Palm Springs to Honor 'La Bola Negra' Cast with International Star Award

The cast and filmmakers of "La Bola Negra" will receive the International Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 7. Co-directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi will attend the 38th annual gala, joined by stars Penélope Cruz, Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau.

That's a lot of trophy for one film. The movie has been collecting hardware since Cannes.

Festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi announced the honor in a statement. "With 'La Bola Negra,' Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi have created a beautiful and moving film that brings together stories across generations and cultures," Chandi said. "Guitarricadelafuente brings such honesty and heart to his first film role, joined by Miguel Bernardeau as the film's emotional anchor and Penélope Cruz in an unforgettable turn as Nené."

He added: "We are delighted to recognize the talent and hard work that went into bringing this special film to life and to honor 'La Bola Negra' with the International Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards."

What is 'La Bola Negra' about?

The film follows Carlos González, a historian working in the late 2010s. His task: connect the pieces of a gay-themed Federico García Lorca play he inherits with two other plot threads. One of those threads traces the tender, illicit relationship between two soldiers on opposing sides of the Spanish Civil War, played by Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau.

The queer historical drama draws on two sources. One is the unfinished final work of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, murdered in 1936 near the start of that same war. The other is a play by Alberto Conejero. Lorca's ghost has hung over Spanish culture for nine decades; this film gives him another afterlife.

Guitarricadelafuente, a Spanish singer making his screen debut, has drawn particular praise. Chandi singled out his "honesty and heart."

How many awards can one film collect?

The festival circuit has answered, generously.

• A 16-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere
• The Best Director Award at Cannes, for Calvo and Ambrossi
• The audience award at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival
• The Toronto International Film Festival audience prize
• The Gotham Vanguard Tribute, to be presented at the Gotham Film Awards on Nov. 30
• A Discovery Award for Guitarricadelafuente at this year's SCAD Savannah Film Festival

Sixteen minutes of applause in Cannes is not a subtle signal. The Palm Springs honor now extends the run into 2027's awards conversation.

What comes next?

Spain has chosen the film as its official submission for best international feature at the 2027 Academy Awards. The International Star Award gala lands on Jan. 7, well before Oscar voting, which makes the Palm Springs podium a useful stage for a campaign. If the Lorca drama converts its festival momentum into nominations, Jan. 7 will read as an early mile marker.