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La Bola Negra Set as Spain’s Oscar Entry for Best International Feature Film
Confirmed
In Short: La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, has been selected as Spain’s entry for the 99th Academy Awards, marking a significant moment in the film’s journey.
The Spanish Film Academy confirmed that La Bola Negra, an original film by Movistar Plus+ Film and Suma Content Films, has been chosen as Spain’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2023 Academy Awards. The film, which weaves three different timelines—1932, 1937, and 2017—explores queer desire and repression in Spain, and was directed and co-written by Calvo and Ambrossi, who also shared the best director award with Pawel Pawlikowski at Cannes.
La Bola Negra will be released in Spain on September 25, shortly after its premiere at the San Sebastian film festival. The film was also shot on 35mm and features small but pivotal roles for actors like Close and Cruz. Netflix will release the film in theaters on October 15, following its successful run at Cannes.
At the Spanish premiere, Alejandro Amenábar, a renowned filmmaker, announced the selection of La Bola Negra on behalf of the Spanish Academia de Cine. Any other choice would have been surprising, according to Variety. The film’s success at Cannes, where it shared the Best Director award, has solidified its position as a strong contender for the Oscar.
NewFest, the New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, has also included La Bola Negra in its 38th edition, opening with the film’s NYC premiere. The lineup, which includes many of the year’s most celebrated queer films, will be available for streaming from October 15-30, alongside a range of narrative features from 23 countries.
The film’s journey from Cannes to NewFest and its selection for the Oscars highlights the growing recognition of Spanish cinema in the international film community, particularly in the LGBTQ+ genre, where La Bola Negra has made a significant impact.
What's confirmed
- Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s breakout Cannes title La Bola Negra has been selected as Spain ’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
What's still developing
- Within the play is a reference to Federico García Lorca’s “La Bola Negra,” which sent the writers down another rabbit hole.
- So suddenly another door was opened: Maybe we can reimagine ‘La Bola Negra.’ What if Federico could have finished that play?
- She finished with a time of 1 hour, 1 minute, and 23 seconds, according to The Athletic, winning the race.
- Some films will stream virtually on NewFest ‘s on-demand platform from October 15-30.
- The full NewFest38 lineup, including its wide range of narrative features, is below, with language courtesy of the festival.