From this April to May, the Moro Spanish Film Festival presented by Palace returns with a curated selection of films from Spain, Latin America and beyond. Screening nationally from 19 April, the following films are our first sneak peek into the programme which will screen at Palace Barracks and New Farm Cinemas.
The Festival opens with the Australian premiere of OFFICIAL COMPETITION (Competencia oficial), a star-studded, bitingly funny behind-the-scenes satire of filmmaking, in which a wealthy businessman hires a neurotic director to produce a brilliant art film. Penélope Cruz stars as the eccentric director and Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez as the actors – a Hollywood heartthrob and a radical theatre actor.
Other highlights from the programme include THE DAUGHTER (La hija) – from one of Spain’s most intriguing auteurs, Manuel Martín Cuenca, the cleverly constructed film sees a pregnant teenager come to a tense agreement with the couple sheltering her and stars Javier Gutierrez (Champions, SFF 2019).
A gem from the Latin American selection is FORGOTTEN WE’LL BE (El olvido que seremos), an adaptation of Héctor Abad Faciolince’s memoir about his father, Colombian professor and campaigner Héctor Abad Gómez. This tender family drama set in the polarised, violent Medellin of the 70s, is from award-winning director Fernando Trueba.
The charming and award-winning comedy LANGUAGE LESSONS stars Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass. It tells the story of a Spanish teacher and her student whose online connection takes on far more importance than either could have anticipated.
This year’s Moro Spanish Film Festival boasts an Australian connection with the premiere of locally produced OUR VOICES (Nuestras Voces). A powerful reflection on the strength and resilience of immigrants, this documentary by Diana Paola Paez tells the story of a group of Spanish-speaking migrants who arrived in Victoria between the 1960s and 1980s and showcases their contribution to modern Australia.
The 2022 Moro Spanish Film Festival will take place nationally from 19 April to 18 May in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay.
The full programme will be announced and tickets on sale in early April.
The Moro Spanish Film Festival 2022
Sydney 19 Apr – 15 May: Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema.
Canberra 20 Apr – 15 May: Palace Electric Cinema.
Melbourne 21 Apr –15 May: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema.
Adelaide 27 Apr – 18 May: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.
Perth 27 Apr – 18 May: Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX. Brisbane 28 Apr – 18 May: Palace James Street and Palace Barracks.
Byron Bay 29 Apr – 15 May: Palace Byron Bay.
www.spanishfilmfestival.com
