27/09/2007

Juan Antonio Bayona's feature debut The Orphanage [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has been selected by Spain’s Academy of Arts and Sciences to represent the country at the 80th Academy Awards. The announcement was made this morning by the president of the Spanish Academy, Ángeles González Sinde, along with actress Carmen Maura.

The Orphanage beat out its other two competitors – Emilio Martínez Lázaro's Trece Rosas and José Luis Garci's Luz de domingo (see news) – to consolidate the strong local and international appeal it has enjoyed since its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The Hollywood Academy will announce the shortlist of nominees on January 22, 2008 and the ceremony will take place on February 24. Until then the film will certainly use this time to take advantage of a promotional campaign in the US, where it is scheduled for a December 28 theatrical release.

After the triumph of Pan's Labyrinth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (three Academy Awards), it is expected that the reputation of producer Guillermo del Toro will push The Orphanage into the limelight and succeed in obtaining the film a spot among the five finalists in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Starring Belén Rueda (Mar Adentro [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Fernando Cayo Geraldine Chaplin, Mabel Rivera and eight year-old Roger Princep, the terror film was produced by Del Toro's Rodar & Rodar y Telecinco Cinema. Local distribution is set for October 11.