Rodrigo Sorogoyen swept the awards, taking home nine ‘cabezones’ for best direction, best film, lead actor, and original screenplay | ‘Modelo 77′ received five technical awards and ‘Cinco lobitos’ won three (new director, lead actress, and supporting actress) | The big surprise was Alcarrás, which did not win any of its 11 nominations.
The 2023 Goya Awards ceremony was held on Saturday, February 11, at the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Center in Seville. One of the major changes announced by Fernando Méndez-Leite, the president of the Film Academy, was that each category would now have five nominees to recognize more works. It is also significant to note that, for the first time in its history, the event was conducted under a completely ecological concept.
On this occasion, the gala was hosted by actors Antonio de la Torre and Clara Lago, who emotionally referred to the event as “the celebration of Spanish cinema and its audience,” noting that “cinema only makes sense if there is an audience to watch it.”
Throughout the night, several faces from the Spanish film industry graced the stage to present the coveted awards, including: Carmen Maura, Penélope Cruz, Blanca Portillo, Nora Navas, Maribel Verdú, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Asier Etxeandia, J.A. Bayona, Isabel Coixet, and Iranian Mitra Farahani; directors and screenwriters Paula Ortiz, Manuel Martín Cuenca, Leticia Dolera, and Daniel Sánchez Arévalo.
The Environment: The Star of the Night
It was a night where nature also took center stage, as this year the gala focused on sustainability and raising awareness about taking care of our planet Earth. An event that sealed the commitment to a green future and adhered to the 3R rule – reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Within this ecological concept, one of the major novelties was that the winners received statuettes made from recycled materials, the red carpet and photocall were recycled and subsequently recyclable, water fountains were available for all attendees, zero plastic, local suppliers for catering, stationery, and hardware, and waste separation with labeled recycling points. Additionally, the gala guests stayed in hotels with LEED certification – certifying energy efficiency to reduce pollution and fuel consumption. The organization had a fleet of eco-friendly cars and prioritized the use of trains over planes, whenever possible.
Honorary Goya Award 2023
One of the most emotional moments of the celebration was the Honorary Goya of the 37th edition awarded to director Carlos Saura, who passed away a day before the gala. The Film Academy’s Board of Directors agreed to recognize one of the most prominent filmmakers in Spanish cinema over the last six decades “for his extensive and highly personal creative contribution to the history of Spanish cinema from the late 1950s to the present day.”
The filmmaker expressed his gratitude in a letter read by his daughter Anna Saura, accompanied by her brother, producer Antonio Saura: “I have been fortunate in life to do what most attracted me: I have directed films, theater, opera, and have drawn, photographed, and painted all my life, and I hope to continue doing so. I receive this award from the Academy with great joy and gratitude, and I also want to thank the Academy for the great work it does in promoting and protecting our cinema and culture, which are among the most important things we have.”
Big Winners and Big Surprise
The clear winner according to the Film Academy: ‘As Bestas’ by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, with 9 Goyas (becoming one of the films with the most Goya Awards in history).
What left us stunned was Alcarrás, which did not win any of its 11 nominations despite having won the Golden Bear in Berlin and being sent to the Oscars, not even Carla Simón for best direction. On the other hand, the Argentine film “Argentina, 1985” met expectations and won the Goya for best Ibero-American film at the gala in Seville. Here are the winners of the most important categories:
BEST PICTURE – ‘As Bestas’
BEST LEAD ACTOR – Denis Menochet for ‘As Bestas’
BEST LEAD ACTRESS – Laia Costa for ‘Cinco Lobitos’
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Susi Sánchez for ‘Cinco Lobitos’
BEST DIRECTOR – Rodrigo Sorogoyen for ‘As Bestas’
BEST NEW ACTOR – Telmo Irureta for ‘La consagración de la primavera’
BEST NEW ACTRESS – Laura Galán for ‘Cerdita’
BEST NEW DIRECTOR – Alauda Ruiz de Azúa for ‘Cinco Lobitos’
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Author: Ivanova Escobar