Spain has officially selected La Bola Negra as its candidate for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. The film, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, tells the story of three generations of queer men and has already made waves at Cannes.
La Bola Negra is Spain's pick for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, putting directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi in the spotlight. The film follows three generations of queer men and has already drawn attention on the festival circuit.
The Spanish Film Academy announced the selection on September 16, 2026, confirming La Bola Negra as Spain's entry for the 99th Academy Awards. The film premiered at Cannes, where it sparked a bidding war and earned Calvo and Ambrossi the festival's best director prize, which they shared with Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland. This early recognition helped the film gain momentum internationally.
La Bola Negra is an official selection of the San Sebastián Festival's Perlak section, further cementing its status as one of the season's most talked-about European releases.
La Bola Negra is notable for its approach to production. Shot on 35mm film with a budget under $15 million, the team avoided heavy CGI, choosing practical locations and effects to capture the feel of classic war movies. Calvo has mentioned Apocalypse Now as a major influence, aiming for authenticity rather than spectacle.
The cast includes Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas, and Glenn Close. Cruz and Close appear in small but important roles, adding international recognition without taking focus from the main ensemble. The film is a Spanish-French co-production, according to several industry sources.
Ambrossi described the film's vision as intentionally bold: “We thought, ‘Let’s make the gayest war movie ever.’ That’s the politics behind this. And no one told us to change it a bit. And now, here we are.” Audiences have responded, and La Bola Negra has built a strong reputation through word of mouth as it continued its festival run, including a stop at Telluride.
Following its Cannes debut, several independent outlets reported intense market interest, with multiple distributors vying for rights—a testament to the film's strong commercial and festival appeal. Netflix ultimately secured Spanish and international distribution, with the Spanish theatrical release set for September 25, 2026, and a subsequent global streaming premiere.
Spain's choice to submit La Bola Negra for the Oscars shows a willingness to support stories that break with tradition and highlight voices often left out of mainstream cinema. With its festival success, well-known cast, and ambitious production, the film is positioned as a strong contender internationally.
