Blancanieves leads Spanish Goya nominations

Blancanieves, a silent black and white re-telling of the Snow White myth in Franco’s Andalusia, leads Spanish Goya awards nominations with 18 nods including best film, best director (Pablo Berger), actress (Maribel Verdú), actor (daniel Giménez Cacho), newcomer actress (Macarena García), supporting actor (Josep Maria Pou), supporting actress (Angela Molina) and script (Berger).

Unit 7, an action drama about the “cleaning” of Seville’s streets from delinquency in the 1990s, drew 16 nominations including film, director (Alberto Rodríguez), actor (Antonio de la Torre), supporting actor (Julian Villagrán), newcomer actress (Estefanía de los Santos), newcomer actor (Joaquín Núñez) and script (Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez).

The Impossible, the highest grossing Spanish film ever and already a hit at international box offices, gained 14 nominations including best film, director (Juan Antonio Bayona), actress (Naomi Watts), supporting actor (Ewan McGregor) and original script (Sergio G. Sánchez).

The Artist and the Model, a French drama set during the Second World War, has received 13 nominations including best film, best director (Fernando Trueba), best actor (Jean Rochefort), best actress (Aida Folch), supporting actress (Chus Lampreave) and original script (Jean Claude Carriere and Trueba).

The winners will be announced on Feb 17 in a televised gala. Votes will be cast by the 1,200 members of the Spanish Film Academy. 

Other titles to receive nominations include Invasor, an action thriller about the war in Iraq, which has five nominations including best supporting actor (Antonio de la Torre, again) and adaptation script (Javier Gullón and Jorge Arenillas).

Surprise nominations came for Tad, the Explorer, an animation feature that has been a big hit at the Spanish box office. It has secured five nods including best animation film, best new director (Enrique Gato), best song (Te voy a esperar) and adapted script (Enrique Gato).

Gato will compete with Paco León (Carmina o Revienta), Oriol Paulo (The Body) and Isabel Campo (Evelyn) for the best new director gong.

Other films to receive nominations include Twice Born (best actress for Penélope Cruz), The Dead Man and Being Happy (for which is favorite veteran José Sacristán as best actor), Una pistola en cada mano (best supporting actress for Candela Peña), I Want You (best adapted script) and The Wild Boys (best new actor and actress).

French films dominate the best European film category: Intouchables, In the House and Rust and Bone will compete with Shame (UK).

Tad, the Explorer will compete with three other animation features: O Apostolo (Fernando Cortizo), The Wish Fish (Iván Oneka and Gorka Vázquez) and El corazón del roble (Ricardo Ramón, Angel Izquierdo).