Spain Picks 'La Bola Negra' as Oscar International Entry — SkimNews
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- Spain's Film Academy confirmed 'La Bola Negra' as its entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards during a press conference.
- 'La Bola Negra' world-premiered in Competition at Cannes in May, winning Best Director for Calvo and Ambrossi after a 20-minute standing ovation.
- The film explores LGBT heritage and pays tribute to murdered Spanish poet Federico García Lorca through interconnected stories of three men set in 1932, 1937, and 2017.
- Netflix secured U.S. rights in a record-breaking seven-figure deal brokered by Goodfellas and CAA Media Finance, with a release date set for October 16.
- The film has been sold to distributors across Europe (Benelux, UK & Ireland, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, among others) and the rest of the world, including Japan, South Korea, India, Israel, and Latin America.
- The cast features Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close alongside Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, and Lola Dueñas.
- Movistar Plus+ Film and Suma Content Films are the original producers, with co-production from El Deseo and Le Pacte and participation from Atresmedia.
Why it matters: The record-breaking seven-figure U.S. deal and simultaneous sales to distributors in over 25 countries signal unusually strong commercial momentum for a foreign-language Oscar submission, putting Netflix in serious awards contention this season for a film most English-speaking audiences have never heard of.
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