'La Bola Negra': Cannes Prize, Oscar Bid, Directors' Breakup — SkimNews
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- Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi broke off their 13-year romantic relationship in the middle of shooting 'La Bola Negra,' but are continuing to write and direct together, with a next project half in English, half in Spanish
- 'La Bola Negra' shared the Cannes Director prize in May 2026 with Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Fatherland' and sits on Spain's three-film shortlist for Best International Feature, with the selection announced September 16
- Netflix committed an extended 47-day U.S. theatrical run starting October 16 in New York and Los Angeles before the film streams December 2, an unusual statement from the streamer for an awards push
- Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close both took small roles — Cruz performing two period musical numbers, Close playing a Lorca expert after emailing the directors about 'La Mesías' — with the cast also starring musician-turned-actor Guitarricadelafuente as reluctant revolutionary Sebastián
- Calvo read the Spanish Civil War play 'La Piedra Oscura' on a flight that inspired the 156-page script, which weaves García Lorca's unfinished four-page play with a contemporary fictional academic
Why it matters: Netflix's 47-day theatrical commitment signals a deliberate awards-season bet on a Spanish-language period drama that subverts the 'LGBTQ films must be small and indie' framing Los Javis explicitly set out to reject. Spain's Oscar selection on September 16 will determine whether the film carries a country's hopes into the international race alongside its Cannes prize.
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