Optimism at the Goya finalists gala

Coinciding with the good moment that Spanish cinema is experiencing, in terms of box office and critics, and as a prelude to what will be the XXIV Goya Awards, the headquarters of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid in Madrid's Puerta del Sol has once again been the setting for all the finalists for these awards to meet.

The vice president of the Community of Madrid and Minister of Culture, Ignacio González, and the president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, Álex de la Iglesia, received this morning the hundred professionals nominated in the XXIV edition of the Goya Awards. This year at the Real Casa de Correos, headquarters of the presidency of the Community of Madrid in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, there was a particularly optimistic atmosphere due to the good results that Spanish cinema is achieving both at the box office and from critics.

The vice president of the Community of Madrid, after welcoming all the finalists, wanted to highlight the support of the regional government reflected in projects such as tell me no, by Mateo Gil; The Tama, by Martín Costa; Lala, by Esteban Crespo; Therapy, by Nuria Verde, and Doppelgänger, by Óscar de Julián.

For his part, in an emotional and powerful speech, Álex de la Iglesia, highlighted that "the 2010 harvest is, in my opinion, one of the best in many years. There are high-budget, spectacular, incredibly well-made, intelligent and entertaining films..., there are low-cost, entertaining, incredibly well-made, very intelligent, and wonderfully acted, tender, sweet, exciting films... there are films directed by old dogs and by young directors with unexpected strength refreshing the always charged atmosphere. That's why I can say that I am very proud to be here sharing this joy with you, because you are my family."

The president of the Academy, who has admitted to feeling a stronger sense of camaraderie than ever, acknowledged feeling lucky “because we live one of the most beautiful professions that exist, with its problems, its enemies, its tensions and its envy, like everyone else.”

In reference to the economic and financial problems that the industry has gone through in recent months, he admitted that "we grow in adversity. In our profession we always work, we are used to that, problems do not scare us, we will solve them. We will show day by day to our viewers that we are doing our job and that next year will be much better."

And as De la Iglesia has recognized, cinema is necessary more than ever because "reality needs imagination so that you do not disappoint."

family photo

For the family photo, Álex de la Iglesia and Ignacio González were accompanied by all the finalists present, with the team of Cell 211 with Luis Tosar, Daniel Monzón, Juan Gordon, Enma Lustres, Fernando Bovaria, Alvaro Augustín as representatives. Cell 211 is the breakout film of the season, with nearly ten million euros grossed and a total of sixteen Goya nominations. The film competes in the best film category with Now by Alejandro Amenábar (with thirteen nominations), The victory dance, by Fernando Trueba and The secret of his eyes, by Juan José Campanella.

Mariela Besuievsky, Gerardo Herrero, Lola Dueñas and Jordi Mollá were other protagonists in this family photo. Among the absences from this ceremony, a large part of the team stands out. Now, with Alejandro Amenábar at the helm, Fernando Trueba, or the five candidates for The broken hugs by Pedro Almodóvar, which has not been nominated for best director or best film.

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