13th Spanish Film Festival - Full Programme Announced
April 12th 2010 00:39
The Spanish Film Festival is back for its 13th edition this May with a programme that will blow you away! Over 40 of the best in contemporary Spanish language films from Spain and Latin America will weave their Spanish storytelling magic for audiences in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Two English Language features from 2 of Spain¹s biggest directors will have their Australian Premieres: Julio Medem¹s seductive Room in Rome, screening only days after its World Premiere at Malaga Film Festival and Oscar® winner Alejandro Amenábar¹s box office smash hit, Agora starring Oscar® winner Rachel Weisz.
Following the 2009 event, festival director Natalia Ortiz was awarded one of Spain¹s most prestigious civil orders, The Order of Isabella The Catholic (Orden de Isabel La Católica), in recognition of her dedication in the promotion of Spanish culture abroad. The Order of Isabella The Catholic was founded on March 14, 1815, by King Ferdinand VII of Spain, to reward the exceptional services done to Spain in the field of international relationships and culture. Natalia was presented with the order by the Consul-General of Spain in Sydney, Mr Enrique Sardá-Valls, in the name of HM King Juan Carlos.
Natalia says of the accolade, "This overwhelming recognition is certainly a confirmation of what we strongly believe in, which is the power of film to share culture through its unique mode of storytelling..... for the 13th year, the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema.
Geographically the festival covers more ground than ever, encompassing films from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and films set in Morocco, Namibia and Egypt.
Oscar® winning directors, actors and films are all in the line up as well as the first Peruvian film to be nominated for an Academy Award® (The Milk of Sorrow). Coincidentally in this memorable year where a female director won the Best Film Oscar® for the first time, the festival screens a timely and extensive array of films from women directors from a variety of Spanish speaking countries.The festival is themed in sections to explore different aspects of cinema in Spanish, from Spain, and by Spaniards!
A thrilling new addition to the programme in 2010, the ALL BY WOMEN section will screen a strong selection of 11 stunning feature films directed by Spanish and Latin American women who have had a significant impact on world cinema, including Claudia Llosa, director of Oscar® nominated Peru/Spain co-production The Milk of Sorrow (La teta asustada) and Catalonian feature 3 Days with the Family (Tres dias amb la Familia), directed by Goya winning first time director Mar Coll.
Spanish Director Fernando Trueba won the 1993 Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film for his romantic comedy/drama Belle Epoque, starring a young Penelope Cruz and Maribel Verdú who was the focus of the 2008 festival. This year it is Trueba to whom we pay tribute with a SPOTLIGHT ON FERNANDO TRUEBA screening a programme of his diverse and acclaimed films.
OPENING NIGHT FILM AND FIESTA The 2010 festival springs to life with the vibrant Opening Night romantic comedy Pagafantas (Friend Zone), directed by Borja Cobeaga and set around the bars and streets of Bilbao. Before the main feature will be a screening of Spain¹s 2010 Oscar® nominated short film, the very endearing animation The Lady and the Reaper (La dama y la muerte). In grand tradition, the films will be followed by Opening Night fiesta with drinks, entertainment and tapas.
CINE CONTEMPORANEO - The selection of the best contemporary films from Spain includes Room in Rome, the latest feature from Julio Medem, which like his feature Sex & Lucia explores sexual desire, this time between two women over one night in a hotel room in Rome; Scary Movie style spoof Spanish Movie, which draws on hits The Orphanage, Pan¹s Labyrinth, Volver and The Sea Inside for its comic material and comes complete with a cameo by Leslie Nielsen; V.O.S., a fresh and playfully experimental romantic comedy.
Through the Eyes of Ouka Leele (La Mirada de Ouka Leele), takes a look at the fascinating life and work of photographer Ouka Leele who was a key part of the La Movida cultural movement which took place after the death of Franco.
Three of the top ten most popular films from Spain so far for 2010, screening direct from their Spanish season are - For the Good of Others (El mal ajeno), Eduardo Noriega (Che) stars in this medical drama with a supernatural twist. Direct from its Spanish season, bittersweet comedy Born to Suffer (Nacidas para sufrir) is set in rural Spain where 2 generous older woman are almost rivals in their attempts to be the most selfless and generous; and love story Mad Love (Amores Locos), is set in the Prado Museum in Madrid where a young curator believes she sees herself in a 17th century Flemish painting.
