La Bola Negra, the Spanish drama featuring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, has won the audience award for best feature at the BFI London Film Festival, adding another public vote to its festival run.
Directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, known as Los Javis, the film follows three generations of men across Spain in 1932, 1937 and 2017. Their stories explore desire, family secrets and the legacy of repression, drawing on the work of poet and playwright Federico García Lorca.
Singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente makes his acting debut alongside Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González and Milo Quifes. Cruz and Close make special appearances. The film previously won Toronto’s People’s Choice Award and is Spain’s submission for the international feature Oscar.
BFI announced the audience results on 4 November, after the festival closed on 18 October. Grace Harper Brighouse’s Dependence took the separate audience award for best British discovery. The documentary uses family home movies to explore her relationship with her late father and his addiction.
La Bola Negra opened in selected US cinemas on 16 October and is expanding through November. Netflix will release it in the US and Canada on 2 December.
