Carla Simón's 'Romería' leads the Gaudí nominations

BarcelonaPilgrimage, the film that closes Carla Simón's family trilogy afterSummer 1993 and AlcarràsIt has received thirteen nominations for the Gaudí Awards, which will celebrate their 18th edition on February 8, 2026, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Simón's film leads the awards race along with SiradoOliver Laxe's film, which garnered twelve nominations, was announced by Laura Weissmahr and Dani at an event held this Tuesday at La Pedrera. The event was attended by the president of the Catalan Film Academy, Judith Colell, who is also nominated this year for her period drama. Border, which has received eight nominations.

The Gaudí nominations have followed the logic and hierarchy of film festivals: the two most nominated films, Pilgrimage and SiradoThese are also the films that made history a few months ago by competing in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, the most important in the world. And the third film in terms of nominations, DeafEva Libertad's film, nominated for ten Gaudí Awards, was the big winner at the Málaga Film Festival, taking home the awards for best film, actress, and actor.

The other film with the backing of a major festival triumph is Afternoons of solitudeAlbert Serra's documentary, winner of the Golden Shell at San Sebastián, has now garnered six Gaudí Award nominations; quite a feat for a documentary, naturally excluded from the acting categories. In fact, it's the most nominated documentary in Gaudí history, and Serra is the first documentary director to also be nominated for Best Director, a category he will share with Carla Simón, Eva Libertad, and Oliver Laxe.

Battle for the Gaudí top prize

The fight for Gaudí for best film, which excludes works in languages other than Catalan, has this year a debut director and an established director as its main contenders. Strange riverby Jaume Claret Muxart, and BorderJudith Colell's film and Claret Muxart's short film each received eight nominations. Muxart also received an additional nomination for his short film. Our roomThe duel pits two very different films against each other: one road movie riverine with a leisurely pace and one thriller Pyrenean films about Jewish refugees in World War II. But they are united by their connection to the Catalan Film Academy: Strange river It is the first Gaudí Award nominee for best film to have been developed at the Academy's residence and BorderOf course, the film by the president of the institution that organizes the awards, Judith Colell.

But the Gaudí award for best film has other contenders. For example, Very farGerard Oms' psychological drama, which has garnered five nominations, including Best Actor for Mario Casas. Another contender for the Gaudí Award for Best Film is... Breakfast with meThe ensemble melodrama, directed by Ivan Morales, also garnered five nominations. One of those five is for Best Actor for Álvaro Cervantes, who also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. DeafHer sister, Ángela Cervantes, is also nominated for Best Actress for the rape drama. The furyGemma Blasco's film, which garnered a total of six nominations.

The film completing the quintet of nominees for best film – exceptionally, there are five titles this year – is this year's box office phenomenon in Catalan cinema, the youth drama Wolfgangwhich also garnered another nomination for Clara Peya's music. If its young star, Jordi Catalán, isn't nominated for Best New Actor, it's not because the Catalan Film Academy limits the age of performers, but because the academy members chose the two young actors fromStrange riverJan Monter and Bernat Solé; the other two places, reserved for actresses, are for Llúcia Garcia for Pilgrimage and Elvira Lara by The TurtlesThis film by Belén Funes has garnered three nominations, including a significant one for Best Film in a Language Other Than Catalan.

Curiosity and Repeaters

There are details about the nominations that are noteworthy, such as Pilgrimage It is competing in the best adapted screenplay category. The reason is that Carla Simón quotes verbatim excerpts from her mother's diary in the film. It is also surprising that SiradoThe second most nominated film of this year's awards is not nominated for best original screenplay. Is this a punishment for the film's shift towards horror that so unsettled some viewers? In the acting categories, Bruna Cusí receives her fifth nomination for Border; also by BorderMaria Rodriguez Soto earns her fourth nomination. For Nora Navas, however, the nomination for best actress for My friend Eva This is his seventh Gaudí nomination. But the actor with the most nominations this year is Sergi López, who with this one... Sirado She already has nine and, so far, hasn't won any. And Nausicaa Bonnín's nomination can be described as a return to the Gaudí Awards. Strange river, the first she has received since winning the award in 2010 for Three days with the family.

Taken together, the Gaudí nominations offer a balanced and fairly complete portrait of a great year for Catalan cinema, and anticipate the great duel between the two most internationally renowned films of this year's crop (Sirado and PilgrimageThey also confirm the arrival of new blood in Catalan cinema, represented by the three debut directors (Ivan Morales, Jaume Claret Muxart, and Gerard Oms) nominated in the Best Film category. And, once again, the Gaudí Awards demonstrate gender parity, registering a 52% female representation overall, particularly noteworthy in important categories such as Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Film in a Language Other Than Catalan. Restless, diverse, and ambitious, Catalan cinema in 2025 is a force to be reckoned with, and so are the Gaudí Awards.

