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AWARDS Spain

Four films for one nomination in Los Angeles

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- Alacrán enamorado, Quince años y un día, La gran familia española and Caníbal by Martín Cuenca are on the list to represent Spain at the Academy Awards

Four films for one nomination in Los Angeles

Four films, instead of the usual three, will fight for the honour of representing Spain at the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film section, it was announced yesterday by Spain’s Cinema Academy. Two of the films came out last spring (Alacrán enamorado [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Santiago A. Zannou and Quince años y un día [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gracia Querejeta
film profile
]
 by Gracia Querejeta) and two will be coming out later on this year (La gran familia española by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and Caníbal by Manuel Martín Cuenca).

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The announcement of the definitive Spanish contender will be made on September 25 by the Cinema Academy. The chosen film will then be submitted to other hurdles going up to January 16, when the Los Angeles based Academy will announce the five finalists for the foreign film Oscar.

While Sánchez Arévalo and Martín Cuenca’s films were expected choices, the selection of Zannou’s second film as well as Querejeta’s film came as surprises. This, despite the fact that the latter was the recipient of the Biznaga de Oro for best film at the last Malaga Film Festival and his producer, Gerardo Herrero, won the Oscar for The Secret in Their Eyes by Juan José Campanella just a short while ago. 

Among the main beneficiaries of this announcement, is Sánchez Arévalo’s new comedy, which will gain in visibility as it comes out this coming September 13. And who knows what voting will look like for Caníbal, which will also be fighting this month for a Golden Shell in San Sebastian. Both films were produced by Mod Producciones and star (almost exclusively in the case of Martín Cuenca’s film) Antonio de la Torre.

Notable for his absence is internationally known director Pedro Almodóvar, whose return to comedy with I’m So Excited did not win over the Academy (like much of the public and critic community). More surprising for its absence though is Las brujas de Zugarramurdi by Álex de la Iglesia, which will premiere this Saturday, September 14 in Toronto. 

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(Translated from Spanish)

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