Last lap for Silvia Munt's Pretextos

by Vitor Pinto

30/11/2006 - Principal photography on Silvia Munt's directorial debut Pretextos (lit. "Pretexts") will come to an end next week, after six weeks of shooting in Barcelona.

The film, in which the director also stars, along with Ramon Madaula, Laia Marull, Francesc Garrido and Mercè Llorens, is being produced by Ovideo TV with the support of TVE and Catalunya TV. The production budget is €2m.

The Catalan actress-turned-director and scriptwriter, who was recently seen in Roger Gual's Remake, had already been behind the cameras on some television films shot in Catalonia, and also directed the Goya-winning short-film Lalia and an acclaimed documentary entitled Gala, about Salvador Dali's Russian muse and wife.

After receiving the award for the Best TV Film at the last Malaga Film Festival for Coses que passen, Munt will also receive a prize at the first edition of the Mujeres en Dirección Festival, which is currently taking place in Cuenca until Sunday, December 2, and will honour her "coherent and extensive career" as an actress and "challenging and bold path as a film director".