TRIBUTE TO COLOMBIA - To celebrate the culture diversity and richness among the Spanish speaking countries in the world, presenting the most current films of that country combined with a live music event. This year we look to COLOMBIA, the land of the snowy Andes Mountains, sunny Caribbean beaches and luscious Amazon rainforest for a cinema programme that is just as rich and varied!
Crab Trap (El vuelco del cangrejo) Oscar Ruiz Navia's elegant debut feature captures a part of Colombia rarely seen on film, the Afro-Colombian communities of its Pacific coast.
A huge Box Office hit in its native Colombia, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and starring John Leguizamo, Paraiso Travel, is the immigration story of a young man who follows love to New York, in a journey which takes him through seedy strip clubs, dance halls, homeless hostels and ultimately to a place he could not have predicted.
Fascinating Documentary Case 11.227 Colombia exposes the extermination of the Union Patriotica by the Colombian state, an unresolved event in the memory of a country with a silent past.
The Passion of Gabriel (La pasión de Gabriel) is a drama centred on a progressive Catholic priest posted in a small village in the mountains in the civil war.
CINE EN ESPAÑOL - Screening the best in cinema from the Spanish speaking world. Having gone from strength to strength in recent years, this selection of Latin American cinema is a true highlight of the 2010 festival. Films include the undeniably charming Leo¹s Room (El cuarto de Leo), an endearing gay coming out story with true heart set in Montevideo, and the multi award winning Gigante, winner of The Grand Jury Prize, Best First Feature Film and Alfred Bauer Award (opens new perspectives in the art of filmmaking) at the Berlin Film Festival.
VIVA LA MUSICA - The patron of the festival in 2010 is Spanish dancer and creative director of the Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela who is particularly proud to present this energetic and exuberant section of the festival celebrating music and dance, this year covering ground from Sydney to Switzerland to Cuba! Bonachela himself appears in Australian documentary Blank Canvas, the tragic and inspirational story of the Sydney Dance company in the lead up to and for the beginning of his time in the role as Artistic Director.
The life and legacy of the monumental Queen of Salsa, Cuban Celia Cruz is embraced by the likes of Quincy Jones and Wyclef Jean in Celia the Queen (Celia la Reina). Documentary Of Heart and Courage (El Esfuerzo y El Animo) on legendary French choreographer Maurice Bejart follows the path of his world famous Swiss company following his death.
FOR KIDS - the festival extends into other dimensions, literally, with the groundbreaking first European film to combine real 3D images with spectacular CGI special effects, the English Language Magic Journey to Africa. Filmed on location in Namibia and South Africa, it is the wondrous and highly imaginative journey of discovery for a young Spanish girl through spectacular landscapes rich with magical and exotic encounters.
Also for kids, The Missing Lynx (El lince perdido), co-produced by Antonio Banderas and Goya winner for Best Animated feature, is the story of an eccentric and benevolent millionaire who decides to do something about the threat facing the earth¹s endangered species by building his own personal ŒNoah¹s Ark¹.
CLOSING NIGHT
In a coup for the festival, the latest film from Oscar® winner Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside, The Others) will close the festival with Australian Premiere screenings. A rousing English Language historical epic starring Oscar® winner Rachel Weisz, AGORA was the highest grossing film in Spain of 2009 and won six Goyas. In 4th century Alexandria under the Roman Empire, legendary female philosopher and astronomer Hypatia (Weisz) finds herself exercising her great will and intelligence at this momentous time of political and religious upheaval.
The festival is thrilled to again include Amenábar¹s latest film in the festival, his work has a special place in the festival, having been there from the beginning his debut feature Thesis was screened in the very first edition of the Spanish Film Festival as one of only 5 films!
Full festival programme and ticketing information available from April 8 at:
www.spanishfilmfestival.com.
Tickets on sale Sydney from April 8, with other states to follow.
