After garnering a rapturous reception and a 16-minute standing ovation in Cannes, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s “La Bola Negra” (“The Black Ball”) has sparked a multi-studio bidding war for U.S. rights. Among the bidders are A24, Mubi and Netflix.
Thursday night’s premiere marked the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known collectively as Los Javis, who have built an ardent international following with the series “Veneno” and “La Mesías.” Their film “The Black Ball” — a queer epic spanning 85 years of Spanish history and inspired by an unfinished fragment by Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca — is in contention for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm.
The deal marks the second major bidding war of this year’s festival; the other hot sales title was Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid,” which ultimately landed at A24 in a $17 million acquisition.
A24 would be the most surprising of the three distribtuors to land the title as the indie darling hasn’t widely prioritized non-English-language films, while Mubi is more established in that arena and Netflix has a track record of promoting local-language movies. Neon, which brought nine titles to the festival, also has a history of foreign-language films, but it’s unclear if they’ve submitted a bid or are simply interested in the title.
“The Black Ball” traces the interconnected lives of three gay men across three eras — 1932, 1937, and 2017 — braiding together stories of desire, loss, and what one generation bequeaths to the next. The film’s title alludes to a mode of social rejection: a black ball cast into a voting urn to deny a young gay man entry into a Granada club. Glenn Close appears in a supporting role alongside Guitarricadelafuente — the beloved Spanish singer-songwriter, making his screen debut — Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes and Lola Dueñas, with Penélope Cruz contributing an extended cameo.
Ambrossi and Calvo co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Alberto Conejero. “The Black Ball” is also the first film produced under Suma Content Films, the new cinema division of Los Javis’ production company; additional producers include Movistar Plus+, Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo and Le Pacte.
The film opens theatrically in Spain on Oct. 2 via Elastica Films. International sales are being handled by Goodfellas.
