Spain Announces Three Finalists for 99th Academy Awards International Feature Race
The Spanish Film Academy has shortlisted La bola negra, El ser querido, and Los domingos as the three finalists competing to represent Spain in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The race for the 99th Academy Awards is officially underway for Spanish cinema. The Film Academy, led by president Fernando Méndez-Leite, has announced the three finalists competing to represent Spain in the Best International Feature Film category: La bola negra by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, El ser querido by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and Los domingos by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa.
The announcement was made in the presence of notary Eva Fernández Medina and actress Miriam Garlo, who made history at the last Goya Awards as the first deaf performer to win an award. This marks the start of a countdown that will conclude on September 16, when academy members cast their final votes.
The shortlist reflects the different ways films are currently being released. Los domingos, which won five Goya Awards—including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay—is currently available to the public on Movistar Plus+, where it premiered in late February. Meanwhile, El ser querido, starring Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo, has been in theaters since late August and will eventually move to the same streaming platform.
La bola negra presents a unique situation, as it is not scheduled for theatrical release until September 25. This means it is the only finalist that has not yet been seen by the Spanish public. Based on an unfinished text by Federico García Lorca and a winner of the Best Director award at Cannes, the film features an all-star cast including Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, Lola Dueñas, and Guitarricadelafuente.
The final selection, decided by a second round of voting, is a crucial step for Spain’s international film presence. Academy members must now choose between Sorogoyen’s family drama, Ruiz de Azúa’s religious introspection, or the ambitious ensemble piece by "Los Javis" to represent Spain at the upcoming Oscars.