Filmmaking duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (collectively known as Los Javis) and singer-songwriter-turned-actor Guitarricadelafuente are slated to receive special honors during Miami Dade College’s 13th annual Miami Film Festival GEMS preview event.
Variety will present Los Javis with the Visionary Director Award, while Guitarricadelafuente will take home the Virtuoso Award for his screen acting debut in Netflix’s historical drama La Bola Negra. The honors will be bestowed on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the Wolfson Auditorium, accompanied by a live career Q&A moderated by Variety Co-President and Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh.
The honors come as La Bola Negra cements its footprint as a leading awards contender on the fall circuit. Following a Cannes premiere where it won the Best Director prize, the Spanish-language drama went on to capture the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Written, directed, and produced by Calvo and Ambrossi—the creative team behind Veneno and La Mesías—the feature explores intertwined narratives across three eras (1932, 1937, and 2017) inspired by Federico García Lorca’s unfinished stage piece. Guitarricadelafuente stars as Sebastián, a conflicted soldier navigating love, violence, and identity during the Spanish Civil War, opposite an ensemble that includes Penélope Cruz, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, and Lola Dueñas. The Latin Grammy-nominated musician also contributed original music to the soundtrack, including the single “La Nieve.”
The 13th edition of Miami Film Festival GEMS will run from October 29 through November 5, 2026. La Bola Negra opens in select theaters stateside on October 16 ahead of its global streaming premiere on Netflix on December 2.
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