanca Portillo as the widow...
On the roster is Fernando León de Aranoa’s latest pic The Good Boss, a tragicomedy starring Javier Bardem. Aranoa has been in San Seb’s competition three times before, winning the Golden Shell for best film in 2002 with Mondays in the Sun. Bardem stars in the new pic as a benevolent factory owner.
High-profile Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza will also compete at San Seb this year with his latest horror movie La Abuela. Plaza is the director behind [Rec] and Veronica, his latest follows the nightmarish journey taken by the life of a young woman who leaves her job as a model in Paris to return to Madrid and take care of her sick grandmother.
Also returning this year is Icíar Bollaín, who will present Maixabel, starring Blanca Portillo as the widow...
- 7/30/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Spain brings a robust crop of developing projects and completed titles to this year’s Cannes Film Market.
“Alcarrás” (Carla Simon)
Much anticipated after Simon’s “Summer 1993,” “Alcarrás” tracks the final harvest at a multi-generational family farm. Co-produced with Italy. Sales: MK2 Films
“Ama” (Julia de Paz Solvas)
A Malaga premiere from La Dalia Films about single motherhood and raising a child without a permanent home. Sales: Filmax
“Ane Is Missing”
(David Pérez Sañudo)
A 2021 best picture Goya nominee, Patricia López Arnáiz dominates the screen as a mother looking for her teenage daughter. Sales: Latido
“Beyond the Summit” (Ibon Cormenzana)
Javier Rey (“Fariña”) & Patricia Lopez Arnaiz (“Ane”) star in this mountain climbing metaphor for self-realization.
Sales: Filmax
“Canto Cósmico. Niño de Elche”
From Señor y Señora and Código Sur, the story of a former child prodigy flamenco singer who pushed the boundaries of the artform.
“Carpoolers” (Martín Cuervo)
A...
“Alcarrás” (Carla Simon)
Much anticipated after Simon’s “Summer 1993,” “Alcarrás” tracks the final harvest at a multi-generational family farm. Co-produced with Italy. Sales: MK2 Films
“Ama” (Julia de Paz Solvas)
A Malaga premiere from La Dalia Films about single motherhood and raising a child without a permanent home. Sales: Filmax
“Ane Is Missing”
(David Pérez Sañudo)
A 2021 best picture Goya nominee, Patricia López Arnáiz dominates the screen as a mother looking for her teenage daughter. Sales: Latido
“Beyond the Summit” (Ibon Cormenzana)
Javier Rey (“Fariña”) & Patricia Lopez Arnaiz (“Ane”) star in this mountain climbing metaphor for self-realization.
Sales: Filmax
“Canto Cósmico. Niño de Elche”
From Señor y Señora and Código Sur, the story of a former child prodigy flamenco singer who pushed the boundaries of the artform.
“Carpoolers” (Martín Cuervo)
A...
- 7/8/2021
- by Emilio Mayorga and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Schoolgirls took home four Goyas The directorial debut of Pilar Palomero has won the top prize at Spain's Goya awards - the country's equivalent of the Oscars.
Coming-of-age drama Schoolgirls won four of the nine Goyas for which it was nominated, including best film and best new director, at the hybrid ceremony, which saw the nominees take part from home.
It was also a good night for refugee crisis drama Adú, which also received four awards, including best director for salvador Calvo.
Ane Is Missing, by David Pérez Sañudo, won three Goyas, including best actress for Patricia López Arnaíz - Mario Casas was named best actor for Cross The Line - while witch hunt drama Akelarre won five and Icíar Bollaín’s Rosa’s Wedding won two.
The winners are below:
Best film - Schoolgirls
Best director - Salvador Calvo for Adú
Best new director - Pilar Palomero for Schoolgirls
Best...
Coming-of-age drama Schoolgirls won four of the nine Goyas for which it was nominated, including best film and best new director, at the hybrid ceremony, which saw the nominees take part from home.
It was also a good night for refugee crisis drama Adú, which also received four awards, including best director for salvador Calvo.
Ane Is Missing, by David Pérez Sañudo, won three Goyas, including best actress for Patricia López Arnaíz - Mario Casas was named best actor for Cross The Line - while witch hunt drama Akelarre won five and Icíar Bollaín’s Rosa’s Wedding won two.
The winners are below:
Best film - Schoolgirls
Best director - Salvador Calvo for Adú
Best new director - Pilar Palomero for Schoolgirls
Best...
- 3/7/2021
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Goyas were presented by Antonio Banderas from the theatre he owns in Malaga.
Pilar Palomero’s directorial debut Schoolgirls won the best film and best new director award at Spain’s Goya awards on Saturday March 6 in a pandemic-era ceremony that celebrated fresh voices and a strong female presence.
The hybrid ceremony - all the nominees were at home - was sober and started with a minute’s silence for the pandemic’s victims. It was also much shorter than usual. The socially-distanced red carpet was only for the celebrities in charge of giving the awards and Antonio Banderas,...
