Madres paralelas‘, ‘El buen patrón‘ and ‘Mediterráneo‘ are the three films shortlisted by Spain’s Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas to represent Spain at the upcoming Oscars in the Best International Film category.
The films of Pedro Almodóvar (Madres paralelas), Fernando León de Aranoa (El buen patrón) and Marcel Barrena (Mediterráneo) are through to the next round of voting.
The announcement was made by Spanish actress Verónica Echegui during a ceremony attended by director Mariano Barroso, president of the Spanish Academy, and notary Federico Gayaralde Niño.
Spanish cinema
All three films have yet to be released in Spanish cinemas. The first of which, from October 1, will be Mediterráneo. The new work by the director of 100 metres tells the story of two Spanish rescue workers. It follows their journey as they travel to Lesbos to help refugees from Turkey.
Then it is the turn of Madres Paralelas, which after screening at the Venice Film Festival, where Penélope Cruz received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, will premiere on 8 October.
Finally, after the San Sebastian Festival, El buen patrón, starring Penélope Cruz’s husband Javier Bardem, will be released on 15 October.
The road to the Oscars
A total of 48 feature films competed for a place among the three finalists. Academia will announce the final choice on October 5.
The chosen film will be presented as a candidate for the 94th Oscars, to be held on 27 March 2022. The Oscar ceremonies are back on the usual dates after they were postponed last year due to the covid-19 pandemic. However, covid-19 measures remain in place, such as the flexibility to allow nominations for digital premieres.
Last year’s Spanish entry was La trinchera infinita by Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga. However, ultimately it fell outside the final category selection. The Oscar for Best International Film was won by Thomas Vinterberg’s Danish film Another Round. The last time a Spanish film was among the finalists was in 2020 with Pedro Almodóvar’s Dolor y gloria.
Read more: Penélope Cruz wins Coppa Volpi at Venice Film Festival
