Goya Awards

   The most visible task of the Academia de Ciencias y Artes Cinematográficas de España has been, since its beginnings, the organization of the Goya Awards, which celebrated its 23rd edition in 2009. All members of the Academy vote for all categories, and this system of voting has become the object of controversy. The gala itself is also a topic for heated discussion every year. It is organized by the Academy and televised, and attempts to present it as the equivalent to the Oscars have proved misguided, with too many unrehearsed speeches and clumsy staging. Although the ceremony has become more polished in recent years, the press is still highly critical of a ceremony that is regarded as derivative and unnecessary, with profuse display of glamor and cult to the personalities of commercial Spanish cinema, and which only pays lip service to ambitious artistic endeavors.

   However, such trappings may be necessary if Spanish cinema is to compete with international products and achieve press coverage. Glamor, even its worst manifestations, has always been part of the fascination of film. That the strategy has worked somehow can be perceived in the increasing visibility of the awards: the Goyas keep on growing in popularity and now constitute a good marketing tool.

   For 2009, there were 26 categories, including distinctions for "new" directors and performers. Categories have changed with time, with separate awards for best Spanish film, best Latin American film, and best European film. In 2009, a film like Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008) was regarded as Spanish, whereas The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) was nominated as a European film. This is a sign of changing times, with film distribution being seen an increasingly global business.

   The honorary Goya always constitutes a high point of the awards ceremony, celebrating traditions in the Spanish film industry. Recent recipients include Jesús Franco, Alfredo Landa, José Luis López Vázquez, Pedro Masó, and Juan Antonio Bardem.

   See also Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas.

   Historical Dictionary of Spanish Cinema by Alberto Mira