El mal padre, a film written and directed by Roberto Bueso, has been selected to compete for the Golden Shell at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival, which will be held from 18 to 26 September (read more) and where it will have its world premiere.

Shot in the Valencian Community, the film is headlined by Eduard Fernández (winner of four Goya Awards, the latest for Marco, and recently seen in series such as The Anatomy of a Moment and Iron Reign) accompanied by Adam Jezierski (recently in 1x2 and the series Animal), Francesco Carril (recently in Three Goodbyes and the series The New Years) and Meritxell Calvo (the series Smiley, among others). They are joined by Cristina Plazas, María Maroto, Berta Bolufer, Joan Solé, Carles Sanjaime, Jorge Picó, Enric Juezas and Sonia Almarcha (Goya-nominated for The Good Boss, this year in I Won’t Die for Love).

With a screenplay by Bueso and Óscar Díaz, this feature explores the complexities of family relationships through a story that blends emotion, humour and a deeply human look at the passage of time and the possibility of reconciliation. Its protagonist is Santiago Balmes, a celebrated writer and academic who gathers his three children before Christmas to make a request: to spend a few days together in the seaside house where they used to spend their summers as children. For the siblings, estranged from their father since he left the family years ago for another woman, the invitation becomes an opportunity to confront old wounds and try to understand who their father is. Especially for Alberto, the youngest, who is about to become a father for the first time.

In the director's words, “El mal padre is about a broken family trying to put itself back together, about clumsy characters driven by resentment and fear who are fumbling their way towards learning to give and receive affection. As almost always and with almost everything, the way out of their confusion will come from tenderness. Being able to share this story for the first time at the San Sebastián Film Festival is an enormous thrill for all of us.”

After launching his career with his award-winning debut short La Noche de las Ponchongas, Roberto Bueso made his feature debut with Love Beats, presented in the Official Selection of the Málaga Film Festival. His second film, Full of Grace, starring Carmen Machi, also premiered in Málaga, out of competition.

El mal padre is a production by Fernando Bovaria through MOD Producciones, MOD Pictures and Misent Producciones together with Atresmedia Cine, with the participation of Atresmedia, Netflix and À Punt, with financing from the ICAA, plus the collaboration of the Institut Valencià de Cultura and with the participation of CREA SGR. The film will be released in Spanish cinemas on 20 November, distributed by Caramel Films, and international sales are handled by Film Factory Entertainment.