Isaki Lacuesta, David Trueba, Antonio Chavarrías Make Malaga Main Competition Cut
variety.comJohn Hopewell Chief International Correspondent MALAGA — Opening last Friday with “Dragonkeeper,” also in competition, Spain’s Malaga Festival, its biggest dedicated event for movies from Spain and Latin America, is studded by latest films by Isaki Lacuesta – “Saturn Return,” reportedly fun, broad audience and radical – David Trueba – “The Good Man,” small scale but almost certainly ingratiating – and Antonio Chavarrías’ “Holy Mother,” about an extraordinary real life female figure in Spain’s 9th century Reconquista.
Also in the running is “Rest in Peace,” from notable Argentine writer-director Sebastián Borensztein (“Chinese Takeaway”). All are front-runners for some kind of award next Saturday.
Prominent also is a bevy of first or second features, featuring from Spain three titles from women directors – gender abuse drama “The Snows,” “Nina,” reportedly a Western set in a northern Spanish town, and tragi-comedy “We Treat Women Too Well” – plus a clutch of debuts from Latin America.
This year’s Competition may, in the final analysis, be judged by how these early features function. Opening Night Film “Dragonkeeper,” (Salvador Simó, Li Jianping, Spain, China) Malaga’s opening film playing in main competition, its largest title – budgeted at a reported $28 million – and the biggest Spanish animation play of the year.
Read more on variety.com