The Spanish Film Academy announced on Wednesday that ‘La bola negra’ will be the film to represent Spain at the upcoming edition of the Oscars. This year, the Academy selects the favored film, thus avoiding the controversy that has surrounded the process in other years. The other two finalists were ‘El ser querido’ by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and ‘Los domingos’ by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa.
‘La bola negra’ is the second feature from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi and their first foray into the drama genre. The film tells the stories of three men across three different eras, interwoven by an unfinished novel by Federico García Lorca. A movie that explores desire, pain, and homosexuality.
The film is led by Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Lola Dueñas, Milo Quifes and Carlos González, with special appearances by Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close. It is a production of Suma Content and Movistar Plus, with the participation of El Deseo, Le Pacte, and Atresmedia. Netflix, which did not participate in the film’s production, has acquired the rights to distribute in the United States, and will participate in backing the film’s Oscar campaign. For now, it will be the title distributed by the platform that stays the longest in U.S. theaters before moving to streaming.
One of Cannes’ Standouts
Although it did not manage to win the Palme d’Or, ‘La bola negra’ was one of the most talked-about entries at the recent Cannes Film Festival. The film was nominated for Best Picture, though ultimately Calvo and Ambrossi were the ones who took the Best Directors award. The film is also being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in these days.
In Spain, ‘La bola negra’ will debut at the San Sebastián Festival before its theatrical release on September 25. Subsequently, it will be shown in Spain exclusively through Movistar Plus.
The next dates for the film on its journey toward the Oscars are December 15, 2026, and January 21, 2027. On December 15, the American film academy will disclose a list of 15 finalists for Best International Feature Film, while on January 21, the list of the 5 nominees will be announced, alongside the rest of the Oscar nominees. Although it is still early, some rumors suggest that ‘La bola negra’ could even move into other Oscar categories at the 2027 ceremony beyond Best International Feature.
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