Filming Locations of the Films Nominated for the Goya 2023

On February 11, the most important awards gala in Spanish cinema takes place, honoring the best actors and actresses, cinematography, or costume design, but the question everyone is asking is, who will take home the Goya for Best Film? And where were the most awarded feature films of last year filmed? We'll let the experts answer the first, but we do have an answer for the second. Join us on a journey through the towns and cities that hosted films such as As Bestas and Cinco Lobitos.

Rodrigo Sorogoyen's new film has sparked passions among lovers of Spanish cinema. As Bestas has been described by many as a Spanish western where nothing is what it seems and everyone has something to say, even the settings play a very significant role.

Small towns in León and Pontevedra have been true protagonists of As Bestas. Quintela de Barjas, El Bierzo, a village located over 60 kilometers from Ponferrada, but its isolated situation makes it the perfect place. Also in El Bierzo, we find Vega de Valcarce, a Leonese town with an impressive natural environment, just like in Aldea de Sabucedo, Pontevedra, where the green nature and tranquility of the place were key to immersing ourselves in this film.

This year, many of the films favored to win the Goya for Best Film resonate with people, with their lives, and who they are. Carla Simón has managed to elevate the life of a farming family to great heights, and to achieve that connection, there is no better way than to delve into Massalcoreig, the village that inspired and served as the setting for the winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Festival.

Massalcoreig, located in the province of Lleida, captures the essence of what Alcarràs wanted to convey, bounded by the Segre River and the expansive plains with crops. During the spring, the flower re-emerges, turning these cultivated fields into the most beautiful of scenes.

Now we switch to the autonomous community of Biscay to explore Mundaka and Bakio, the two towns where this impressive drama was filmed. We will live alongside Amaia (Laia Costa) the life change she experiences after giving birth to her son and having to move back to her hometown.

In Bakio, we will find the house where the movie takes place, an impressive villa surrounded by nature that witnessed the dramas of Cinco Lobitos. Not far from Bilbao, we will discover the beautiful Mundaka, a small fishing village famous for its surfing scene and its grand left wave. Ideal destinations that will enchant us throughout the film and were a true discovery for fans of the Basque Country.

This film was shot in two parts, one in Seville and the other in Barcelona, where one of its prisons was used to depict how a young accountant faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison. Directed by Sevillian Alberto Rodríguez and starring Miguel Herrán and Javier Gutiérrez, this historical drama will show us the misadventures of the Modelo prison in Barcelona in 1977.

For the first part of the film, the actual prison in the Catalan city, which ceased operations in 2017, was used and is now open to the public for guided visits. We travel to Seville to explore some of the towns that were used as locations for the filming of Modelo 77, with the archaeological site of Itálica standing out among them. This ancient Roman city has also served as a backdrop for other series and films such as Game of Thrones or La Peste (the series directed by the same director, Alberto Rodríguez).

Madrid serves as the perfect setting for Juan Diego Boto's directorial debut, specifically the UVA neighborhood of Hortaleza, which hosted the filming of En los Márgenes. A film in which we see how Penélope Cruz and Luis Tosar must confront the difficult situation of an eviction, and the place they turn to for help is the CEPA Dulce Chacón.

This neighborhood of Hortaleza has already been the setting for other significant films. A few years ago, the award-winning Carmen and Lola was also set among the streets of this Madrid neighborhood. In this instance, CEPA Dulce Chacón, an Adult Education Center, has lent its auditorium for this frenetic social drama.

In Mantícora, we will see the emotional journey of the characters played by Nacho Sanchez and Zoe Stein, in a film where a man just wants to be loved and find the opportunity to be happy. This moving film was shot between Madrid and Sitges.

Both locations offer very different characteristics, but are perfect for setting the suspense, drama, and darkness that this work by Carlos Vermut provides. Sitges is a Catalan coastal town where it's easy to go from beach to mountain effortlessly while enjoying a beautiful village.

Cerdita transitioned from being a short film awarded the Goya for Best Short Film in 2019 to more thoroughly explaining the bullying Sara suffers every summer until an outsider arrives in the village and changes all the rules. Villanueva de la Vera was chosen to be the setting for both the short and the movie.

Located in northern Extremadura, this beautiful village offers a unique natural environment. La Vera is a community sheltered by the Sierra de Gredos and extensive oak forests, where we can find the most spectacular landscapes.

To enjoy this movie, we must let ourselves flow with it, let ourselves be carried away by the water of the Segura, travel to Orihuela, and open our minds to the local legends. In Elena López's directorial debut, we will travel to her homeland to experience the wonders and misadventures of depending on a significant river that runs through the village.

Orihuela is a beautiful town in Alicante, the birthplace of Miguel Hernández and the story of this film that blends legend and fiction. El Agua will not only showcase the beauty of the Segura River but also corners like the historic center, with its 10 centuries of history.

Helena and Iván embark on a journey that will change their lives and their relationship, moving to a town far from the hustle and bustle of the city center. This film is the first feature film by Mikel Gurrea, the Basque director has captured the essence of many Catalan towns in one place; Darnius, Agullana, Maçanet de Cabrenys, and Figueres served as the settings for this drama.

Each of the Girona towns has contributed something unique to the film. In Darnius, we can see the reservoir; in Agullana, located in the Guilla valley, it offers a unique natural setting surrounded by cork oak forests. In Maçanet de Cabrenys, we can find a beautiful town that perfectly preserves its rural essence, and as a final destination on this journey through Suro, we will travel to the city of Figueres.

In La Maternal, we will see the harsh story of Carla, who becomes pregnant at 14 years old and is admitted to a center for underage mothers. To film this drama, the outskirts of Barcelona and Los Monegros, an Aragonese comarca that exudes unique magic, were visited.

Between Zaragoza and Huesca, we find this mesmerizing landscape that has served as a backdrop for other films like Jamón, Jamón. We will want to photograph every corner of this semi-desert steppes that possesses a perfect combination of pine forests and stunning ravines.