FILMS OF THE 2010 PROGRAMME
CINE CONTEMPORANEO Contemporary Spanish Cinema
AGORA(2009)
ROOM IN ROME(2010)
PAGAFANTAS(Friend Zone)(2009)
FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS (El Mal Ajeno)(2010)
AFTER (2009)
BORN TO SUFFER (Nacidas para sufrir)(2010)
SPANISH MOVIE (2010)
ROAD TO SANTIAGO (Al final del Camino)(2009)
V.O.S.(2009)
MAD LOVE (Amores Locos)(2009)
THROUGH THE EYES OF OUKA LEELE (La mirada de ouka leele)(2009)
THE LADY AND THE REAPER (2009)
ALL BY WOMEN Directed by Women
THE MILK OF SORROW (La teta asustada)(Peru/Spain 2009)
THREE DAYS WITH THE FAMILY (Tres dies amb la Familia)(Spain 2009)
NORA¹S WILL (Cinco días sin Nora)(Mexico 2009)
TOURISTS (Turistas)(Chile 2009)
THE DRESS (El Vestido)(Argentina/Spain 2008)
THE GOOD NEWS (La Buena Nueva)(Spain 2008)
THE PATH (El Camino)(Costa Rica/France/Nicaragua 2008)
RETURN TO HANSALA (Retorno a Hansalá)(Spain 2009)
ONE WORD FROM YOU (Una Palabra Tuya)(Spain 2008)
MATAHARIS(Spain 2007)
OF HEART AND COURAGE (El esfuerzo y el ánimo)(Spain 2009)
CINE EN ESPAÑOL Cinema in Spanish
LEO¹S ROOM (El cuarto de Leo)(Uruguay/Argentina 2009)
GIGANTE(Uruguay/Argentina/Ger many/Spain 2009)
BAD DAY TO GO FISHING (Mal día para pescar)(Uruguay/Spain 2009)
THE ARTIST (El Artista)(Argentina/Italy 2009)
ANDRES DOESN¹T WANT TO TAKE A NAP (Andrés no quiere dormir la siesta)(Argentina 2009)
FRANCE (Francia)(Argentina 2009)
HUACHO(Chile/France/Germany 2009)
PACO(Argentina 2009)
SPOTLIGHT ON FERNANDO TRUEBA
THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS (La niña de tus ojos)(Spain 1998)
BELLE EPOQUE(Spain/Portugal/France 1992)
THE DANCER AND THE THIEF (El baile de la Victoria)(Spain 2009)
54TH STREET (Calle 54)(Spain/France/Italy/Mexico /Belgium 2000)
FOCUS ON COLOMBIA
CRAB TRAP (El vuelco de cangrejo)(Colombia/France 2009)
THE PASSION OF GABRIEL (La pasión de Gabriel)(Colombia 2008)
CASE 11.227 COLOMBIA(Colombia 2009)
PARAISO TRAVEL(Colombia/USA 2008)
VIVA LA MUSICA
BLANK CANVAS(Australia 2009)
CELIA THE QUEEN (Celia la Reina)(USA 2008)
FOR KIDS
THE MISSING LYNX (El lince perdido)(Spain 2008)
MAGIC JOURNEY TO AFRICA(Spain 2010)
Source: Spanish Film Festival PR
Following the 2009 event, festival director Natalia Ortiz was awarded one of Spain¹s most prestigious civil orders, The Order of Isabella The Catholic (Orden de Isabel La Católica), in recognition of her dedication in the promotion of Spanish culture abroad. The Order of Isabella The Catholic was founded on March 14, 1815, by King Ferdinand VII of Spain, to reward the exceptional services done to Spain in the field of international relationships and culture. Natalia was presented with the order by the Consul-General of Spain in Sydney, Mr Enrique Sardá-Valls, in the name of HM King Juan Carlos.
Natalia says of the accolade, "This overwhelming recognition is certainly a confirmation of what we strongly believe in, which is the power of film to share culture through its unique mode of storytelling..... for the 13th year, the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema.
Geographically the festival covers more ground than ever, encompassing films from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and films set in Morocco, Namibia and Egypt.
Oscar® winning directors, actors and films are all in the line up as well as the first Peruvian film to be nominated for an Academy Award® (The Milk of Sorrow). Coincidentally in this memorable year where a female director won the Best Film Oscar® for the first time, the festival screens a timely and extensive array of films from women directors from a variety of Spanish speaking countries.The festival is themed in sections to explore different aspects of cinema in Spanish, from Spain, and by Spaniards!
A thrilling new addition to the programme in 2010, the ALL BY WOMEN section will screen a strong selection of 11 stunning feature films directed by Spanish and Latin American women who have had a significant impact on world cinema, including Claudia Llosa, director of Oscar® nominated Peru/Spain co-production The Milk of Sorrow (La teta asustada) and Catalonian feature 3 Days with the Family (Tres dias amb la Familia), directed by Goya winning first time director Mar Coll.
Spanish Director Fernando Trueba won the 1993 Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film for his romantic comedy/drama Belle Epoque, starring a young Penelope Cruz and Maribel Verdú who was the focus of the 2008 festival. This year it is Trueba to whom we pay tribute with a SPOTLIGHT ON FERNANDO TRUEBA screening a programme of his diverse and acclaimed films.
