The European Film Festival continues its course, exhausting the last days while its proposals continue to be supported by the people of Seville, who continue to go to the cinemas to see first-hand what is happening among the directors who present their works in the capital's theaters. .
On The Go, by María Gisèle Royo and Julia de Castrol, or The Scam of Love, by Virginia García del Pino, are titles that, under the umbrella of Nuevas Olas, debut in Seville on this penultimate day of the cultural event, like Las Jaurías, although this film is screened for the second time this week. For its part, Panorama Andaluz brings to the stage the documentary Jesus Christ Flamenco, by Laura Muñoz Liaño, a work based on the previous creation of the musical film of the same name.
A look at late motherhood, a decision ahead about whether or not to be a mother and a trip full of music where the direction of a Chevrolet is set by a mermaid with a magical crown. It is the proposal of two directors, Julia de Castro and María Gisèle Royo, who in their first work, a road-movie, wanted to pay tribute to Gonzalo García Pelayo, a cult director, and his film from the eighties 'Corridas de alegría '.
“We have respected the free spirit of the original film and, from there, we have created something totally our own, where there are echoes of the freedom and editing typical of the French new wave,” Royo explained at a press conference. This feature film talks about friendship and love in the era of dating apps, eternal youth, economic insecurity and a vital period that heralds the last years of fertility in a historical moment of female self-sufficiency.
The work, as explained by Julia de Castro, was emerging and “it has been filmed practically entirely in single takes in 16 millimeters. There were veiled scenes, we worked at that level of risk,” pointing out that, although his main idea was to have a beginning and an end, the scheme did not work. “We were trained to know that what we had written might not be filmed, but we had a team that responded positively to that constant renunciation and improvisation. In fact, the soundtrack was also being built. From the beginning we contacted artists linked to music and we included talents, even our editors, because they also have a group," detailed the actress and singer who, in addition, is one of the protagonists of the film along with Omar Ayuso, Chacha Huang and Manuel de Blas.
The film has had an extraordinary run at festivals. After passing through Locarno, where it obtained a special mention from the Young Jury, it has just been recognized as best Spanish film in Gijón. While waiting to obtain national distribution, it is already guaranteed to premiere in Taiwan, France, Germany and Switzerland. As Royo defines it, “it is a film full of imperfections and magic.”
Virginia García del Pino proposes, under the New Waves category, the documentary 'The Love Scam' about the ideal of romantic love and the influence it has on men and women through the reading of a script inspired by a story real about a love scammer. For four days with live music, a cinema hosts the reading of the text by experts in the field and individuals, producing a debate and a “mirror effect” in which everyone wants to participate. “Love appeals to all of us,” said the writer and director of the work.
The protagonist poses as a wealthy person who ends up asking his victims for money and never returns it, something that causes the participants to end up digging into their own stories, generating a shared reflection on the ideal of romantic love, and it was recorded rigorously live.
The film, García del Pino has pointed out, is directed “more for sexists than for feminists, because someone has to start changing this.” The documentary shows that when there is a model that does not work, “you have to model these desires and be aware that relationships are not going to last a lifetime,” completes the audiovisual artist.
On the other hand, the director has described that the women who have been scammed have been described as “silly and naive when human beings trust in the first instance” although, “the contemporary situation” pushes them to “distrust the media, the images … The revolution still involves generating moments of trust,” he determined.
Sevillian cinemas will also host other titles, such as Las Jaurías (Official Section), by director Kamal Lazraq, which is being screened for the second time this week. In the outskirts of Casablanca, Hassan and Issam, a father and son duo, survive by carrying out trafficking duties for the local mafia. One fateful night, they are tasked with the grim job of kidnapping a stranger. Immersed in an endless night of uncertainty, they embark on a dangerous odyssey without having the slightest idea of the challenges and consequences that await them on their dark path.
For its part, Panorama Andaluz brings Jesus Christ Flamenco, by Laura Muñoz Liaño, to the big screen. Every musical work begins around a table where the creative team discusses the approach that will be given to the libretto, the style that the choreography will follow, the lighting and stage design, or the musical arrangements. It is a process of incalculable creative value and also at the production level of the show. This documentary is based on a creation experience prior to the musical film 'Jesus Christ flamenco'.
Cerrar los Ojos, Secaderos and I'm loving you locally, nominated for Best Andalusian Film by ASECAN, Association of Film Writers of Andalusia -ASECAN. Today, within the framework of the Seville European Film Festival, the nominations have been announced, in the 12 competitive categories, for the 36 Asecan Andalusian Cinema Awards, which will be presented on December 15 at the Exhibition Palace and Seville Congresses, thanks to the main sponsorship of the Seville City Council, Seville
In this edition, for the first time, television series will be able to compete in their own category; and its creators, authors and performers, will compete with their counterparts in fiction or documentary feature films for cinema. Precisely this year the nominees for the Seville Prize
In this call, the Asecan Award for Best Andalusian Film will be competed for by Cerrar los Ojos by Víctor Erice for Tandem Films, Nautilus Films, Pecado Films and La Mirada del Adiós AIE in co-production with the Argentine company Pampa Films; Secaderos by Rocío Mesa, for La Claqueta PC, La Cruda Realidad, Un Caprice de Producciones, Secaderos La Movie A.I.E. and Amplitude INC, in association with DDT Effects Speciales and Fourminds Films; and I am loving you madly by Alejandro Marín for Escándalo Films, ESCAC Films, Zeta Studios and La Pepa Films. The Andalusian filmmakers who are competing for the Asecan Directing Award this year are F. Javier Gutiérrez for La Esperanza, Rafael Cobos and Paco Baños for El Hijo Zurdo, and Patricia Ortega for Mamacruz.
