Spanish cinema is just a few days away from dressing up to celebrate the 37th edition of the Goya Awards taking place on February 11 Now that the race is drawing to a close, it’s time to see the nominees, meet the favourites, see which ones have a chance to surprise and most importantly recognize the great talent out there. Why, Like every year, Spanish cinema boasts talent and a host of good titleswho well deserve to have achieved the most important awards in the sector.
Although award competitions are ideal for making predictions, it must be taken into account that the road to Goya is less long than, for example, the one that coexists with the Oscars, being more similar to the award ceremonies of neighboring countries such as Cesare or Donatello’s David. Although of course thanks to Forqué, Feroz, medals from the Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos and Gaudí, there are antechambers that make the race more excitingHowever, its results are not that constraining, making it more possible to surprise.
Along with the revelation actor and actress categories, one of the most exciting is usually the best new director. It is a category that exists only in the Gaudí and CEC medals, implying that his career is harder to predict. Well, this a priori, given that it is a category which, as we have seen in recent years, manages to be easier to predict who will be the winner, given that many of its candidates have fired a feature film which, despite being his debut, aspires to win other awards, such as best film.
Nominated films such as “The Orphanage”, “In Exchange for Nothing”, “Summer 1993”, “Carmen y Lola” or “Libertad” were debut films that opted for the highest award of the evening. Titles such as ‘Nobody will talk about us when we are dead’, ‘Thesis’, ‘El Bola’, ‘Tarde para la ira’ or ‘Las niñas’ managed to win the ‘Cabezón’ as best feature film of the year and were signed by newcomers. Nominations and wins that prove the Best New Director category doesn’t have to be hard to guess (Except in those years when none of the candidates managed to have their debut even opt for the first prize).
This year, it’s “Five Wolves” that starts with a lead. Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s first feature film is nominated for 11 Goya Awards, among them the best film. Winner of five awards at the 25th Malaga Film Festival (including the Biznaga de Oro), two Forqué awards and three Feroz awards, it is one of the favorite titles of the evening. Hence, it is his Best New Director nomination as one of the more predictable awards.
A high-level category
But, as has been pointed out earlier, it’s a more unpredictable race than the Oscars. Well, the level of the rest of the applicants is also very high.They have been featured in international festivals and will not make things easy for Ruiz de Azúa. Well, besides having personal drama about a woman in her 30s who seeks help in the family home after becoming a mother; among the nominees is a horror story of a teenager harassed by her weight who witnesses a terrible crime; a rural and traditional story about a legend related to the overflowing of a river and the life of a young woman; a social drama that lays bare the harsh reality of evictions and an inhospitable thriller that shows the other side of leaving the city to settle in the family town.
Goya 2023: Best New Director Analysis
1 Juan Diego Botto, for ‘On the edge’
In favor: He is one of four directors nominated for the Cinematographic Writers’ Circle Medal for Best New Director. Actor Juan Diego Botto’s debut as a director was praised for his time in the Horizons section of the 79th Venice Film Festival, as well as being seen in the Pearls section of the 70th San Sebastian Film Festival. In addition, the film opts for five other awards. In the event that academics seek to opt for a bet that is socially engaged and has a political message, ‘On the Margins’ is the ideal candidate.
Against: The main drawback of Botto’s candidacy is that part of a film which, although it has had the support of critics and audiences, faces four titles that have managed to be more present in the awards conversation, such as ‘Five Wolves’ or ‘Cerdita’. There is also the fact that the film, although it has gone through top notch festivals, has not won any awards in these competitions, which leaves it with fewer options than other films that have won awards at other festivals.
Juan Diego Botto in eCartelera
2 Mikel Gurrea, for ‘Suro’
In favor: It was in the official section of the 70th San Sebastian Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Award and the Basque Cinema Award. He also managed to win three Gaudí Awards, including, precisely, the one for best new director. ‘Suro’ was one of those titles promoted by Zinemaldia, which opens up a surprise option.
