Spanish cinema has a proud presence at the film festival, honored to share the spotlight from the early hours of Sunday, March 10 through Monday, March 11, starting at 1:00 p.m. local time in Spain. The announcements naming JA Bayona’s The Snow Society for Best International Film and Best Make-up and Hairstyling, alongside Pablo Berger’s Robot Dreams for Best Animated Film, marked a celebratory moment for the nation’s professionals. Their work will be showcased as Spain submits three titles to the 2024 Oscars gala.
In truth, the sole clear chance for a statuette rests with Bayona’s film in the Best International Feature category, a strong second choice after the British entry The Zone of Interest. Yet there are many Spanish filmmakers, artists, and performers whose talents have shone on the Oscar stage, with numerous technicians repeatedly earning recognition at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Across the country, eighteen professionals have earned Oscar recognition to date. These accolades are often distributed between technical categories and the Best International Film category, which stands as the direct successor to the former Best Foreign Language Film. Only a few Spanish stars have broken into the main categories, including Pedro Almodóvar, Javier Bardem, and Penélope Cruz, who have each earned Academy statuettes in their time (Academy records).
Why is the Best International Film Oscar the most debated topic?
Spain’s influence on the Oscar conversation runs deep. Pioneers such as Gil Parrondo and Antonio Mateos earned Best Production Design for Patton, underscoring how Spanish craftsmanship has shaped the Academy’s choices. The director relied on the skilled work of Spanish technicians, who continued to yield strong results in recent productions, helping to position Spain prominently in international cinema. The film about the last Russian tsar highlighted the superb work on costumes by Yvonne Blake and Antonio Castillo, earning Best Costume Design in 1971 (Academy records).
Spain’s streak extended into the early 1970s with victories in other categories, including a Best Non-English Film win for The Secret Charm of the Bourgeoisie. This success, led by Luis Buñuel, helped cement a path for many later triumphs in non-technical categories as well (Academy records).
The 1970s also brought notable achievements in cinematography, with Nestor Almendros’s acclaimed work on Days of Heaven earning recognition in 1978, a film that helped redefine the perception of Spanish talent in the American awards landscape. Although Almendros was born in Barcelona, his career crossed borders and his work left a lasting influence in cinema history (Academy records).
The following decades saw a few key Spanish figures join the ranks of Oscar winners: José Luis Garci for Start Over in 1982 and Fernando Trueba for Belle Époque in 1993, each collecting the Best Non-English Film statuette, further reinforcing the country’s cinematic standing (Academy records).
Oscar makeup and makeup artistry for The Snow Society sparked controversy and discussion, as Bayona’s team confronted the challenge of recreating historical figures. The creative team’s approach met with mixed reactions as the production navigated the delicate balance between realism and narrative needs (Academy records).
The 2000s marked a peak period for Spanish cinema at the Academy Awards. Pedro Almodóvar secured two statuettes, becoming the only Spaniard to date to win twice. His 2000 prize for Everything About My Mother in Best Non-English Film, followed by the 2003 Best Original Screenplay for Talk to Her, highlighted a sustained period of critical success. Alejandro Amenábar later added Best Non-English Film for The Sea Inside in 2005 (Academy records).
In 2007, Pan’s Labyrinth emerged as a major triumph, earning three Academy prizes for Spanish cinema. Pilar Revuelta won Best Production Design, and David Martí and Sergio Pablos earned Best Makeup and Hairstyling for their roles in this Guillermo del Toro director’s fantasy. Javier Bardem also claimed Best Supporting Actor for No Country for Old Men, further underscoring Spain’s impact on the year’s celebrations (Academy records).
Penélope Cruz joined the ranks again in 2008 as Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a Woody Allen film set in Barcelona. The following years brought periods of slower Oscar yields for Spanish cinema, with notable returns in 2019 as Sergio López Rubio earned Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Mother of the Blues, a performance remembered for its emotional depth alongside Chadwick Boseman’s final film appearance (Academy records).
In 2022, Windshield Wipers won Best Animated Short, delivering another milestone for Spanish artists Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sánchez Barbosa. As the 96th Academy Awards approach, the question remains whether Bayona or Berger will craft a new chapter for Spain in the ceremony’s spotlight, with fans watching closely as the weekend festivities unfold (Academy records).