Asecan also recognizes the work of debut directors with the Asecan Novel Direction Award, in which Rocío Mesa competes for Secaderos, Alejandro Marín for I'm loving you madly, and Carolina Bassecourt for How much me remains. Competing for the Asecan Screenwriting Award are Alejandro Marín and Carmen Garrido for Te amando locamente, Manuel Martín Cuenca and Lola Mayo for El amor de Andrea and Rafael Cobos for El Hijo Zurdo. For the Asecan AISGE Foundation Award for Female Interpretation, the nominees are Ada Mar Lupiáñez for Secaderos, Kiti Mánver for Mamacruz, Lupe Mateo Barredo for El amor de Andrea and María León for El Hijo Zurdo. For their part, the male performers nominated for the Asecan AISGE Foundation Male Interpretation Award are Manolo Solo for Closing Your Eyes, Omar Banana for Te Amando Madly, Pepe Quero for Mamacruz and Víctor Clavijo for La Esperanza.
Pablo Cervantes will compete for the Asecan Original Music Award for Aníbal. The architect from Seville, Paloma Peñarrubia for Secaderos and Sergio de la Puente for The Path of Luck. The works nominated for the Asecan Non-Fiction Award are Feudo by Javier Barón, La memoria del cine. A film about Fernando Méndez-Leite’ by Moisés Salama, La singla by Paloma Zapata and Un día Lobo López by Alejandro G. Salgado. Meanwhile, in the Best Short Film category there are 'l threshold', by Javier Carneros Lorenzo, Who's calling by J. A. Villalobos and Actos por partes by Sergio Milan.
Asecan highlights 4 cinematographic-themed publications that will compete for the Film and Audiovisual Book Award: 'Alberto Rodríguez, film director' by Luis Álvarez Borrero and Pedro Álvarez Molina in Editorial Sílex, 'That was not in my film history book ' by Javier Ortega in Editorial Almuzara and 'Gonzalo García Pelayo: rolling living' by José Manuel Cruz Barragán in Ediciones Atlantis-Serie Gong. Finally, ‘Anguita y Julio’, a podcast from Cordópolis and Eldiario.es, competes for the Asecan Other Formats Award; 'Behind Blasphemous II', The Game Kitchen's documentary/making-off series about the video game Blasphemous II; and 'Around the World', an educational short film framed in the transmedia educational project of LabProCom (University of Seville) about the first trip around the world.
Traditionally, Asecan also recognizes the work of various groups whose main concern is to disseminate, promote, debate and inform about Andalusian cinema with the Diffusion Labor Award and the Informative Labor Award. Both will be awarded by juries and will be announced in the near future along with the Asecan Cines de Andalucia Industry Award and the Asecan Honor Award 2023.
In this edition of the ASECAN Awards, a total of 370 entries have been received, surpassing last year's 265 by more than 100, of which 131 have been for the collective categories and 202 for the individual categories. Among the collective categories, there were 31 feature-length fiction entries (double the number last year), 29 feature-length documentaries, 52 short films, 11 works of other formats and 8 series.
On the other hand, and in accordance with the appreciation of Andalusian cinematographic and acting art, the Sevillian actress Mari Paz Sayago was awarded last night with the Professional Career Award from Canal Sur Radio and Television at the XX Seville Film Festival , at a gala presented by Concha Ortiz held at the reborn Cine Cervantes.
In the words of those responsible for the public company, the artist has been recognized "for her ability to embody tender or intolerant, naive or exorbitant characters, for her ability to empathize with audiences, for the quality of her works full of personality to which that prints its own stamp in which humor is usually present".
Sayago graduated in Dramatic Art from the Andalusian Theater Center (CAT) and completed his studies in Paris at the Jacques Lecoq International Theater School. She is a professional who masters theater, film and television. She is considered one of the most established supporting actresses in Andalusian cinema, an actress who, as soon as she appears, steals the scene from the protagonist thanks to her talent and the charisma that she radiates.
His participation in the films The world is ours (2012), The world is yours (2018) and The world is yours (2018) by Alfonso Sánchez, or in the feature films by Paco León Carmina o revienta (2012), Carmina y amen ( 2014) and Kiki, love is made (2016) have earned him the affection and favor of the public. The Sevillian has also been part of the casts and triumphed in television series with national impact such as Aída or Alla Below.
Among his rich career, recent productions stand out such as I am loving you madly (Alejandro Marín, 2023), released a few months ago and still on the billboards in many places in Spain, and in Mamacruz (Patricia Ortega, 2023), which can be seen in the coming years. days in the Andalusian Panorama section of the SEFF.
The award ceremony was completed with the screening of the film They were the days, the debut feature film by Bernabé Bulnes in which Canal Sur participated. "My debut film arose from the need to make a film that dialogues with my generation, a generation marked by a general feeling of unfulfilled expectations. We grew up believing that with our efforts we would achieve our dreams, that the world was waiting for us, but the world was in other tasks. Even so, we strive every day to find our place and give meaning to an existence in which many of the traditional values do not make sense," declared the director and screenwriter.
