News

Guido Rud’s Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Intl., one of the most influential sales agents for Spanish-language cinema worldwide, has released the international trailer for Spaniard producer-director José Luis Cuerda’s upcoming sci-fi dystopian comedy “Some Time Later.” (“Tiempo Después”)

“This is Cuerda at his best,” Rud told Variety, “The one that can fly, the one who was behind Spain’s best films of all time like ‘The Others,’ ‘Open Your Eyes,’ ‘Butterflies,’ and ‘The Blind Sunflowers,’ and all the reviews from San Sebastian support this.”

With nine Spanish Academy Goya Award nominations and four wins for directing or production, Cuerda has seen success both critically and at the box office. He directed Spanish Goya standouts like 1999’s “Butterfly” and 2008’s “The Blind Sunflowers” – each scored a Goya for best adapted screenplay – and he produced fellow Spaniard Alejandro Almenábar’s 1996 debut “Thesis,” and took a producer credit on 1997’s “Open Your Eyes,...

A record 67 countries have submitted films for consideration for best foreign-language film for the 81st Academy Awards, Academy president Sid Ganis said Friday. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22, and the awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.

Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak

Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani

Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem

Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero

Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann

Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada

Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar

Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners

Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic

Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto

Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev

Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon

Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain

China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu

Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno

Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic

Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka

Denmark,...

MADRID -- Spain's leading film production house, Sogecine, has quietly let three of its top international executives leave in recent months amid rumors of a possible halt in production activity. The studio has been a powerful force in the Spanish film industry's internationalization over the past decade, so the developments raise questions about what the moves may mean for the Spanish industry as a whole.

For many, Fernando Bovaira, Gustavo Ferrada and Simon de Santiago's departures mark the end of an era.

Sogecine's parent company, television titan Sogecable, maintains that there has been no official policy change and that the company intends to continue production, despite the fact that resources are being channeled into the group's free-to-air TV channel Cuatro.

"Events change things", Sogecable spokesman Javier Garcia said. "Now we have a TV channel that requires resources and it relegates film to the back burner."

According to Garcia, Sogecine will continue its investment in local cinema in accordance with Spanish legislation that requires broadcasters to commit 5% of overall revenues to film production.

Only two films -- Jose Luis Cuerda's Los girasoles ciegos and Mateo Gil's Pedro Paramo, starring Gael Garcia Bernal -- have managed to hang on to their slot in the production lineup at the studio, which has cleared the rest of its slate.