Nominations XVIII Gaudí Awards

Best Picture

• Breakfast with me, by Iván Morales
• Strange riverby Jaume Claret Muxart
• Borderby Judith Colell
• Very far, by Gerard Oms
• Wolfgangby Javier Ruiz Caldera

Best film in a language other than Catalan

• The Turtlesby Belén Funes
• Pilgrimageby Carla Simón
• Siradoby Oliver Laxe
• Deafby Eva Libertad

Best Animated Feature

• Barracud's Treasurea, by Adrià García
• Hanna and the Forgotten Christmasby Elena Ruiz
• Olivia and the Invisible Earthquakeby Irene Iborra Rizo
• Aisha's Lightby Shadi Adib

Best Documentary Feature

• Portabella Constellationby Claudio Zulian
• The Marseillaise of the Drunksby Pablo Gil Rituerto
• Mothersby Ariadna Seuba
• Afternoons of solitudeby Albert Serra

Better direction

• Albert Serra, by Afternoons of solitude
• Carla Simón, by Pilgrimage
• Eva Libertad, by Deaf
• Oliver Laxe, by Sirado

Best new director

• Gemma Blasco, by The fury
• Gerard Oms, by Very far
• Iván Morales López, by Breakfast with me
• Jaume Claret Muxart, by Strange river

Best Original Screenplay

• Belén Funes and Marçal Cebrian, by The turtle
• Cesc Gay and Eduard Solà, by My friend Eva
• Gemma Blasco and Eva Pauné, by The fury
• Gerard Oms, by Very far

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Carla Simón, by Pilgrimage
• Celia Rico, by Good handwriting
• Eva Libertad, by Deaf
• Iván Morales and Almudena Monzó, by Breakfast with me

Best female lead

• Angela Cervantes, by The fury
• Maria Rodriguez Soto, by Border
• Miriam Garlo, by Deaf
• Nora Navas, by My friend Eva

Best Male Lead

• Álvaro Cervantes, by Breakfast with me
• Manolo Solo, by A Portuguese fifth
• Mario Casas, by Very far
• Sergi López, by Sirado

Best Supporting Actress

• Bruna Cusí, by Border
• Carla Linares, by The fury
• Elena Irureta, by Deaf
• Nausicaa Bonnín, by Strange river

Best Supporting Actor

• Àlex Monner, by The fury
• Álvaro Cervantes, by Deaf
• Asier Etxeandía, by Border
• Ivan Massagué, by Breakfast with me

Best Breakthrough Performance

• Bernat Solé Palau, by Strange river
• Elvira Lara, by The Turtles
• Jan Monter Palau, by Strange river
• Lucía García, by Pilgrimage

Better production direction

• Andrés Mellinas, by Strange river
• Elisa Sirvent Aguirre, by Pilgrimage
• Goretti Labrador, by Deaf
• Oriol Maymó, by Sirado

Best Original Music

• Clara Peya, by Wolfgang
• Ernest Pipó, by Pilgrimage
• Kangding Ray, by Sirado
• Nika Son, by Strange river

Best photograph

• Artur Tort, by Afternoons of solitude
• Pablo Paloma, by Strange river
• Hélène Louvart, by Pilgrimage
• Mauro Herce, by Sirado

Better assembly

• Albert Serra and Artur Tort, by Afternoons of solitude
• Cristóbal Fernández, by Sirado
• Nieves Ballús, by Very far
• Sergio Jiménez and Ana Pfaff, for Pilgrimage

Best Art Direction

• Anna Auquer, by Deaf
• Laia Ateca, by Sirado
• Marta Bazaco (AEDAA), by Border
• Mónica Bernuy, by Pilgrimage

Best wardrobe

• Anna Aguilà, by Pilgrimage
• Désirée Guirao and Angélica Muñoz, by Deaf
• Mercè Paloma, by Border
• Nadia Acimi, by Sirado

Better makeup and hairstyling

• Barbara Boucke, by Border
• Danae Gatell and Ale Salvat, for The fury
• Paty López and Paco Rodríguez H., for Pilgrimage
• Zaira Eva Adén, by Sirado

Better visual effects

• Anna Aragonès, Bernat Aragonès, Alice Rathert and Christian Pundschus, for Pilgrimage
• Pep Claret, Lluís Rivera and Benjamin Ageorges, for Sirado
• Xavi Molas and Oliwa Trybel, by Border
• Xavier Pérez and Arnaud Chelet, by Afternoons of solitude

Better sound

• Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas, by Sirado
• Eva Valiño and Alejandro Castillo, by Pilgrimage
• Jordi Ribas and Bruno Tarrière, for Afternoons of solitude
• Urko Garai, Enrique G. Bermejo and Alejandro Castillo, for Deaf

Best Short Film

• Campolivarby Alicia Moncholí Lueje
• Sugarby Claudia Cedó
• Our roomby Jaume Claret Muxart
• Childrenby Anna Martí Domingo

Best European Film

• Conclaveby Edward Berger (United Kingdom)
• Flow, a world to save, by Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia)
• The seed of the sacred fig tree, by Mohamed Rasoulof (Germany)
• The Brutalistby Brady Corbet (United Kingdom)