Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez’s,Saturn Return was the big winner at the Malaga Film Festival on March 9, taking home the awards for Golden Biznaga for best Spanish film, best director and best editing.
Other top prizes went to Celia Rico’s Little Loves, Álex Monoya’s La Casa, Pau Durá’s Birds Flying East (Pájaros) and Mexican drama Radical, by Christopher Zalla.
Saturn Return, a drama inspired by iconic indie rock band Los Planetas, is set in the late 1990s in Granada. It is produced by La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Ikiru Films, Bteam Prods, Sideral Cinema and Los Ilusos Films.
Co-director Lacuesta is a Malaga favourite, winning the best director, and the critics and special jury awards in 2016 for The Next Skin. He is also a two-time Golden Shell winner in San Sebastian for Between Two Waters and The Double Steps. His last film, One Year, One Night screened in competition at the Berlinale in 2022.
Latido Films is handling international sales for Saturn Return and is also repping Rico’s Little Loves which won the special jury award and the best supporting actress for Adriana Ozores. The Madrid-based outlet is also handling the best screenplay winner: La Casa, written by director Álex Montoya with Joana M. Ortueta and based on a graphic novel by Paco Roca.
The Golden Biznaga for the best Latin American film was awarded to Mexican director Christopher Zalla’s drama Radical, about teacher trying to unleash the potential of his students in a Mexican border town. The film is distributed in Spain by A Contracorriente films.
Best actor went ex-aequo to Luis Zahera for his work in Birds Flying East, a road movie handled by Filmax, and Joaquín Furriel for Sebastián Borensztein’ Descansar En Paz, an Argentinian thriller for Netflix. Best actress went to Lola Amores for the Cuban drama La Mujer Salvaje.
The critics’ jury award was presented to Nina, the second feature by Andrea Jaurrieta, a western-noir hybrid starring Patrícia López Arnaiz and Darío Grandinetti. Filmax is handling international sales.
Malaga 2024 official competition winners
Best Spanish film
Saturn Return
Dirs: Isaki Lacuesta, Pol Rodríguez
Best Latin American film
Radical
Dir: Christopher Zalla
Special Jury Prize
Little Loves
Dir: Celia Rico
Best director
Isaki Lacuesta, Pol Rodríguez for Saturn Return
Best actress
Lola Amores for La mujer salvaje
Best actor
Luis Zahera for Birds Flying East (Pájaros), Joaquín Furriel for Descansar en paz
Best supporting actress
Adriana Ozores for Little Loves
Best supporting actor
Gabriel Goity for Descansar en paz
Best screenplay
Álex Montoya, Joana M. Ortueta for La casa
Best original score
Fernando Velázquez for La casa
Best cinematography
Juan Carlos Martínez for Golán
Best editing
Javi Frutos for Saturn Return
Critics’ award
Nina
Dir: Andrea Jaurrieta
Audience award
La Casa
Dir: Álex Montoya
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