MADRID -- Jaime Rosales' Festival de Cannes entry La Soledad walked away from the Spanish Film Academy's Goya Awards ceremony with the top honors, but the night undoubtedly belonged to Juan Antonio Bayona's directorial debut, The Orphanage.
Rosales took home the Goya for director, beating Gracia Querejeta for Siete mesas de billar frances, Emilio Martinez-Lazaro for 13 roses and Iciar Bollain for Mataharis.
"We live in a frenetic society, and that is time that we are stealing from our children," Rosales said.
His film focusing on loneliness and what he called "polyvision" triumphed over Roses, Seven Billiards Tables and Orphanage for Spain's top honor of the night.
"The richness of our cinema is in its diversity, and I dedicate this award to the people that are just starting out in cinema," said Wanda Vision president Jose Maria Morales, producer of Soledad.
But Bayona's haunting tale of a woman's return to the orphanage where she lived as a child -- distributed in the U.S. by Picturehouse -- crowned its winning trot around the globe throughout 2007's festival season with seven statues, including best new director, original screenplay, production design, artistic director, makeup and hair, sound and special effects.
Querejeta's Billiards was hands-down the winner in actress performances, giving Maribel Verdu her first acting Goya after four previous unsuccessful nominations -- including for last year's for Pan's Labyrinth.
The lead actor nod went to Alberto San Juan for his part in Bajo las Estrellas, which also gave Felix Viscarret the adapted screenply award.
Rosales took home the Goya for director, beating Gracia Querejeta for Siete mesas de billar frances, Emilio Martinez-Lazaro for 13 roses and Iciar Bollain for Mataharis.
"We live in a frenetic society, and that is time that we are stealing from our children," Rosales said.
His film focusing on loneliness and what he called "polyvision" triumphed over Roses, Seven Billiards Tables and Orphanage for Spain's top honor of the night.
"The richness of our cinema is in its diversity, and I dedicate this award to the people that are just starting out in cinema," said Wanda Vision president Jose Maria Morales, producer of Soledad.
But Bayona's haunting tale of a woman's return to the orphanage where she lived as a child -- distributed in the U.S. by Picturehouse -- crowned its winning trot around the globe throughout 2007's festival season with seven statues, including best new director, original screenplay, production design, artistic director, makeup and hair, sound and special effects.
Querejeta's Billiards was hands-down the winner in actress performances, giving Maribel Verdu her first acting Goya after four previous unsuccessful nominations -- including for last year's for Pan's Labyrinth.
The lead actor nod went to Alberto San Juan for his part in Bajo las Estrellas, which also gave Felix Viscarret the adapted screenply award.
San Sebastian, Spain -- Wayne Wang's U.S. film A Thousand Years of Good Prayers won the Golden Shell at the 55th San Sebastian International Film Festival, official jury chair Paul Auster said Saturday.
Henry O. took the best actor honor for his portrayal in Prayers, which centers on a Chinese widower who visits his recently divorced only daughter in the U.S. Blanca Portillo picked up the actress prize for her role in Gracia Querejeta's 7 Billiards Tables, from Spain.
Nick Broomfield won best director for his U.K. docudrama The Battle for Haditha, about the war landscape in Iraq.
The 18-year-old Hana Makhmalbaf saw her directorial debut, Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Iran-France) -- which centers on a 6-year-old girl's efforts to learn the alphabet in Afghanistan -- take the special jury prize. The jury said the "first feature by a extremely young director impressed the jury with its exquisite cinematography and the remarkable performance by the child actress Nikbakht Noruz."
The jury called Shame "a promising debut by a filmmaker whom we hope will go on to create important works in the future."
Makhmalbaf also won the newly created Other Look Award, sponsored by Spanish pubcaster Television Espanola, which supports the film that best depicts the "female universe" by acquiring Spanish broadcast rights.
Henry O. took the best actor honor for his portrayal in Prayers, which centers on a Chinese widower who visits his recently divorced only daughter in the U.S. Blanca Portillo picked up the actress prize for her role in Gracia Querejeta's 7 Billiards Tables, from Spain.
Nick Broomfield won best director for his U.K. docudrama The Battle for Haditha, about the war landscape in Iraq.
The 18-year-old Hana Makhmalbaf saw her directorial debut, Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Iran-France) -- which centers on a 6-year-old girl's efforts to learn the alphabet in Afghanistan -- take the special jury prize. The jury said the "first feature by a extremely young director impressed the jury with its exquisite cinematography and the remarkable performance by the child actress Nikbakht Noruz."
The jury called Shame "a promising debut by a filmmaker whom we hope will go on to create important works in the future."
Makhmalbaf also won the newly created Other Look Award, sponsored by Spanish pubcaster Television Espanola, which supports the film that best depicts the "female universe" by acquiring Spanish broadcast rights.
- 10/1/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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