November 12: Official Competition

This week’s film, and the last of the 2023 IFS session, is Official Competition, directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.

When a billionaire entrepreneur impulsively decides to create an iconic movie, he demands the best, and recruits a renowned filmmaker to mastermind the endeavour. Completing the all-star team are two actors with massive talent but even bigger egos– both are legends, but not exactly best friends. Through a series of increasingly eccentric trials set by the director, Hollywood heartthrob Félix and radical theatre actor Iván must confront not only each other, but also their own legacies.

Official Competition is a hilarious and scathing critique of the film business. According to the Guardian, it “dismantles the lofty ambitions of cinema as great, important and significant”, and instead “shows us art for ego’s sake, and it has a lot of wickedly spiteful fun doing so”.

We were interested in making a film that talked about cinema, especially the problems of the world of acting and actors’ creative process, but not from a romantic perspective, but instead from a starker outlook that’s a little rougher than normal. (Mariano Cohn, director)

It also features some of the most recognisable names in Spanish cinema– Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro, Desperado) as Félix, and Penélope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) as the deadpan director Lola.

The film received numerous accolades including Outstanding International Feature at the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the 2021 Vancouver IFF, after premiering at the prestigious 78th Venice IFF. At the 10th Feroz Awards, it won Best Comedy Film.

Official Competition is the last film of the IFS season in 2023, so don’t miss it! Make sure to come early on Sunday 12 November, from 6pm for some nibbles and drinks before the film starts at 7pm. See you there!