Spanish pics making the intl. scene run the gamut of genres and range from sleeper auteur films to movies with strong blockbuster potential. Here’s a sampler of what’s coming up.
“23-F” (Lazona, Arcadia)
Chema de la Pena brings the tension and drama of the attempted Spanish military coup of 1981 to the bigscreen.
“Agnosia” (Roxbury, Madrugada, Telecinco)
Eugenio Mira’s (“The Birthday”) sophomore turn is a visually dazzling, high-concept period thriller about an heiress with a medical condition that leads to fatal misrecognition of her surroundings. Berlin sales hit. (Filmax)
“Amador” (Mediapro, Reposado)
Spanish master of social realism Fernando Leon is back with an intimate yarn about a young caregiver and an old man. Stars Magali Solier (“The Milk of Sorrow”). (Imagina)
“Are You There?” (Arcadia, Manto, Lazona)
Phantasmagorical frolics from prolific comedy helmer Roberto Santiago as a young couple find they share their new home with a ghost. Rising comic thesp Gorka Otxoa stars.
“Biutiful” (Mod, Menageatroz)
Highly anticipated and mystery-shrouded, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s return to Spanish-language work deals with two childhood friends reuniting, one now a cop, the other a crook. Javier Bardem stars. In Competition. (Focus Features)
“Blancanieves” (Arcadia, Noodles, Motion Investment Group)
Pablo Berger (“Torremolinos ’73) goes gothic with wicked take on Snow White fable. Maribel Verdu and Carmen Maura set to star.
“Blackthorn” (Arcadia, Manton, Aiete Ariane)
Alejandro Amenabar co-scribe Mateo Gil’s English-language western, sees Butch Cassidy ride again as Sam Shepard, and Eduardo Noriega as a Spanish engineer with past. Shooting.
“Blog” (Escandalo)
First-time helmer Elena Trape debuts with buzzed mockumentary title about teenager pregnancy pact. from first-time helmer (Escándalo)
“Bon Apetit” (Morena, Egoli Tossell, Zodiac)
Tasty looking international romcom sees Spanish chef forced to choose between satisfying heart or stomach. (Beta)
“Bruc” (Ikiru)
Juanjo Ballesta (“7 Virgins”) is heroic Spanish drummer boy who sends Napeolon packing in Daniel Benmayor (“Paintball”) period thriller. (Studio Canal).
“Buried” (Versus)
Taking place in wooden box under ground, Rodrigo Cortes’ Iraq-set thriller wowed Sundance auds with its airless daring. Ryan Reynolds is tops as sole protag. (Kinology)
“Chico and Rita” (Fernando Trueba, Estudio Mariscal, Magic Light)
Latin jazz fan Fernando Trueba (“Studio 54”) and Spanish designer Javier Mariscal unite for helmer’s first foray into animation with this Havana/Gotham-set love story, reportedly an aural/visual dazzler. (HanWay)
“Even the Rain” (Morena, Mandarin)
Iciar Bollain helms hard-hitting screenplay by Paul Laverty on Bolivian water wars. (Wild Bunch)
“Every Song Is About Me” (Tornasol, Castafiore)
Jonas Trueba follows in family footsteps with romcom about boy trying to forget girl. (Latido)
“Extraterrestrial” (Sayaka, Arsenico)
Nacho Vigalondo (“Timecrimes”) yarn sees one guy’s big night with dream girl ruined by invading aliens.
“Flatmate” (Castelao)
“REC” co-helmer Jaume Balaguero delivers usual psychochills as a sociopathic doorman vents frustrations on unfortunate female neighbor. Spain’s current No. 1 thesp Luis Tosar stars. (Filmax)
“For the Good of Others” (Mod, Himenoptero, Telecinco)
A doctor (Eduardo Noriega) learns he has special, life-changing powers in Oskar Santos’ offbeat and morally inquisitive debut. Alejandro Amenabar is a producer — the first time on a film not his own. (Filmax)
“Group 7” (Atipica, La Zanfona)
Alberto Rodriguez (“7 Virgins”) returns to Seville for a based-on-truth 1990s-set item about a special police squad set on cleaning up corruption from the streets. Likely to fuse style with grit.
