29/01/2024 - Pablo Berger's film was a success at the awards alongside 20,000 Species of Bees, Society of the Snow and, above all, the series La Mesías, which won a record six trophies

Director Pablo Berger and his team with one of their prizes for Robot Dreams (© AICE)

Despite 20,000 Species of Bees [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Estíbaliz Urresola
film profile], Estibaliz Urresola's feature directorial debut, now nominated for the European Parliament's LUX Audience Award, winning Best Dramatic Film, and Patricia López Arnaiz who picked up her third award, this time as Best Supporting Actress (after last year's award in the Intimacy [+see also:
trailer
series profile] series and the 2021 award for Best Actress in Ane is Missing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Pérez Sañudo
film profile]), the most awarded title in the film section of the Feroz Awards, given by the Spanish Association of Cinematographic Informers (AICE) last Friday 26 February in Madrid, was Robot Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. The animated feature by Bilbao-born Pablo Berger was considered best comedy and was also rewarded for its achievements in the soundtrack (composed by Alfonso de Vilallonga) and the poster (designed by José Luis Ágreda).

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The other Spanish film also in the running at the next Oscars, Society of the Snow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: JA Bayona
film profile], won the award for Best Director for J.A. Bayona, as well as the best trailer, by Harry Eaton.

In the film acting categories, the winners were the favourites (after both recently winning the Forqué - read more) Malena Alterio, Best Actress for Antonio Méndez Esparza's Something Is About to Happen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile], and David Verdaguer, as the comedian Eugenio in David Trueba's Jokes & Cigarettes, who won Best Actor. Both are therefore more than likely winners at the next Goya Awards of the Spanish Film Academy.

The surprise came with the Feroz award for Best Supporting Actor in a film, which went to La Dani for his work in Alejandro Marín's Love and Revolution [+see also:
trailer
film profile], beating an excellent José Coronado in Close Your Eyes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the latest film by Víctor Erice, who left the event empty-handed.

The migration drama Upon Entry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alejandro Rojas and Juan Se…
film profile] won the Feroz DAMA Award for Best Screenplay for a film for its directors Juan Sebastián Vásquez and Alejandro Rojas. And the Feroz Arrebato awards, which showcase the most daring or innovative works in Spanish audiovisuals, went to Foremost by Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Víctor Iriarte
film profile], by Víctor Iriarte (Fiction), and Finding La Singla [+see also:
trailer
film profile], by Paloma Zapata (Non-fiction).

But it was the family members who created the La Mesías [+see also:
series review
trailer
series profile] series who took the stage the most, winning six awards in all the categories for which they were eligible, a record in the history of the eleven editions of these awards. The series, which started out as the favourite as had the most nominations in the history of the Feroz (eleven nominations), won the statuettes for Best Drama Series, Best Actress (Lola Dueñas), Best Actor (Roger Casamajor), Best Supporting Actress (Irene Balmes), Best Supporting Actor (Albert Pla) and the Feroz DAMA Award for Best Screenplay for a series, for its directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, together with Nacho Vigalondo and Carmen Jiménez. Only another magnificent Movistar Plus+ production, Poquita fe, won the remaining award in the television section, that of best comedy series.

And finally, an emotional Monica Randall received her Feroz Audi Award of Honour, as well as the affection and admiration of the audience.

The list of awards:

Films

Best Drama
20,000 Species of Bees [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Estíbaliz Urresola
film profile] – Estibaliz Urresola

Best Comedy
Robot Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Pablo Berger (Spain/France)

Best Director
Juan Antonio Bayona – Society of the Snow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: JA Bayona
film profile] (Spain/United States)

Best Female Performance
Malena Alterio – Something Is About to Happen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonio Méndez Esparza
film profile] (Spain/Romania)

Best Male Performance
David Verdaguer – Jokes & Cigarettes

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia López– 20,000 Species of Bees

Best Supporting Actor
La Dani – Love and Revolution [+see also:
trailer
film profile]

Best Screenplay
Juan Sebastián Vásquez and Alejandro Rojas – Upon Entry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alejandro Rojas and Juan Se…
film profile]

Best Original Music
Robot Dreams – Alfonso de Villalonga

Best Trailer
Harry Eaton – Society of the Snow

Best Poster
José Luis Agreda – Robot Dreams

Feroz Arrebato Fiction
Foremost by Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Víctor Iriarte
film profile] – Víctor Iriarte (Spain/Portugal/France)

Feroz Arrebato Non-Fiction
Finding La Singla [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Paloma Zapata (Spain/Germany)

Feroz de Honor (Honorary Award)
Mónica Randall

Series

Best Drama Series
La Mesías [+see also:
series review
trailer
series profile]

Best Comedy Series
Poquita fe

Best Actress
Lola Dueñas – La Mesías

Best Actor
Roger Casamajor – La Mesías

Best Supporting Actress
Irene Balmes – La Mesías 

Best Supporting Actor
Alberto – La Mesías 

Feroz DAMA Award for Best Screenplay
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, Nacho Vigalondo and Carmen Jiménez – La Mesías

(Translated from Spanish by Vicky York)