06/12/2006

Due to the political and religious holidays that mark this week's Spanish calendar, some new releases, traditionally set to open on Friday, will be hitting local screens earlier than usual. Out of the six opening titles, three are European: animation film Cristóbal Molón, indie Catalan drama Díes de agost [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and French comedy Royal Palace. Produced by Basque company Irusoin, Cristóbal Molón brings back the creators of the 2004 title Glup, una aventura sin desperdicio, Íñigo Berasategi and Aitor Arregi. With a script by Joanes Urkixo, the film plunges into a world of fantasy, which the two authors have called an animation adventure project aimed at pleasing both children and adults, thus following the US trend of animated films such as Shrek.

Though it is only being released this week (distribution: Barton Films), Cristóbal Molón was already shown last week in the section Enfants Terribles of the 44th Gijon International Film Festival

On a different register, Lauren Films is releasing Marc Recha's Díes de agost, which was one of Spain's entries at the latest Locarno Film Festival. Recha, known as one of the most indie filmmakers from Catalonia, is back with a road movie about two brothers (played by the director himself and his brother David) who leave in a van to explore the Catalonian countryside.

Barcelona-based Benecé produced it with support from Televisió de Catalunya.

Alta Films is releasing Valérie Lemercier's Royal Palace, starring the director alongside Lambert Wilson and Catherine Deneuve. Lemercier was nominated for the Best Actress Cesar for her performance as a simple woman who unexpectedly becomes the queen of an imaginary European country.

Alternatively, local audiences may also choose US titles The Holiday and Happy Feet or Chilean film La última luna.