In this post-COVID film world, there are very distinct looks to films that were made pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Typically, with a film that was made during the pandemic, we see a small cast, fewer setpieces, and a focus much more on films about personal relationships and smaller stakes. In that way, it’s clear “Official Selection” is a pandemic-era film.
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As seen in the teaser for “Official Selection,” interestingly enough a film that is thought to be an official selection of this year’s Venice Film Festival, the feature tells the story of a billionaire that hires some big figures in the film industry to make a feature as his lasting legacy. And as if the film within a film wasn’t meta enough, “Official Selection” does actually include some of the biggest figures in Spanish cinema, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martinez.
“Official Selection” is directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, who co-wrote the feature alongside Andrés Duprat.
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“Official Selection” doesn’t have a release date yet. You can watch the teaser below.
Here’s the synopsis:
In search of significance and social prestige, a billionaire businessman decides to make a film to leave his mark. To do so, he hires the best: a stellar team formed by famous filmmaker Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz) and two renowned actors, both enormously talented, but with even bigger egos: the Hollywood actor Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and radical theater thespian Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez). Both legends, but not exactly the best of friends. Through a series of increasingly eccentric challenges set by Lola, Felix and Iván must face not only each other, but also their own legacies.
