Spain selects Los Javis' Lorca-inspired film 'La bola negra' as Oscar submission

Academy selection in Madrid

The Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences has selected La bola negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, to represent Spain in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. Director Alejandro Amenabar, who won the award in 2005 for Mar adentro, announced the selection on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, alongside Film Academy president Fernando Mendez-Leite and notary Eva Fernandez Medina. The film won the nomination over two other shortlisted titles: Rodrigo Sorogoyen's El ser querido and Alauda Ruiz de Azua's Los domingos. Connecting by video link from Toronto at 4:30 a.m. local time, the directing pair known as Los Javis received the news alongside cast members Carlos Gonzalez and Milo Quifes.

Calvo conveyed his appreciation for the decision during the morning briefing.

We are very excited. The film is loved very much in Toronto and in the US, and we are going to give our all to get as far as possible. Thank you for the trust.

Lorca inspiration and production

La bola negra follows three interconnected stories of gay men across three separate periods: 1932, 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, and 2017. Written by Calvo and Ambrossi alongside playwright Alberto Conejero, the script draws from the opening four pages of an unfinished text by poet Federico Garcia Lorca and Conejero's theatrical piece La piedra oscura. The release arrives alongside the 90th anniversary of Garcia Lorca's murder by Francoist forces in 1936. Musician Guitarricadelafuente makes his acting debut in a lead role, alongside Penelope Cruz in an extended cameo as a cabaret dancer and Glenn Close as a contemporary Hispanist. The ensemble also includes Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos Gonzalez, Milo Quifes, Lola Duenas, and Julio Torres, with Guitarricadelafuente and Raul Refree providing the original song "La nieve".

Ambrossi explained the intended reach of the multi-period structure.

It is a film that will speak to each person sitting in the theater seat in a different way. It has enough poetry to appeal to anyone, so we ask people to forget what they have heard and sit down to enjoy it.

Festival reception and distribution strategy

The Oscar campaign follows the film's premiere in main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it registered a 16-minute standing ovation. Calvo and Ambrossi received the Cannes Best Director award ex aequo with Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski for Fatherland. The film will screen next at the San Sebastian International Film Festival for its Spanish premiere before arriving in Spanish cinemas on 25 September 2026. Following its theatrical run in Spain, the title will stream exclusively on Movistar Plus+. In North America, Netflix acquired distribution rights for the United States and Canada, scheduling a 47-day US theatrical window starting 16 October 2026 before its streaming debut.

Awards calendar and campaign path

Spain last secured the Best International Feature Film statuette in 2005 with Mar adentro. The selection of La bola negra marks the initial step in the campaign toward the 99th Academy Awards ceremony, set for 14 March 2027 in Los Angeles. The production will compete through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voting stages to secure a spot among the final five nominees.