pa negre

Catalan Film Academy President Isona Passola: “We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel”

March 3, 2015 09:37 PM | Mar Fayos / Marina Force Castells

Isona Passola, the producer of the internationally-acclaimed Catalan film ‘Pa Negre’ (Black Bread), the Spanish contender for an Oscar in 2013, believes that “Catalan culture can be appreciated worldwide”. Passola has made many historical documentaries and is now convinced that “life acquires meaning when working for collective benefit”. Last year she presented ‘L’Endemà’, a documentary aimed at countering the arguments against Catalan independence and financed through crowd-funding. Passola, the current president of the Catalan Film Academy, is “a true defender of the right to form a family” and “has never lost the joie de vivre”.

‘El Niño’, hot favourite to win at the Gaudí Awards, the Catalan Oscars

December 30, 2014 10:51 PM | ACN

The Academy of Catalan Cinema has released the nominees for the 7 Gaudí Awards, the main annual prizes recognising Catalan motion film productions. ‘El Niño’, by Daniel Monzón, tops the ranking with 15 nominations, including Best Non-Catalan Language Film, Best Director and Best Script. However, the movie is nominated twice in two categories (Best Actor and Best Secondary Actor), so it could only win 13 awards at the most. It is followed by ‘Stella Cadente’, with 13 nominations; ‘[REC] 4: Apocalipsis’ with 9; and ’10,000 KM’ and ‘Rastres de Sándal’, both of which have received 8 nominations. The 4 nominees for Best European Film are ‘Ida’ by Pawel Pawlikowski (Poland); ‘La grande bellezza’ by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy); ‘La isla mínima’ by Alberto Rodríguez (Spain); and ‘Magical Girl’ by Carlos Vermut (Spain). The awards ceremony will take place in Barcelona on 1 February.

Hollywood nominates two films produced by Catalan companies for the Oscars

January 24, 2012 09:59 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ produced by the Catalan company Mediapro and the Catalan Public Television Broadcaster, has been nominated for Best Movie, Best Director, Best Art Direction and Best Adapted Script and has already won a Golden Globe. The film ‘Chico y Rita’ has been nominated Best Animated Feature. The movie was developed in the Catalan capital by Barcelona-based Javier Mariscal. However, the Catalan film ‘Pa Negre' has not been nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Celebrities give their full support to ‘Black Bread’ in its quest for an Oscar nomination

January 10, 2012 09:48 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

‘Black Bread’ (‘Pa Negre’), which was shot in Catalan, will represent Spain at the Oscars. Literature Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, chef Ferran Adrià, soccer player Gerard Piqué, tenor Josep Carreras, artist Miquel Barceló, filmmaker Isabel Coixet, chef José Andrés, psychiatrist Luis Rojas Marcos and dancer Rafael Amargo are some of the celebrities who have participated in a video sponsoring the film in its quest to win an Oscar nomination. The film depicts the horrible period after the Spanish Civil War through the experiences of a young boy living in rural Catalonia.

Catalan cinema is on the path to international recognition

December 2, 2011 06:30 PM | CNA / Sara Gómez

‘Pa Negre’ (‘Black Bread’) and its nomination to represent Spain at the 2012 Oscars reflects the desire of Catalan productions to shine with their own light, without losing their identity nor language along the way. Catalan cinema has reached a new stage in its history. Powered by a generation of young directors and a renewal of themes, Catalonia’s film industry wants to expand its borders and become part of the international cinema market.

Catalan movie ‘Pa negre’ to represent Spain at the Oscars

September 28, 2011 11:01 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

In an historical decision, the Catalan Academy of Cinema chose a movie entirely in Catalan to represent Spain at the Oscars awards. ‘Pa negre’ (‘Black bread’) was the absolute winner of the last awards of the Spanish Academy awards, surprising everyone. However, the fact of it being in Catalan and that the movie competed with Almodóvar’s ‘The Skin I Live In’ made it difficult to predict if the movie was to finally represent Spain at the world’s top awards.

Catalan film ‘Pa negre’ pre-selected to represent Spain at the Oscars

September 14, 2011 09:28 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

‘Pa negre’ (Black Bread), directed by Agustí Villaronga and shot entirely in Catalan, was the main winner of the last Spanish film awards surprising everyone. Now it has been pre-selected together with Pedro Almodóvar’s latest movie ‘La piel que habito’ ('The Skin I Live In') and Benito Zambrano’s ‘La voz dormida’ (The Sleeping Voice). The film that will represent Spain will be known on September 28th.