The Film Academy awards the 2018 González Sinde Prize to the Aladina Foundation

This award is granted to institutions or people that use the cinematographic medium to achieve social purposes.

Social reference in the fight against childhood cancer, Aladina Foundation has been recognized with the González Sinde Award, which is granted to institutions or people that use the cinematographic medium to achieve social purposes.

The philanthropist Paco Arango founded this Spanish non-profit entity in 2005, whose goal is "that no child with cancer loses their smile. It is the most beautiful thing in my life, it is also hard because, unfortunately, I have lost many friends along the way, kids that I call little warriors and who are the driving force of who I am," says the president of the Foundation, who has been especially excited about this award "because my life is divided into two hearts: cinema and the Foundation."

The president of Aladina is the director, producer and screenwriter of Letter, which allocated the first 500,000 euros of fundraising to the creation of the Maktub Center, a pioneering area for bone marrow transplants at the Niño Jesús Hospital; and What really matters, which hit theaters with the purpose of raising funds so that children suffering from cancer could enjoy vacations in the camps of Paul Newman, Serious Fun Children's Network.

"It is an award for the two films that I have made and that have had a very important philanthropic part and are closely related to Aladina. What really matters has raised more than 3 million euros, it has been number one in numerous countries. This award is like the shoe for Cinderella," explains Arango.

The president of Fundación Aladina believes in cinema as an engine for social cohesion. "Cinema is the last great hypnosis session, you are silent, absorbed by what you see on a screen and a direct message can reach your heart. Cinema has the ability to send a message that changes you, sometimes only for a few hours, but other times it can last. It is a key element today to promote good and try to leave this world much better."

The Aladina Foundation provides comprehensive support to children and adolescents with cancer and their families. It is an entity from which more than 1,500 children and their families benefit each year in the 12 hospitals with which it collaborates.

This annual award, created in 1998, takes its name from one of the most notable personalities of Spanish cinema, José María González Sinde, the first President of the Academy. Since its creation, it has been received by the Anti-Drug Addiction Aid Foundation, the Casa del Actor Foundation, the Drac Mágic Collective, Cinema Rescat, the Tomás Mallol Cinema-Col.llecció Museum, the 8 y Medio Bookstore, Josep Maixenchs, the Ricardo Muñoz Suay Valencian Institute of Cinematography, the Nantes Festival, the Cáceres Solidarity Festival of Spanish Cinema, the Film Library of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Casa of India, Audiovisual nas Aulas, the Toulousse Spanish Film Festival, Enrique Iznaola and 16 kilometers, Cañada Real International Film Festival.