No more European Goya
by Vitor Pinto
The Spanish Film Academy has announced the elimination of the Goya for Best European Film in its upcoming ceremony, scheduled for February 2008. The move would, according to Ana Arrieta, general director of the Academy, speed up the ceremony, often accused of being overly long and uninteresting.
Academy Vice President Enrique Urbizu came up with another justification: "Nobody has come to pick the prize in recent years, which is a hint of their interest [in the award]."
The decision has caused the indignation of several film personalities, among them Manuel Grosso, director of the Seville European Film Festival, who called the elimination inappropriate at a time when synergies between local and European films are fundamental for the future of the Spanish industry.
Grosso added that no other film academy in Europe would conceive of eliminating their awards to foreign European films, and have furthermore honoured Spanish directors several times in recent years.
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