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Cigarette ash piles on top of a few discarded CDs inside a darkened room where the members of a rock band, Los Planetas, struggle to make tracks for their new album. That brief shot conveys more than the mere disarray of the space. Those likely ruined discs symbolize a certain anarchic disregard for music as it exists in its contained, marketable and profitable form. For this group, music only matters as long as it’s pouring from their not-so-hidden inner wounds and taking shape under the influence of drugs and the ferocious dynamic between them. It’s from the chaos — both visible and hidden in their minds — that the songs nurture themselves.

The astounding feat of directors Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez’s “Saturn Return” is how it cinematically evokes that intertwined creative and personal turmoil with frantic visual energy and formal audaciousness, refusing to capitulate to any subgenre conventions.

A rock n’ roll biopic in the tradition of Steven Shainberg’s Fur - An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, Saturn Return (aka Segundo Premio) is, co-director Isaki Lacuesta insists, definitely not a film about Granada-based nineties indie darlings Los Planetas – except that sometimes it obviously is. Like Shainberg, Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez draw on episodes in the life of their subject and on associated concepts as manifested in the popular imagination, building their own story around those. In the process, they test the boundaries of the rock biopic genre itself.

The film is Spain’s official submission to the 2025 Oscars, and unlikely as that may sound given the niche nature of the subject, it’s easy to see why the decision was made. The characters are not very distinct – a woman called May (Stéphanie Magnin) and her bandmates, who simply bear the names the Singer (Daniel Ibáñez) and the Guitarist.

With 85 films vying for just five slots in this years Best International Feature category at the Oscars, it can be tough to stand out from the pack. Spain unleashed a secret weapon, sending “Saturn Return” star Daniel Ibáñez to perform three songs following a screening at the Crescent Theater in Los Angeles Tuesday night. He was in attendance with co-director and co-writer Isaki Lacuesta, who presented his film to an enthusiastic audience.

“This film is a mixture between the facts…and fantasy,” Lacuesta said of his movie about the Spanish indie rock group Los Planetas‘ struggles while creating their third album. “All of the music is played live. There’s no playback. The actors area also [musicians].” See the trailer below.

Ibáñez stars as the lead singer alongside Cristalino as the guitarist, and Stéphanie Magnin as the bass player who recently left the band. The musical drama co-directed by Pol Rodríguez...

Spain has chosen the drama movie “Saturn Return” to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2023 Academy Awards. The announcement was made by Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega on behalf of the Spanish Academy. “Saturn Return” tells the story of an indie rock band in Granada, Spain in the late 1990s as they prepare to record a new album during a challenging period.

Directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez, “Saturn Return” follows an indie band on the brink of changing Spain’s music scene. As the group faces difficulties, they must work to create a breakthrough album. The film features a talented cast including Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz, and Edu Rejón. Its screenplay was written by Lacuesta and Navarro and drew inspiration from the iconic Spanish band Los Planetas.

“Saturn Return” received praise after screening at the Malaga Film Festival, where...

Spain has picked Saturn Return, a 1990s-set biopic of Spanish indie rock band Los Planetas, to represent the country in the best international feature race for the 2025 Oscars.

Directed by Isaki Lacuesta And Pol Rodríguez, Saturn Return premiered at the Malaga Film Festival, winning prizes for best director, best editing and best Spanish film. It has been making the festival rounds, screening at the Seattle Film Festival, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema.

The film focuses on the band’s origin story in the late 1990s in Granada when Los Planetas was facing a crisis just before the making of an album that would transform them, and the Spanish music scene, forever. Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz, and Edu Rejón star in Saturn Return. Lacuesta and Fernando Navarro penned the screenplay. Ikiru Films, La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Bteam Prods,...

Spain has selected Malaga award-winner Saturn Return as its submission for international feature at the 97th Academy Awards.

Directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez, the drama is inspired by iconic indie rock band Los Planetas and is set in the late 1990s in Granada.

It had its world premiere at Malaga Film Festival where it picked up best film, best director and best editing.

‘Saturn Return’: Malaga Review

Saturn Return is produced by La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Ikiru Films, Bteam Prods, Sideral Cinema and Los Ilusos Films. Latido Films is handling international sales.

The cast include Daniel Ibanez,...

Spain has selected Malaga award-winner Saturn Return as its submission for international feature at the 97th Academy Awards.

Directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez, the drama is inspired by iconic indie rock band Los Planetas and is set in the late 1990s in Granada.

It had its world premiere at Malaga Film Festival where it picked up best film, best director and best editing.

‘Saturn Return’: Malaga Review

Saturn Return is produced by La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Ikiru Films, Bteam Prods, Sideral Cinema and Los Ilusos Films. Latido Films is handling international sales.

The cast include Daniel Ibanez,...

Spain has selected Saturn Return By Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez as its submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Oscars.

The pick was confirmed Wednesday morning by the Spanish Academy. The announcement was made by Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega.

The film’s synopsis reads: Late 1990s. Art and culture are in full swing in Granada. Against that background, an indie band is about to change the music scene in Spain. Just before creating their new album, the band is going through its worst possible moment.

