Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (Spain): 19

Cross the Line (2020) is a Spanish thriller film directed by David Victori. It stars Mario Casas alongside Milena Smit and Elisabeth Larena, and has received numerous accolades. These include a Goya Award for Best Actor (Casas) out of three nominations at the 35th Goya Awards, as well as a Feroz Award for Best Actor from a total of four nominations at the 8th Feroz Awards. Dani works in a travel agency and after experiencing ...

Adiós (2019) is a Spanish drama film directed by Paco Cabezas, starring Mario Casas, Natalia de Molina, and Ruth Díaz. Set in Seville, Andalucía (southern Spain), the movie takes place in the neighborhood of Las 3.000 Viviendas (The 3,000 Homes or ‘The 3,000’ for short), a ruthless and lawless area where police have no control. Juan Santos, a con man with supervised freedom, is released from jail for one day to celebrate his daughter Estrella’s First ...

In 2019, a new addition to the Terminator franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), was released. It is a direct sequel to the highly acclaimed Terminator 2:Judgment Day (1991), and disregards the events of Rise of the Machines (2003), Salvation (2009), and Genisys (2015). Several years after their mission to destroy Cyberdyne Systems in 1998, Sarah and John Connor have retired and moved to Livingston, Guatemala. However, their peaceful life is abruptly disrupted when they are attacked by a T-800 Terminator sent from Skynet. Despite Sarah’s efforts, John is killed. In 2020, another advanced Terminator known as the ...

The Spanish biographical drama film, The Photographer of Mauthausen (2018), directed by Mar Targarona, is set in 1943 during the height of World War II. Life in the Mauthausen camp is a merciless and cruel existence for its inmates, including soldiers who fought and lost in the Spanish Civil War. These men were exiled from Spain by General Franco after his victory, considered ‘no man’s land’ and gifted to the Third Reich as free labor. Against this backdrop of eternal horror and brutality inflicted by Nazis and Kapos (violent inmate guards), a young man named Francesc Boix struggles to survive as a ...

Mirage (2018), also known as Durante la tormenta in Spanish, is a mystery-drama film written and directed by Oriol Paulo. It takes place during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and follows the story of a boy named Nico who witnesses a fight scene while recording a video in his house during an intense 72-hour electrical storm. In the midst of the chaos, he discovers the body of Ms. Weiss, wife of his neighbor Angel Prieto, and sees Prieto holding a knife. As Nico tries to flee, he tragically gets hit by a passing car. Mr. Prieto is later arrested with the murder weapon as Nico loses his life in the accident. ...

The thriller film, The Bar (2017), was directed, produced, and co-written by Álex de la Iglesia. In Madrid, a cafe is the scene of a deadly shooting where two random individuals are killed by an unknown sniper upon leaving the establishment. As authorities evacuate the streets and those inside the bar come to realize one of them may be responsible, it becomes apparent that there is a government operation at play. However, they are disguised as a fire cover-up. Suspicion and tension rise among the remaining patrons as they turn against each other. Suddenly, a man emerges from the bathroom in critical condition. Despite ...

Animal Crackers (2017) is an animated comedy-fantasy film directed by Scott Christian Sava and Tony Bancroft, written by Sava and Dean Lorey and based on the animal-shaped cookie. In 1962, brothers ‘Buffalo’ Bob and Horatio Huntington run a successful traveling circus together, despite their contrasting personalities. After one of their shows, Esmerelda, the circus’ fortune teller introduces her beautiful niece Talia to the brothers in hopes of finding her ...

The Invisible Guest (2016) is a Spanish mystery thriller film directed and co-written by Oriol Paulo. Businessman Adrián Doria is out on bail after being arrested for the murder of his lover, Laura Vidal. His lawyer, Félix Leiva, hires attorney Virginia Goodman to assist with his case. After finding out that the prosecutor has a witness who will testify in front of a judge within three hours, Virginia visits Adrián at his apartment and encourages him to tell her everything. Adrián reveals that he and Laura had been blackmailed into going to a rural hotel with €100,000. However, upon arriving, he was knocked unconscious ...

Palm Trees in the Snow (2015) is a Spanish romantic drama film directed by Fernando González Molina. It follows Kilian, who returns to his birthplace of Fernando Pó (present Bioko) in 1954 to join his father Antón and brother Jacobo in harvesting cocoa. The movie begins in 1968 with Kilian and Bisila sharing a passionate moment before Kilian’s departure, leaving behind tokens of remembrance for Bisila. Fast forward to Pasolobino, Spain in 2003 where Clarence attends her estranged father Jacobo’s funeral. After the service, she and cousin Daniela discuss potentially selling their family land and ...

