Media Release March 2014 “REEL INSPIRACIÓN” 29 APRIL – 21 MAY SCREENING EXCLUSIVELY AT PALACE CINEMAS IN MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, CANBERRA, BYRON BAY, BRISBANE, ADELAIDE & PERTH FIRST HIGHLIGHTS ANNOUNCED PROGRAMME FEATURES 2014 GOYA MULTI-­‐AWARD WINNERS LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED (OPENING NIGHT FILM) AND WITCHING AND BITCHING (CLOSING NIGHT FILM) For some “Reel Inspiración” don’t miss the impressive and exciting award-­‐winning array of films that Palace Cinemas will present at this year’s upcoming Spanish Film Festival, presented by Estrella Damm. Starring in the festival are emotional road-­‐trips, spirited comedies, swindle rom-­‐coms, suspenseful thrillers, stylish dramas, and high-­‐octane action rides, all topped off with some hearty battles-­‐of-­‐the-­‐sexes and plenty of laughter all the way. Taking place over 23 days, across six states and eleven elegant Palace Cinema locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the Spanish Film Festival is the largest festival of its kind in Australia. Going strong in its 17th year, the Festival continues to present audiences with an unsurpassed opportunity to see 30 of the very best and most recent Spanish and Spanish-­‐speaking Latin American films. Opening this year’s Festival is LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados), winner of six Goya Awards (2014) including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay, and Official selection at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Set in 1966 Spain, Antonio (Javier Cámara), a school teacher in a small town who uses Beatles lyrics to teach his students English, decides to try and meet his hero John Lennon upon learning he is visiting Almería to shoot a film. Along the way, Antonio is joined by two runaways: Juanjo (Francesco Colomer) and Belén (Natalia de Molina). Named after John Lennon’s enigmatic song Strawberry Fields (penned in Almería), Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed is a charming, bittersweet part road-­‐trip, part coming-­‐of-­‐age tale that will steal audiences’ hearts. Ariel Winograd’s follow-­‐up to Spanish Film Festival 2012’s hit My First Wedding, TO FOOL A THIEF (Vino para robar), is a winning combination of swindle-­‐thriller and romantic-­‐comedy that will delight audiences with laughs and keep them guessing until the very end. Awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Huelva Ibero-­‐American Film Festival, To Fool A Thief, starring Daniel Hendler, Valeria Bertuccelli and Martín Piroyansky, is a witty screenplay superbly encased by snazzy suits, sunglasses and glamour, matched with the striking locations of Argentina’s picturesque wine country. Premiering in Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and winning multiple awards worldwide, THE GOLDEN CAGE (La jaula de oro) is a powerful debut from Spanish-­‐born director Diego Quemada-­‐Díez, who proves himself as a formidable talent to watch closely in the future. In order to escape from the squalid barrio in which they live, young Guatemalan teens Juan, Sara and Samuel make the decision to attempt the 1,200 mile-­‐
long arduous border crossing into the USA (“The Golden Cage”) in search of a better life. A heart-­‐wrenching story of hope, friendship, survival, love and desperation, this film is a profound homage to the treacherous journey thousands of immigrants undertake each year. 1 Following up from his award-­‐winning DarkBlueAlmostBlack and Cousinhood, director Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s next offering is FAMILY UNITED (La gran familia española), a spirited comedy featuring an all-­‐star cast, including Miquel Fernández , Antonio de la Torre, and Quim Gutiérrez. Nominated for 11 Goya Awards, including Best Film, Family United is set on Efraín (Patrick Criado) and Carla’s (Arancha Marti) wedding day, the same day Spain plays in the World Cup Soccer Championship finals. When unforseen circumstances lead to a delay in the wedding, family mayhem ensues while the entire country – waiting wedding guests included – is absorbed by the game. CANNIBAL (Caníbal) is a stylised, brilliantly crafted psychological noir-­‐like thriller set in Spain’s sleepy southern city Granada, where time seems to have stopped and secrets lay forever hidden in the shadows. Carlos (Antonio de la Torre), a shy but gifted tradesman (who leads a solitary life of strict routine by day yet that of a calculating serial killer by night), has his world turned upside when Nina (Olimpia Melinte), the twin sister of one of his victims, appears at his front door, and love slowly and unexpectedly creeps in. Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca, Cannibal was Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival and Official Selection San Sebastían International Film Festival, and won the 2014 Goya award for Best Photography for the stunning portrayal of Granada and its breathtaking Sierra Nevada. Goya-­‐award-­‐winning cult Director Álex de la Iglesia (As Luck Would Have It, SFF opening night 2012) returns with a wild, outrageous dose of dark humour in WITCHING AND BITCHING (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi) to guarantee an unforgettable festival closing night! This high-­‐octane, crowd-­‐pleasing ride recently won eight Goya Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Terele Pávez, Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. Wildly fleeing toward France through the impenetrable Basque forest after a jewel heist, a hapless band of robbers runs afoul of an evil coven of witches. A reckless “battle of the sexes”, de la Iglesia enhances his vision with top-­‐shelf production, resulting in a fast-­‐paced, zany spectacle of a film. These titles are just a sneak peak of what’s to come. For more information visit www.spanishfilmfestival.com 17TH SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY ESTRELLA DAMM LISTING DETAILS SYDNEY Tues 29 April – Sun 18 May, Palace Verona and Palace Norton Street MELBOURNE Wed 30 April – Sun 18 May, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth & Kino Cinema CANBERRA Thu 01 May – Wed 14 May, Palace Electric Cinema BRISBANE Thu 01 May – Wed 14 May, Palace Centro and Palace Barracks PERTH Tue 06 May – Wed 21 May, Cinema Paradiso ADELAIDE Tue 06 May – Wed 21 May, Palace Nova Eastend Cinema BYRON BAY Thu 08 May – Wed 14 May, Palace Byron Bay MORE INFO: www.spanishfilmfestival.com (also Facebook, Twitter, website subscriber e-­‐news) FOR NATIONAL, SYDNEY & MELBOURNE MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT: Kelly Fogarty 0402 230 670 | [email protected] INTERSTATE CONTACTS: Canberra: Bettina Richter 0414 441 860 | [email protected] Brisbane: Georgina Stegman, Think Tank Communications (07) 3511 1356 | [email protected] Adelaide: Steven Watt, PICTURE THIS! marketing pty ltd 0419 835 955 | [email protected] Perth: Adriana Begovich, Anarchy PR 0418 929 095 | [email protected] Byron Bay: Rose Fox, Publicity and Marketing, Palace Byron Bay Cinema 0402 675 076 | [email protected] 2