Spain Selects 'La Bola Negra' for Oscar International Race — SkimNews
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- Spain's Academia de Cine announced Wednesday that 'La Bola Negra' will be its submission for the 2027 international feature film Oscar, with Alejandro Amenábar delivering the news on the academy's behalf over a shortlist that included Rodrigo Sorogoyen's 'The Beloved' and Alauda Ruiz de Azúa's 'Sundays.'
- 'La Bola Negra' received a 16-minute standing ovation at its Cannes main-competition world premiere and won best director, shared with Paweł Pawlikowski for 'Fatherland,' making it the presumptive favorite even before Spain's official selection.
- Netflix acquired U.S. and later Canadian rights and set an Oct. 16 theatrical release with a 47-day window — the longest theatrical run in the streaming giant's history — a sign the film ranks high in its awards priorities for the fall.
- The film braids three stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017 chronicling Spain's gay experience, drawing on the first four pages of Federico García Lorca's unfinished novel — Lorca was killed by Franco's troops in 1936 — and stars Penélope Cruz as a cabaret dancer with a cameo from Glenn Close.
- Goodfellas has nearly sold out the world on 'La Bola Negra,' which was produced by Movistar Plus+ and Los Javis's newly launched Suma Content Films, co-produced by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar's El Deseo and France's Le Pacte, with the participation of Atresmedia.
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the 2027 Oscar nominations shortlist on Dec. 15, with the final selection on Jan. 21 and the 99th Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 14 in Los Angeles.
Why it matters: Netflix's 47-day theatrical window — its longest ever — signals the streamer is treating 'La Bola Negra' as a serious awards play rather than a streaming-only release. Spain's submission arrives with rare momentum: a Cannes jury prize, a 16-minute standing ovation, and the Sydney Audience Award, placing it as an early frontrunner for the March 14 ceremony.
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