“Guest” (Versus, Roxbury)
Purveyor of arthouse gems to the more sophisticated client, Jose Luis Guerin muses on the themes of travel, cinema and art in an item shot in more than 20 countries.
“Hitsville” (Intuition Media, Fractal, Kanzaman, 6 Sales)
Maria Ripoll (“Tortilla Soup”) is on board for a yarn about two hitmen sent on a job to strange island of Hitsville. (6 Sales)
“Invader” (Vaca)
Helmer Daniel Calparsoro (“Ausentes”) takes on fraught Fernando Marías novel about Spanish military doctor haunted after tour in Iraq.
“Julia’s Eyes” (Rodar y Rodar, Guillermo del Toro, Universal Pictures Intl., Antena 3 Films)
A woman with an eye disease seeks the truth about her sister’s presumed suicide in sophomore pic from Guillem Morales. Likely to be stylish, twisting, and twisted. (DeAPlaneta)
“Lope” (Ikiru, Toro, Antena3, Conspiraçao)
Andrucha Waddington’s high-profile biopic of Spanish master scribe and heartbreaker Lope de Vega. Alberto Amann, Leonor Watling and Pilar Lopez de Ayala star. (Wild Bunch)
“Neon Flesh” (Morena, Jaleo, Oberon, Pensa y Rocca, Mandarin, Hepp)
Helmer-scribe Paco Cabezas’ dark comedy of street survivor is international co-production.
“Primos” (Atipica, Mod)
In third feature from high-profile Daniel Sanchez Arevalo (“Darkbluealmostblack”), a trio of nerdy cousins heads back to the old pueblo with comic consequences. Expect much craft, wit and idiosyncrasy.
“Rabia” (Telecinco, Dynamo Capital, Think Studio)
Helmer Sebastian Cordero’s intense drama about an immigrant who accidentally kills a foreman and goes into hiding. (Wild Bunch)
“Retrasado” (Telespan, Antena3)
Borja Cobeaga (“Pagafantas”) Christmas-skedded laffer sees desperate guy enlist group of strangers to win back a girl.
“Room in Rome” (Morena, Alicia, Intervenciones Novo and Wild Bunch)
Julio Medem’s sapphic take of a holiday in Rome stars Elena Anaya and Natasha Yarovenko. Completed. (Wild Bunch)
“Sad Trumpet Ballad” (Tornasol, Castafiore, La Fabrique)
Civil War — and after — drama about two clowns in love with same woman. A more personal project from high-profile, genre-hopping helmer Alex de la Iglesia (“The Oxford Murders”). (Films Distribution)
“Son & Moon” (Bausan, Media Prod, Pentagrama)
Miguel Huerga explores father-son relationship in outer space. Docu. (Imagina)
“Tadeo Jones” (Ikiru, El Toro, Lightbox)
Mistaken identity tooner sees frustrated Spanish construction worker sent on archeological expedition to Peru. Enrique Gato directs.
“The Great Vazquez” (Tornasol, Castafiore, Distinto)
Helmer Oscar Aibar (“Dance Machine”) and showman Santiago Segura team up for biopic of Spain’s most loved comicbook author. (Latido)
“The Strange Case of Angelica” (Eddie Saeta, Films do Tejo)
At age 101, Portuguese maestro Manoel de Oliveira presents a dark, metaphysical love yarn about what happens when a photographer is asked to snap a young woman, recently deceased.
“Verbo” (Apaches, Telecinco)
Multiple-award winning Eduardo Chapero-Jackson makes his feature debut with eagerly-awaited rites-of-passage thriller about a troubled teen embarking on a reality-twisting adventure. (Filmax)
Woody Allen Summer Project (Mediapro)
Woody Allen’s next stop is Paris for latest Spanish-financed summer romancer shoot. (Imagina)
“Yellow” (Castelao)
Acclaimed d.p Xavi Gimenez (“The Machinist,” “Agora”) debuts with fast-paced, morally searching account of a rowdy kid sent to a boot camp where he learns more than he bargained for. (Filmax)
“You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger” (MediaPro, Versátil and Gravier, Antena3)
Woody Allen is back on the Croisette with London-set, Spanish-financed competitioner. (Imagina)