Pilar Palomero’s directorial debut Schoolgirls won the best film and best new director award at Spain’s Goya awards on Saturday March 6 in a pandemic-era ceremony that celebrated fresh voices and a strong female presence.
The hybrid ceremony - all the nominees were at home - was sober and started with a minute’s silence for the pandemic’s victims. It was also much shorter than usual. The socially-distanced red carpet was only for the celebrities in charge of giving the awards and Antonio Banderas,...
- 3/7/2021
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
Pilar Palomero’s coming of age drama The Girls has won the 2021 Goya Award for best film, Spain’s top film honor.
Palomero, who is a first-time feature director, was also awarded Goyas for best new director and best screenplay for her drama set in a convent school.
Netflix drama Adú was the frontrunner leading up to the ceremony with 14 nominations, and director Salvador Calvo was awarded the best director trophy. His sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees included Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’...
Palomero, who is a first-time feature director, was also awarded Goyas for best new director and best screenplay for her drama set in a convent school.
Netflix drama Adú was the frontrunner leading up to the ceremony with 14 nominations, and director Salvador Calvo was awarded the best director trophy. His sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees included Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’...
Pilar Palomero’s coming of age drama The Girls has won the 2021 Goya Award for best film, Spain’s top film honor.
Palomero, who is a first-time feature director, was also awarded Goyas for best new director and best screenplay for her drama set in a convent school.
Netflix drama Adú was the front-runner leading up to the ceremony with 14 nominations, and director Salvador Calvo was awarded the best director trophy. His sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees included Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’...
Palomero, who is a first-time feature director, was also awarded Goyas for best new director and best screenplay for her drama set in a convent school.
Netflix drama Adú was the front-runner leading up to the ceremony with 14 nominations, and director Salvador Calvo was awarded the best director trophy. His sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees included Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’...
Luis Tosar also stars in this film currently being shot in Northern Spain, which reconstructs the true story of the widow of a politician assassinated by terrorist group Eta. While this is the first time that Blanca Portillo (Volver) has put herself in the capable hands of Icíar Bollaín, the same cannot be said of Luis Tosar, who previously worked with the Madrilenian filmmaker on Even the Rain, Take My Eyes and Flowers from Another World. Both actors now star in Maixabel, the new film by the director of Rosa’s Wedding, a comedy for which she is in the running for a Goya Award in a few weeks’ time. Filming for this new feature kicked off on 8 February in Guipúzcoa and Álava, and the cast is rounded off by thesps María Cerezuela and Urko Olazabal.With an original score composed by Alberto Iglesias (Julieta), cinematography by Javier Agirre (Giant) and.
Contenders revealed for Spain’s Goyas
Nominees have been announced for the 35th Goya Awards, Spain’s primary award ceremony. Salvador Calvo’s Netflix drama Adu leads the way with 13 nominations, the movie stars Luis Tosar. Manuel Giménez de Llano’s The Girls and Pablo Agüero’ Akelarre follow with nine nominations apiece, while Icíar Bollaín’s Rosa’s Wedding has eight. The Best European Film category has four contenders: Corpus Christi, The Father, Falling and Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy. The winners will be unveiled at a ceremony in Malaga on March 6, hosted by Antonio Banderas and María Casado. Click here to see the full list of nominations (in Spanish).
Czech Lion nominations
Shadow Country, Havel and Charlatan were the most-nominated film and TV projects for the 28th annual Czech Lion awards voted on by the Czech Film and Television Academy (Cfta). This was the first year the...
Nominees have been announced for the 35th Goya Awards, Spain’s primary award ceremony. Salvador Calvo’s Netflix drama Adu leads the way with 13 nominations, the movie stars Luis Tosar. Manuel Giménez de Llano’s The Girls and Pablo Agüero’ Akelarre follow with nine nominations apiece, while Icíar Bollaín’s Rosa’s Wedding has eight. The Best European Film category has four contenders: Corpus Christi, The Father, Falling and Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy. The winners will be unveiled at a ceremony in Malaga on March 6, hosted by Antonio Banderas and María Casado. Click here to see the full list of nominations (in Spanish).
Czech Lion nominations
Shadow Country, Havel and Charlatan were the most-nominated film and TV projects for the 28th annual Czech Lion awards voted on by the Czech Film and Television Academy (Cfta). This was the first year the...
- 1/18/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman and Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The Netflix drama Adú, directed by Salvador Calvo, is the frontrunner for the 35th Goya Awards, Spain’s top film honors, with 14 nominations, including for best film and best director.
Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’s Wedding), Pilar Palomero’s The Girls, and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay. In addition to Calvo ...
Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’s Wedding), Pilar Palomero’s The Girls, and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay. In addition to Calvo ...
- 1/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Netflix drama Adú, directed by Salvador Calvo, is the frontrunner for the 35th Goya Awards, Spain’s top film honors, with 14 nominations, including for best film and best director.
Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’s Wedding), Pilar Palomero’s The Girls, and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay. In addition to Calvo ...
Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.
The Goya 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’s Wedding), Pilar Palomero’s The Girls, and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay. In addition to Calvo ...
- 1/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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