OPENING NIGHT FILM AND FIESTA The 2010 festival springs to life with the vibrant Opening Night romantic comedy Pagafantas (Friend Zone), directed by Borja Cobeaga and set around the bars and streets of Bilbao. Before the main feature will be a screening of Spain¹s 2010 Oscar® nominated short film, the very endearing animation The Lady and the Reaper (La dama y la muerte). In grand tradition, the films will be followed by Opening Night fiesta with drinks, entertainment and tapas.
CINE CONTEMPORANEO - The selection of the best contemporary films from Spain includes Room in Rome, the latest feature from Julio Medem, which like his feature Sex & Lucia explores sexual desire, this time between two women over one night in a hotel room in Rome; Scary Movie style spoof Spanish Movie, which draws on hits The Orphanage, Pan¹s Labyrinth, Volver and The Sea Inside for its comic material and comes complete with a cameo by Leslie Nielsen; V.O.S., a fresh and playfully experimental romantic comedy.
Through the Eyes of Ouka Leele (La Mirada de Ouka Leele), takes a look at the fascinating life and work of photographer Ouka Leele who was a key part of the La Movida cultural movement which took place after the death of Franco.
Three of the top ten most popular films from Spain so far for 2010, screening direct from their Spanish season are - For the Good of Others (El mal ajeno), Eduardo Noriega (Che) stars in this medical drama with a supernatural twist. Direct from its Spanish season, bittersweet comedy Born to Suffer (Nacidas para sufrir) is set in rural Spain where 2 generous older woman are almost rivals in their attempts to be the most selfless and generous; and love story Mad Love (Amores Locos), is set in the Prado Museum in Madrid where a young curator believes she sees herself in a 17th century Flemish painting.
TRIBUTE TO COLOMBIA - To celebrate the culture diversity and richness among the Spanish speaking countries in the world, presenting the most current films of that country combined with a live music event. This year we look to COLOMBIA, the land of the snowy Andes Mountains, sunny Caribbean beaches and luscious Amazon rainforest for a cinema programme that is just as rich and varied!
Crab Trap (El vuelco del cangrejo) Oscar Ruiz Navia's elegant debut feature captures a part of Colombia rarely seen on film, the Afro-Colombian communities of its Pacific coast.
A huge Box Office hit in its native Colombia, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and starring John Leguizamo, Paraiso Travel, is the immigration story of a young man who follows love to New York, in a journey which takes him through seedy strip clubs, dance halls, homeless hostels and ultimately to a place he could not have predicted.
Fascinating Documentary Case 11.227 Colombia exposes the extermination of the Union Patriotica by the Colombian state, an unresolved event in the memory of a country with a silent past.
The Passion of Gabriel (La pasión de Gabriel) is a drama centred on a progressive Catholic priest posted in a small village in the mountains in the civil war.
CINE EN ESPAÑOL - Screening the best in cinema from the Spanish speaking world. Having gone from strength to strength in recent years, this selection of Latin American cinema is a true highlight of the 2010 festival. Films include the undeniably charming Leo¹s Room (El cuarto de Leo), an endearing gay coming out story with true heart set in Montevideo, and the multi award winning Gigante, winner of The Grand Jury Prize, Best First Feature Film and Alfred Bauer Award (opens new perspectives in the art of filmmaking) at the Berlin Film Festival.
VIVA LA MUSICA - The patron of the festival in 2010 is Spanish dancer and creative director of the Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela who is particularly proud to present this energetic and exuberant section of the festival celebrating music and dance, this year covering ground from Sydney to Switzerland to Cuba! Bonachela himself appears in Australian documentary Blank Canvas, the tragic and inspirational story of the Sydney Dance company in the lead up to and for the beginning of his time in the role as Artistic Director.
The life and legacy of the monumental Queen of Salsa, Cuban Celia Cruz is embraced by the likes of Quincy Jones and Wyclef Jean in Celia the Queen (Celia la Reina). Documentary Of Heart and Courage (El Esfuerzo y El Animo) on legendary French choreographer Maurice Bejart follows the path of his world famous Swiss company following his death.
FOR KIDS - the festival extends into other dimensions, literally, with the groundbreaking first European film to combine real 3D images with spectacular CGI special effects, the English Language Magic Journey to Africa. Filmed on location in Namibia and South Africa, it is the wondrous and highly imaginative journey of discovery for a young Spanish girl through spectacular landscapes rich with magical and exotic encounters.
