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AWARDS Spain

The 23rd Forqué Awards crown The Motive and The Bookshop

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- The Spanish producers’ Award for Best Film of 2017 was split between filmmakers Manuel Martín Cuenca and Isabel Coixet

The 23rd Forqué Awards crown The Motive and The Bookshop
All the winners of the 23rd José María Forqué Awards (© RTVE)

On Saturday, Zaragoza was the host city for the ceremony for the 23rd José María Forqué Awards, handed out by EGEDA, a society grouping together Spanish audiovisual producers. This year, for the first time ever, the top prize, the Award for Best Film of 2017, was split between two titles that address the topic of literature, despite the fact that they have differing temporal settings, intentions and perspectives. The movies in question were The Bookshop [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, an English-language co-production between Spain, Germany and the UK, helmed by the unstoppable Isabel Coixet, and The Motive [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile
]
, a Spanish-Mexican co-production directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca. Both movies will soon be duking it out for the Goya Award for Best Fiction Feature of 2017, their most serious rival being Giant [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño
film profile
]
 by Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi (read more).

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Another big winner on Saturday night was Gustavo Salmerón, whose Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile
]
 scooped the Forqué Award for Best Documentary. In the acting categories, two fine thesps came up on stage to pick up their trophies: Nathalie Poza (trouncing Maribel Verdú and Marian Álvarez, among others), who was superb in Can’t Say Goodbye [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lino Escalera
film profile
]
, and Javier Gutiérrez (winning out over Juan DiegoDavid Verdaguer and Andrés Gertrudix), who was utterly committed to his role in The Motive.

As for Best Latin American Film, this award was bestowed upon the courageous A Fantastic Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Sebastián Lelio, a production between Chile, Germany, the USA and Spain, which is in with a good chance of competing for the Oscars and is already a hopeful for the imminent Goya Awards.

The Best Short Film Award went to Rodrigo Sorogoyen for his angst-laden Mother, while the Film and Values-based Education Award was given to Paco Arango for his latest film, The Healer [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, shot in the USA. Last but not least, irrepressible maestro Carlos Saura received the EGEDA Gold Medal, thus adding it to the myriad other accolades he has picked up at gatherings such as Cannes and the Berlinale.

Here is the complete list of winners of the 2018 José María Forqué Awards:

Best Fiction or Animated Feature 
The Bookshop [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Isabel Coixet (Spain/UK/Germany)
The Motive [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Manuel Martín Cuenca
film profile
]
 – Manuel Martín Cuenca (Spain/Mexico)

Best Actress 
Nathalie Poza – Can’t Say Goodbye [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lino Escalera
film profile
]

Best Actor 
Javier Gutiérrez – The Motive

Best Documentary Feature 
Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile
]
 – Gustavo Salmerón 

Best Short Film 
Mother – Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Best Latin American Feature
A Fantastic Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Sebastián Lelio (Chile/Germany/USA/Spain)

Film and Values-based Education Award 
The Healer [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 –
Paco Arango 

EGEDA Gold Medal
Carlos Saura

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(Translated from Spanish)

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