Malecón, the debut film by Spanish director Carlos Larrazabal, has been chosen by Cuba as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, as revealed exclusively by the magazine Variety on September 25.
The announcement coincided with the celebration of the San Sebastián International Film Festival and was accompanied by another piece of news: the Spanish platform Movistar Plus acquired the streaming distribution rights for the film in Spain.
The selection marks Cuba's return to the Oscars race after its previous entry, The World of Nelsito, was submitted in 2023 but did not make the final list of eligible films.
The film, a co-production between Cuba, Spain, and the United States, follows Elvis, a man who returns to Havana after serving ten years in prison for killing his abusive stepfather while trying to protect his mother.
Returning to a city that has changed drastically during his absence, the protagonist reunites with his childhood friends and becomes entangled in Havana's underground economy, facing the difficult choice between staying or emigrating.
Entirely filmed in Havana with a handheld camera and natural light, the film was conceived by Larrazábal as a portrait of the everyday struggles and resilience of Cubans, free from political or nostalgic clichés.
The script was co-written by Larrazabal and the Cuban filmmaker Fabián Suárez, and developed through the Sundance Collab program. The cast is entirely Cuban: César Domínguez, Camila Rodhes, Omar Rolando, Yordanka Ariosa, and Luis Alberto García.
Among the producers is Jorge Perugorría, the renowned Cuban actor who starred in Fresa y Chocolate, which adds a symbolic link between the only Cuban nomination for an Oscar in this category—achieved precisely by that film in 1995—and the new nomination.
They also produce Inti Herrera, from the Cuban production company i4films, along with Jaime Otero and Flavio Florencio.
"We wanted to make a film with the ambition to explore the world and the intimacy of a story told from within," Herrera stated. "Our Cuban cast and crew brought to the screen their own memories, humor, and everyday realities. Seeing the film connect with audiences both in Havana and around the world has been particularly meaningful."
For his part, Larrazabal explained that "Malecón was born from a deep connection with Cuba and the need to tell a story about what it means to stay, to leave, and to envision a different future."
The director, based in Los Angeles, studied cinematography at the ECAM in Madrid before continuing his training at the International School of Film and Television of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba.
The film had its world premiere at the Miami Film Festival in April 2025, was the closing night selection of the Havana Film Festival New York, and competed at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. Its premiere in Cuba took place on August 27 at the Yara cinema in Havana.
Cuba presented its first Oscar nomination in 1978 and has only achieved one nomination in its entire history: Strawberry and Chocolate, by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, nominated in the 67th edition of the awards.
Recent nominations included The World of Nelsito (Fernando Pérez), Searching for Casal (Jorge Luis Sánchez), A Translator (Rodrigo and Sebastián Barriuso) and Sergio & Sergei (Ernesto Daranas).
The screening of Malecón is scheduled at the Sevilla Film Festival next November, which will further extend the international reach of the film before the Academy announces its nominees.
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