PUNISHMENT),

By Mat As Bize

This film is all about a mother’s regret. Its cast includes Antonia Zegers, Néstor Cantillana, Catalina Saavedra, Yair Juri, and Santiago Urbina.

» The storyline: Ana and Mateo search for their son after leaving him alone for a few minutes as punishment for his bad behaviour. The setting is a forest and a road. Within a timeframe of 80 minutes, the couple must face fear, guilt, and the fragility of their union. One of the toughest revelations made is the fact that a small part of Ana doesn’t want to find her child, because she hasn’t been happy since he was born.

The Festival will additionally present officially selected documentaries, as well as a wide array of non-competing films and documentaries. There will also be shorts, special screenings, long and short films centred on women’s rights, and a section called Cinema Cocina Sección Oficial, with a wide range of documentaries, feature films, and shorts, all of which are focused on gastronomy. Information for these and more events are constantly updated and can be found on the event website. ›

Paying Homage To Greats Of The Spanish Cinema

The Festival de Málaga will be recognising valuable work from seasoned filmmakers, actors, and personalities. Just a few people who will be placed under the spotlight include:

THE RETROSPECTIVE PRIZE – MÁLAGA HOY GOES TO ALBERTO RODRÍGUEZ,

Alberto Rodríguez is considered one of the most active and talented filmmakers in Spain’s recent cinematographic history. Born in 1971, he first came under the spotlight with his short film, Bancos, which received numerous prizes. His solo debut feature film,

El Traje (The Suit) delves into social subjects like immigration in a humorous and dynamic manner. His next film, After, was protagonised by some of Spain’s most famous actors – Guillermo Toledo, Tristán Ulloa, and Blanca Romero. It immerses the audience into the world of sex, drugs, and music that marks the relationship between three friends. One of Rodríguez’s most characteristic and best rated films was the crime thriller, Grupo 7, with Antonio de la Torre and Mario Casas. Another hit film was La Isla Mínima, similar in feel to the acclaimed David Fincher film, Seven (starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman). In La Isla Mínima, two investigators head to a remote village by the Guadalquivir marshes to investigate the disappearance of two adolescent girls.

Raphael Takes Home The Biznaga Ciudad Del Para So Prize

There is no doubt that Raphael has achieved more than any artist could dream, triumphing internationally in various sectors – including music, the cinema, theatre, radio, and television. Born in Linares (Jaén), he began singing as a child and, at the age of nine, was deemed the Best Child Singer in Europe at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.

He appeared in his first film, Las Gemelas (The Twins) in 1963, going on to shine in hits like Cuando Tú No Estás (When You’re Not Here) in 1966, Al Ponerse el Sol (When the Sun Sets) in 1967, and Digan Lo Que Digan (Say What They Will), in 1967.

Raphael’s prodigious voice has earned him standing ovations in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, L’Olympia in Paris, and Mexico’s Bellas Artes.

In 2020, Raphael released an album of duets to celebrate his 60th anniversary as a singer. It featured artists the calibre of Pablo López, Luis Fonsi, Gloria Trevi, Mikel Izal, and Manuel Carrasco. In November 2022, he received a Latin Billboard prize for his entire career and began an international tour. He also released his album Victoria, which was produced by Pablo López.

THE PREMIO MÁLAGA – SUR (MÁLAGA – SUR PRIZE) GOES TO BLANCA PORTILLO

Whether you’ve watched television series or caught a Spanish film at the cinema over the past couple of decades, then without a doubt you are familiar with Blanca Portillo – the brilliant actor whose talent has shone in films by greats like Pedro Almodóvar, Icíar Bollaín, Mario Camus, Álex de la Iglesia, and Gracia Querejeta. Some of her must-see films include Volver and Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) – both by Pedro Almodóvar – and Maixabel (by Icíar Bollaín), for which she received the Goya for Best Actress. In Cannes, Blanca and her female co-actors won the prize for Best Female Performance. She also received a Concha de Plata for Best Actress at the San Sebastián Film Festival for Siete Mesas de Billar Francés (Seven Tables of French Billiards).

AS WE GO TO PRINT, SCHEDULING DETAILS FOR THE EVENT ARE STILL BEING FINE-TUNED, BUT JUST A FEW MORE EVENTS TO WATCH OUT FOR ARE:

» Hack MAFIZ – a competition for digital creators who are willing to create content at the Festival Laboratory. They will vie for the attention of producers and international investors, as well as media and important industry leaders from the Ibero-American industry.

» El Espíritu de la Colmena (Spirit of the Hive) – an event organised by the Festival de Málaga and Diario Sur. Featuring monthly film screenings at Cine Albéniz and discussions with top-level guests, moderated by journalist, Iván Gelibter. The screenings will be as follows:

» March 27: El Evangelio Según San Mateo (The Gospel According to Saint Matthew) by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1964). Featuring the presence of painter, Pablo Cortés del Pueblo and journalist, Fernando de la Guardia.

» April 24: The Billy Wilder’s 1961 hit, One, Two Three, followed by a talk on humour in film by Professor of Science of Communication, Natalia Meléndez.

» May 29: The Big Sleep (1946) by Howard Hawkes. The screening will be attended by Diario Sur journalist, Juan Cano, and Civil Guard Director, María Gámez.

FOR UPDATED SCHEDULES ON EVENTS AND SCREENINGS, KEEP YOUR EYE ON WWW.FESTIVALDEMALAGA.COM