Catalan co-production '20,000 Species of Bees' wins Best Film at Málaga Film Festival

María Vázquez awarded for role in 'Matria' and Alberto Ammann for 'Upon Entry'

A still from Estíbaliz Urresola's '20,000 Species of Bees'
A still from Estíbaliz Urresola's '20,000 Species of Bees' / Courtesy of Nueve Cartas
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

March 19, 2023 11:41 AM

March 19, 2023 12:27 PM

The Catalan co-production '20,000 Species of Bees' was awarded the most prestigious prize at the 2023 edition of the Málaga Spanish Film Festival, the Golden Biznaga for Best Film.

Directed by Basque filmmaker Estíbaliz Urresola, the movie that explores an 8-year-old trans child's struggles with identity also won the award for best supporting actress for Patricia López Arnaiz's role.

Sofía Otero, who plays the main character in the film, won the Silver Bear at the  Berlin International Film Festival last month, becoming the youngest award-winner in the Berlinale's 73-year history. 

Another Catalan co-production that was awarded was Galician-language 'Matria' directed by Álvaro Gago, whose María Vázquez won the Golden Biznaga for Best Actress. 

In the movie, Vázquez portrays a woman in a small fishing village with financial worries who is often impulsive and has trouble controlling her emotions. 

Alberto Ammann, meanwhile, won the Silver Biznaga for Best Actor for his role in the Catalan film 'Upon Entry'.

The movie follows Diego, played by Ammann, and Elena on their move to the United States, where they are subjected to a grueling interrogation by immigration officers at a New York airport. 

Other awardees

The Catalan film 'El encantats' won the award for Best Screenplay. Directed by Elena Trapé, who wrote the script alongside Miguel Ibáñez Monroy, touches upon a mother's handling of a breakup and the absence of her child. 

'Bajo terapia' by Gerardo Herrero won the jury's special prize for the "set of actors' work," with Jorge Marrale bringing home the award for Best Supporting Actor. 

Sílvia Munt's 'Las buenas compañías' won the young jury's prize for its depiction of women fighting for abortion rights in the 1970s. 

The audience awarded the Silver Biznaga for documentaries to Elena Molina's 'Remember my name'.

As far as shorts go, Àlex Monner won best actor for 'Tormenta de verano'; 'Anticlímax' by Néstor López and Óscar Romero won best fiction; 'Diari d'un operador' by Dani Seguí Florit won the Animazine audience award; and 'Les més grans' by Núria Ubach, Marta Codesido, Dubi Cano and Ulrika Andersson won the official section's audience award.