Oscars: Spain Selects ‘La Bola Negra’ For International Feature Film Race

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.

The Spanish Film Academy confirmed the selection this morning during a press conference.

The film explores LGBT heritage and pays tribute to murdered Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca through the interconnected stories of three men in the three different eras of 1932, 1937 and 2017. The cast features Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas and Glenn Close.

World premiering in Competition, the picture took Cannes by storm in May, prompting a 20-minute ovation and then winning Best Director for Calvo and Ambrossi.

In the market, it sparked a bidding war for U.S. rights, with Netflix securing the film for the territory in a record-breaking seven-figure domestic deal brokered by Goodfellas and CAA Media Finance.

In Europe, the film has also sold to Benelux (Cinéart), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Germany and Austria (Pandora Film), Greece (Rosebud), UK & Ireland (Altitude), Italy (Movies Inspired), Scandinavia (Another World), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Bulgaria (Cinelibri), Yugoslavia (MCF), Hungary (Mozinet), Czech Republic (Aero Films), Romania (Independenta), Baltic States (A-One Films) and Poland (Gutek Film).

In the rest of the world, it has been acquired for Israel (New Cinemas), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto Distribution), Japan (Transformer), South Korea (Challan), Taiwan (ifilm), Hong Kong (Edko), India (Impact Films), Thailand (Sahamongkol), Singapore (Anticipate Pictures), the Philippines (FDCP) and Airlines (Skeye).

La Bola Negra is an original film by Movistar Plus+ Film and Suma Content Films in co-production with El Deseo and Le Pacte, with the participation of Atresmedia.