The film is produced by Ikiru Films, La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Bteam Prods, Sideral Cinema, Los Ilusos Films, and Toxicosmos Aie. Bteam Pictures distributed the film in Spain. Lacuesta and Navarro penned the screenplay and the lead cast features Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz and Edu Rejón.

Saturn Return played at the Malaga Film Festival where it won awards for best editing,...

El (no) biopic ya apunta a los premios Goya. © BTeamPictures

Ya se ha publicado el primer tráiler de “Segundo Premio”, la película dirigida por Isaki Lacuesta (doble ganador de la Concha de Oro del Festival de San Sebastián por “Los Pasos Dobles” y “Entre dos Aguas”) y codirigida por Pol Rodríguez. Una película que tuvo su estreno mundial en el Festival de Málaga y que se ha llevado tres premios: mejor película, mejor dirección y mejor montaje.

La película está protagonizada por Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz y Edu Rejón y se ambienta en la Granada de finales de los 90. En plena efervescencia artística y cultural, un grupo de música indie atraviesa su momento más delicado: la bajista rompe con la banda buscando su sitio fuera de la música y el guitarrista se ve inmerso en una peligrosa espiral de autodestrucción. Mientras, el cantante se enfrenta a...

Conoce la fecha de estreno y todos los detalles de la película que ganó no uno, sino tres premios en el Festival de Málaga. © BTeamPictures

Ya se conoce cuándo llegará a los cines “Segundo Premio”, la película dirigida por Isaki Lacuesta (doble ganador de la Concha de Oro del Festival de San Sebastián por “Los Pasos Dobles” y “Entre dos Aguas”) y codirigida por Pol Rodríguez. Una película que tuvo su estreno mundial en el Festival de Málaga y que se ha llevado tres premios: mejor película, mejor dirección y mejor montaje. Y, ojo, que ya apunta a los premios Goya.

La película está protagonizada por Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz y Edu Rejón y se ambienta en la Granada de finales de los 90. En plena efervescencia artística y cultural, un grupo de música indie atraviesa su momento más delicado: la bajista rompe con la banda buscando...

Isaki Lacuesta has returned to the Malaga Film Festival with his highly anticipated rock band drama “Saturn Return” (“Segundo Premio”), a fabled account of iconic Spanish group Los Planetas and their struggle to make their legendary third album,“Una semana en un motor de un autobús.”

The film, which the award-winning filmmaker directed with Pol Rodríguez and wrote with Fernando Navarro, stars Daniel Ibáñez, Stéphanie Magnin and musician-turned-actor Cristalino.

“Saturn Returns” screened in competition in Malaga, where Lacuesta and Isa Campo, double San Sebastian Golden Shell winners, won the best director Silver Biznaga for their 2016 mystery drama “The Next Skin.”

Speaking to Variety, Lacuesta explains how the film is not about Los Planetas but rather about the legend of the band and the mystique they themselves have cultivated over the years. Indeed, the story of “Saturn Return” is largely based on the band’s songs.

“It is not a journalistic documentary,...

The list features 10 rising actors and filmmakers with the potential for breakout international careers.

The third edition of Spain Stars of Tomorrow, part of Screen International’s talent-spotting series, has been unveiled.

The list features 10 rising actors and filmmakers with the potential for breakout international careers.

Scroll down for profiles of the stars

The 2023 line-up will be presented on September 26 at a special launch event at the San Sebastian film festival.

The list of talents, featuring six actors and four filmmakers, was once again curated by Screen’s Spain correspondent Elisabet Cabeza.

The actors selected are Nourdin Batan, who made...

"I can't breathe with this plastic! That's enough!" Oh no. Why are so many people so stupid?! This clever little apocalyptic dark comedy short film called Survivers is from an up-and-coming Spanish filmmaker named Carlos Gómez-Trigo. The cast speaks French in this, though, and it does include subtitles in many languages. In a car park at the end of the world, three survivors have to decide when to take their life-saving headgear off. The 6-minute short stars Stephanie Magnin, Maarten Dannenberg, and Alex Moreu. It first premiered in 2020 and I really dig the small scale, made with stuff you could find in your garage vibe to it. Actually works perfectly for this story about these three survivors. Gnarly sci-fi parable about how we're all too impatient to ever survive. To watch with English subtitles - click the [cc] button on the video player. // Continue Reading ›...

Madrid-based Latido Films has snagged international sales rights to Isaki Lacuesta’s “Saturn Return” (“Segundo premio”) and plans to kick off pre-sales at the Cannes market.

Currently shooting in Granada, the musical drama is set during the ‘90s when the Andalusian city was ground zero for an outburst of cultural effervescence, with the pioneering rock band Los Planetas at the center of it. The film focuses on the creative process behind the recording of their iconic third album, which also took them to New York.

Latido likens “Saturn Return” to “24 Hour Party People,” the 2002 British biographical dramedy about Manchester’s influential music scene, which spawned such bands as Factory Records’ Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays.

Based on a script by Fernando Navarro, the writer behind one of Netflix’s most viewed Spanish-language movies, “Below Zero,” the story is set at a time when the group was at its most fraught-ridden moments,...