Madrid, July 23
‘The New Years’, by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, will participate in the Official Selection out of competition, in the Fiction category, at the Venice International Film Festival, which will run from August 28 to September 7.
The 81st edition of the event will host the world premiere of the series, which will be screened in its entirety and consists of 10 episodes of around 45 minutes, divided into two halves: PART I and PART II.
This will be Sorogoyen's third time at La Mostra, after presenting his film ‘Mother’ (based on a short film of the same name for which the director was nominated for an Oscar) in the Orizzonti official competition section in 2019 and forming part of the Official Selection's jury of the 79th edition of the event in 2022.
‘The New Years’ is a Movistar Plus+ original series in collaboration with Caballo Films and in association with ARTE France that will be distributed internationally by Movistar Plus+ International.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen has referred to this participation: "The fact that 'The New Years' is taking part in the official section of the Venice International Film Festival is an honour, as well as an immense joy. Sharing the bill with such well-known films and directors fills me with gratitude. For me 'The New Years' was always conceived as a cinematographic work and that a festival of this prestige has decided to screen it in its entirety is the best possible news for its premiere. I can't wait to go back to the festival and enjoy the love of cinema that is in the air during those days. Thank you very much to the festival, you have made me very happy".
Fran Araújo, executive producer at Movistar Plus+, said: "For Movistar Plus+, working with Rodrigo again after 'Riot Police' has been a great privilege. The care and demand with which the ten episodes of 'The New Years' are thought out, written and produced is a source of pride and enjoyment for all of us. From the very beginning, we were committed to the journey of these characters through time, with total confidence in the creative and technical team behind the series. Their selection in Venice gives us an unbeatable opportunity to share it with the public for the first time. We are very grateful and happy for this".
Nacho Lavilla, producer at Caballo Films has added: "It is an honour for Caballo Films to be able to present 'The New Years' at the Venice International Film Festival. There is no better place to share this reflection on the couple offered by its director Rodrigo Sorogoyen. The portrait of a generation that we consider to be our partner's most complete and ambitious work to date".
Alexandre Piel, Deputy Head of Drama at ARTE France has said: "We are truly honoured to be associated with Movistar Plus+ on this remarkable project 'The New Years' now selected by La Mostra. Rodrigo Sorogoyen is a fantastic and brilliant talent; it has been wonderful to stand at his side in his adventure. It’s a unique opportunity, the one that allows you to witness the unfolding of a love story through the years. And we are also more than happy that this project enables us to have worked again with the esteemed Movistar Plus+ team".
Created by Sara Cano, Paula Fabra and Sorogoyen himself, this series marks the filmmaker's return to a theme, that of relationships, which has been present in much of his filmography. ‘The New Years’ shows the life journey of a couple over the course of a decade, narrated in 10 episodes that revolve around the same moment: the turn of the year.
Iria del Río (‘The Bus of Life’, ‘El Inmortal’, ‘El increíble finde menguante’, ‘Riot Police’) and Francesco Carril (‘The Other Way Around’, ‘One Love’, ‘The Reconquest’, ‘Galgos’) play Ana and Óscar, the main characters of ‘The New Years’.
Sorogoyen, also executive producer of the series, directs four of the ten episodes that make up the story. The other six episodes are directed by Sandra Romero (‘Where The Silence Passes’) and David Martín de los Santos (‘That Was LIfe’). Marina Rodríguez Colás and Antonio Rojano are also involved in the script.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen is one of the most renowned directors of his generation. His latest film, ‘The Beasts’, received multiple awards, including nine Goya Awards (including Best Film, Direction and Original Screenplay) and the French César Award for Best Foreign Film. He has also won the Goya for Best Director and Best Screenplay for ‘The Realm’, and the Jury Award for Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian Film Festival for ‘May God Save Us’, among other awards.
Filmed in various locations in the Madrid region, Castilla-La Mancha, Lyon and Berlin, ‘The New Years’ will soon premiere on Movistar Plus+.
For more information please contact Lorena Molloy
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