Against: Although it was very well recognized at the San Sebastián Film Festival, the truth is that, at the Goyas, it almost came close, something similar happened to “La maternal”, whose commercial releases so late caused other films released much earlier , as in the case of ‘Cinco lobitos’ or ‘Cerdita’, have managed to consolidate themselves more in the awards conversation.
Mikel Gurrea in eCartelera
3 Elena López Riera, for ‘Water’
In favor: ‘El agua’ was one of two Spanish feature films presented at the Cannes Film Festival, the other being ‘As bestas’. Elena López Riera’s first feature film was seen in the parallel section Directors’ Fortnight, where it has already won over the specialized critics. It established itself as one of the hottest films in the award race after being screened in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section of the 70th San Sebastian Film Festival as well as the Toronto Film Festival. He was featured in the Spanish Cinema section of 68 Seminci in Valladolid, was nominated for the Fiction Outburst Award at the Feroz Awards and is one of four nominees for the CEC Medal for Best Debut Director.
Against: It managed to be highly praised by the Goyas, but, as happens with ‘En los márgenes’, it failed to make the winners list at any of the festivals it was featured at, which narrows its options compared to ‘Cinco lupetti’, ‘Cerdita’ or even ‘Suro’. Since their presence in the Goya is limited to the categories of newcomers, both new directors and revelation actresses, academics may opt more for the titles of Alauda Ruiz de Azúa or Carlota Pereda, which are present in many more categories.
Elena López Riera in eCartelera
4 Carlota Pereda, for ‘Cerdita’
In favor: ‘Cerdita’ has managed to make its way into the award season conversation since early last year when it had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival where it has already managed to garner sublime comments. It obtained the Golden Méliès, awarded by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation. He also won the award for best interpretation – genre and avant-garde competition at BAFICI; as well as being screened in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section of the 70th San Sebastian Film Festival and in the official section (out of competition) of the 55th Sitges Film Festival. He is nominated for six Goya Awards, as well as aspiring to the CEC medal for best new director. Carlota Pereda, on the other hand, won a Goya with the short film from which the film is based, which could give her a certain advantage.
Against: Two words, “Five Wolves”. Despite being a more than solid candidate and the ideal alternative, he faces a movie favorite for the jackpot, “Five Wolves.” Precisely, if Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s film seeks to have options to win the Goya for best film, it must first win the award for best new director.
Carlota Pereda of eCartelera
5 Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, for ‘Five Little Wolves’
In favor: This is the brand new winner of the 25th Malaga Film Festival, where in addition to winning the Biznaga de Oro for best film, it has won two more for its actresses and others for best screenplay and the Critics’ Fierce. To this we must add that it was in the Panorama section of the 72nd Berlin Film Festival; as well as garnering three Feroz Awards, two Forqué Awards, a Gaudí and nine CEC medal nominations, where he won Best New Director. Of course, it cannot be forgotten that ‘Cinco lobitos’ aspires to 11 Goya Awards, including Best Film, which gives Alauda Ruiz de Azúa a resounding lead over the other four nominees.
Against: In the event that academics go all out with “Five Wolves” and award it the top honor, it wouldn’t be strange for voters to seek as much fairness as possible. This would imply that he could win the “Cabezón” for best screenplay (and thus defeat Sorogoyen for “As bestas”, which would almost certify his victory in the best film category); while the best new director could go to another candidate, like Carlota Pereda for ‘Cerdita’, which sounds like a strong alternative.
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa on eCartelera
All great movies that were a wonderful entry into the world of cinema. The winner will be announced on February 11th who will join the select club of now highly recognized directors such as Alejandro Amenábar, Fernando León de Aranoa, Santiago Segura, Benito Zambrano, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Juan Antonio Bayona, Raúl Arévalo, Carla Simón, Arantxa Echevarría or Pilar already trained in the dovecote.
Source: E Cartelera
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
