La Bola Negra arrived in UK cinemas on November 6 carrying two distinctions: Audience Award winner at the 70th BFI London Film Festival and Spain's official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards.
Directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, the duo known as Los Javis, the film follows three men across three separate eras: 1932, 1937, and 2017. The narrative draws on the unfinished final work of poet Federico García Lorca, mapping love and desire across decades of forced concealment. The Gala screening at London's Royal Festival Hall on October 8 sold out. The cast assembles Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, Lola Dueñas, and musician Guitarricadelafuente, who makes his feature film debut as Sebastián. Bernardeau plays Rafael.
The BFI Audience Award for Best Feature Film is determined by festival attendees rather than a jury. This year's Official Competition winner was Sergei Loznitsa's Imperium. The 70th edition closed on October 18 with record London attendance, according to festival director Kristy Matheson.
La Bola Negra holds a nomination for Best International Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards, with the ceremony set for December 6 at the Camden Roundhouse in London. Altitude Film handles UK distribution. Spain's submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Oscars places Los Javis early in the conversation. The Academy's shortlist is due in December. The BFI audience win adds public weight to a campaign that opens to general audiences today.
