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FESTIVALS Spain

The Shame takes Malaga by storm

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Malaga is a lucky city for Madrid-born director David Planell, whose debut directorial effort The Shame [+see also:
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film profile
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won the Golden Biznaga for Best Film and the Best Screenplay Award at the Spanish Film Festival, which closed last Saturday. Planell previously enjoyed this honour in 2004, when Gracia Querejeta’s Hector – for which he wrote the screenplay – scooped the top prize.

The Shame – which opened the event – earned immediate acclaim from critics and ended up winning over the jury, presided by Basque director Álex de la Iglesia. Produced by Avalon Productions, the film – starring Alberto San Juan and Natalia Mateo – offers a harsh depiction of the problems that a middle-class Spanish couple experience with their adopted, immigrant son.

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The event’s other major winners were Lucía Puenzo’s Spanish/Argentinean co-production The Fish Child [+see also:
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, which picked up the Special Jury Prize and Best Cinematography Award; and Mar Coll’s Three Days With the Family [+see also:
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, winner of Best Director, Best Actress (Nausicaa Bonnín) and Best Actor (Eduard Fernández).

The main prize list also includes two comedies: Borja Cobeaga’s The Friend Zone [+see also:
film review
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interview: Borja Cobeaga
film profile
]
, which took the Silver Biznaga Critics’ Award; and Fernando González’s Brain Drain [+see also:
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film profile
]
, winner of the Audience Award.

One of the major discoveries at this edition was Patxi Amezcua’s debut work 25 Kilates [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patxi Amézcua
film profile
]
(“25 Carats”), which triumphed in the alternative film section Zonazine. Besides receiving rave reviews from film critics, the title also won Best Film, Best Actress (Aída Folch) and Best Actor (Manuel Morón).

Finally, the Best Documentary Award went to The Circle, by José Pedro Charlo and Aldo Garay.

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(Translated from Spanish)

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