Also for kids, The Missing Lynx (El lince perdido), co-produced by Antonio Banderas and Goya winner for Best Animated feature, is the story of an eccentric and benevolent millionaire who decides to do something about the threat facing the earth¹s endangered species by building his own personal ŒNoah¹s Ark¹.
CLOSING NIGHT
In a coup for the festival, the latest film from Oscar® winner Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside, The Others) will close the festival with Australian Premiere screenings. A rousing English Language historical epic starring Oscar® winner Rachel Weisz, AGORA was the highest grossing film in Spain of 2009 and won six Goyas. In 4th century Alexandria under the Roman Empire, legendary female philosopher and astronomer Hypatia (Weisz) finds herself exercising her great will and intelligence at this momentous time of political and religious upheaval.
The festival is thrilled to again include Amenábar¹s latest film in the festival, his work has a special place in the festival, having been there from the beginning his debut feature Thesis was screened in the very first edition of the Spanish Film Festival as one of only 5 films!
Full festival programme and ticketing information available from April 8 at:
www.spanishfilmfestival.com.
Tickets on sale Sydney from April 8, with other states to follow.
FILMS OF THE 2010 PROGRAMME
CINE CONTEMPORANEO Contemporary Spanish Cinema
AGORA(2009)
ROOM IN ROME(2010)
PAGAFANTAS(Friend Zone)(2009)
FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS (El Mal Ajeno)(2010)
AFTER (2009)
BORN TO SUFFER (Nacidas para sufrir)(2010)
SPANISH MOVIE (2010)
ROAD TO SANTIAGO (Al final del Camino)(2009)
V.O.S.(2009)
MAD LOVE (Amores Locos)(2009)
THROUGH THE EYES OF OUKA LEELE (La mirada de ouka leele)(2009)
THE LADY AND THE REAPER (2009)
ALL BY WOMEN Directed by Women
THE MILK OF SORROW (La teta asustada)(Peru/Spain 2009)
THREE DAYS WITH THE FAMILY (Tres dies amb la Familia)(Spain 2009)
NORA¹S WILL (Cinco días sin Nora)(Mexico 2009)
TOURISTS (Turistas)(Chile 2009)
THE DRESS (El Vestido)(Argentina/Spain 2008)
THE GOOD NEWS (La Buena Nueva)(Spain 2008)
THE PATH (El Camino)(Costa Rica/France/Nicaragua 2008)
RETURN TO HANSALA (Retorno a Hansalá)(Spain 2009)
ONE WORD FROM YOU (Una Palabra Tuya)(Spain 2008)
MATAHARIS(Spain 2007)
OF HEART AND COURAGE (El esfuerzo y el ánimo)(Spain 2009)
CINE EN ESPAÑOL Cinema in Spanish
LEO¹S ROOM (El cuarto de Leo)(Uruguay/Argentina 2009)
GIGANTE(Uruguay/Argentina/Ger many/Spain 2009)
BAD DAY TO GO FISHING (Mal día para pescar)(Uruguay/Spain 2009)
THE ARTIST (El Artista)(Argentina/Italy 2009)
ANDRES DOESN¹T WANT TO TAKE A NAP (Andrés no quiere dormir la siesta)(Argentina 2009)
FRANCE (Francia)(Argentina 2009)
HUACHO(Chile/France/Germany 2009)
PACO(Argentina 2009)
SPOTLIGHT ON FERNANDO TRUEBA
THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS (La niña de tus ojos)(Spain 1998)
BELLE EPOQUE(Spain/Portugal/France 1992)
THE DANCER AND THE THIEF (El baile de la Victoria)(Spain 2009)
54TH STREET (Calle 54)(Spain/France/Italy/Mexico /Belgium 2000)
FOCUS ON COLOMBIA
CRAB TRAP (El vuelco de cangrejo)(Colombia/France 2009)
THE PASSION OF GABRIEL (La pasión de Gabriel)(Colombia 2008)
CASE 11.227 COLOMBIA(Colombia 2009)
PARAISO TRAVEL(Colombia/USA 2008)
VIVA LA MUSICA
BLANK CANVAS(Australia 2009)
CELIA THE QUEEN (Celia la Reina)(USA 2008)
FOR KIDS
THE MISSING LYNX (El lince perdido)(Spain 2008)
MAGIC JOURNEY TO AFRICA(Spain 2010)
Source: Spanish Film Festival PR
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