‘The Black Ball’ will be the film that will represent Spain in the race for the 2027 Oscar for best international film. The Film Academy has chosen the film by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi among the three productions that had passed the first vote of the academics.
The movie of The Javis The Spanish election has won over El ser loved, by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and Los Domingos, by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. Her election, however, does not mean that she is already nominated for an Oscar. Now he will have to overcome the following screenings by the Hollywood Academy until he knows the five films that will finally compete for the statuette.
The election may also raise a question among those who have not yet seen it. Where can you see ‘The Black Ball’? For now we will have to wait a few days to do it in Spain.
Where to see ‘The Black Ball’ in Spain
‘The Black Ball’ will be released in Spanish cinemas on September 25. Therefore, at the time of its election as the Spanish representative for the Oscars, it was not yet available in theaters.
After its run in theaters, the film will come exclusively to Movistar Plus+. The platform confirms that it can be seen in its catalog after passing through theaters, although for now it does not specify the exact date on which it will be available in Spain.
The situation is different outside our country. In the United States, a limited release is planned in theaters on October 16 and later its incorporation into Netflix in that territory. In Spain, however, Movistar Plus+ maintains exclusivity after its cinematic premiere.
What ‘The Black Ball’ is about
Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi build in La pelota negra a story that covers different moments of the 20th century through three homosexual men whose lives take place in different times.
The stories are set in 1932, 1937 and 2017 and they are connected by issues such as desire, identity, repression, memory and inheritance. To develop the film, Los Javis take as their starting point an unfinished work of Federico García LorcaThe Dark Stone, by Alberto Conejero, and different elements related to the figure of the poet.
The film also enters the Oscar race after achieving one of the most important recognitions of its international career. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi won the award for Best Director at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close and Miguel Bernardeau lead the cast
One of the great attractions of The Black Ball is its cast. The film brings together Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Lola Dueñas, Miló Quifes and Guitarricadelafuenteamong other interpreters.
Bernardeau plays Rafael, while Carlos González plays Alberto and Penélope Cruz appears as Nené Romero. The film thus combines an international cast with some of the most recognizable names in Spanish cinema and culture.
The path of ‘The Black Ball’ towards the 2027 Oscars
Being the film chosen by the Spanish Film Academy means only the first step of the international journey. Spain is now submitting The Black Ball to the Hollywood Academy to compete in the best international film category.
The next big date will come in mid-December, when the shortlist of films that continue in the race will be known. The five final nominees will be announced later.
The 99th edition of the Oscars is scheduled for March 14, 2027 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Until then, The Black Ball will have to overcome successive votes by academics to turn the Spanish election into a definitive candidacy.