Oscars 2025: Spain selects 'Saturn Returns' for international feature film race

A1 Digital India News: Spain has chosen Saturn Returns, a biopic of 1990s Spanish indie rock band Los Planetas, to represent the country in the race for best international feature film for the 2025 Oscars.

Directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodriguez, Saturn Returns premiered at the Malaga Film Festival, winning awards for best director, best editing and best Spanish film. It swept the festival, with screenings at the Seattle Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival and Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival.

The film focuses on the band's origin story in Granada in the late 1990s, when Los Planetas faced a crisis, just before creating an album that would change them and the Spanish music landscape forever. Saturn Returns stars Daniel Ibanez, Cristalino, Stephanie Magnin, Maffo, Chesco Ruiz and Edu Reason. Lacuesta and Fernando Navarro wrote the screenplay. Ichiru Films, La Terraza Films, Arlan Films, BTIM Prodes, Sideral Cinema, Los Illusos Films and Toxicosmos AIE produce the film, which is distributed in Spain by BTIM Pictures.

Lacuesta's previous films include The Next Skin (2016), Between Two Waters (2018) and One Year, One Night (2022). Rodriguez directed the 2016 film Quatratondata.

Spain is a regular contender in the Best International Feature race with 21 nominations, the most recent nomination being J.A.'s The Bayonne Snow Society and including 4 wins.

The nomination deadline for the 96th Academy Awards is November 14, 2024. The shortlist of Best International Feature contenders will be announced on December 17. Nominations will be announced on January 17, 2025. The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2.