Unit 7 (2012) is a gripping Spanish crime drama action thriller directed by Alberto Rodríguez and co-written with Rafael Cobos. This critically acclaimed film earned 16 Goya Award nominations. Set in Seville, Andalusia, the story unfolds in the four years leading up to the 1992 Universal Exposition. It portrays the significant social changes that accompanied this major event, focusing on the city’s transformation before and after the World Expo. The plot centers on the dedicated members of Unit 7, a fictional police unit known for their exceptional rate of drug ...

The Spanish mystery thriller film The Body (2012), co-written and directed by Oriol Paulo, follows Inspector Jaime Peña as he looks into an accident that has left night watchman Ángel Torres in a coma. Security footage reveals Ángel fleeing from his job at the morgue before being struck by a car. Peña is then informed that Mayka Villaverde, a middle-aged and wealthy businesswoman who was married to a younger man, has disappeared from the morgue after suffering a heart attack on a business trip. Her widower, Álex Ulloa, is shocked to hear this news while in the company of his young mistress, Carla Miller. While at the ...

7 Days in Havana (2012) is an anthology film, featuring one segment for each day of the week. Each segment is directed by a different filmmaker, including Julio Medem, Laurent Cantet, Juan Carlos Tabío, Benicio del Toro, Gaspar Noé, Pablo Trapero and Elia Suleiman. The screenplay was written by Cuban novelist

The Impossible (2012) is a disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez, based on the real-life experience of María Belón and her family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Doctor Maria Bennett, her husband Henry, and their three sons Lucas, Simon, and Thomas are on a Christmas holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand when disaster strikes. Arriving on Christmas Eve at the Orchid Beach Resort, they settle in and start to enjoy their vacation. But just two days later, on December 26, everything changes as the massive tsunami hits the area. Amidst ...

Three Steps Above Heaven (2010) is a Spanish romantic drama film directed by Fernando González Molina and written by Ramón Salazar. Starring Mario Casas and María Valverde, the film is based on the novel by Federico Moccia. It follows the story of Babi, a sheltered upper-middle-class girl, and Hache, a rebellious risk-taker, as they navigate their contrasting worlds and embark on a passionate yet challenging love affair. While ...

Buried (2010) is an intense survival thriller directed by Rodrigo Cortés. The film follows American civilian Paul Conroy, played by Ryan Reynolds, who finds himself trapped in a wooden coffin with minimal supplies after being ambushed by terrorists while working in Iraq. As he tries to piece together his situation, he realizes he has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom by his captor Jabir. With only a Zippo lighter, pen, and BlackBerry phone at his disposal, Paul desperately tries to contact help but receives no assistance from 911, the FBI, or his employer. Faced ...

Produced, edited, and directed by Juan José Campanella, The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) is an Argentine-Spanish crime drama film based on Eduardo Sacheri’s novel La pregunta de sus ojos. In 1974, judiciary agent Benjamin Espósito investigates the rape and murder of Liliana Colotto de Morales. He vows to her husband Ricardo to find the killer and ensure a life sentence. As he delves into the case with his partner Pablo Sandoval, who struggles with alcoholism, they are joined by their new department chief Irene Menéndez-Hastings. Espósito’s rival Romano ...

Tetro (2009) is a drama film written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. On the week of his 18th birthday, Bennie, a waiter on a cruise ship, has a layover in Buenos Aires. He seeks out his older brother, Tetro, who he hasn’t seen in years and currently lives with Miranda. However, Tetro is a burnt-out case; he’s emotionally distant yet somewhat welcoming to his sibling. As they reconnect, Bennie uncovers pages of Tetro’s unfinished novel, which sparks their curiosity about their elusive father and the past that haunts them both. Despite Tetro’s reluctance to confront their family ...

Summer Rain (2006) is a romantic drama film directed by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas from a screenplay by Antonio Soler, which is based on his novel of the same name. Set in 1978 in Málaga, Spain, the movie follows the story of teenager Miguelito Dávila. After being diagnosed with kidney disease and spending time in the hospital, he develops a love for classic poetry, specifically Dante’s Divine Comedy. Despite working at a hardware store, Miguelito holds onto his dream of becoming a poet. One summer, he spends time with childhood friends Babirusa, Paco Frontón ...

The psychological thriller film, The Machinist (2004), was directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. Its protagonist, Trevor Reznik, suffers from insomnia which has caused him to become severely underweight. His coworkers have shunned him due to his physical appearance and unusual behavior. However, things take a turn for the worse when he is involved in an accident at work that results in a coworker losing their arm. Despite being distracted by a coworker named Ivan who no one seems to know or have records of, Trevor is blamed for the accident. Seeking ...