Cuba banks on Malecón for the Oscars, Movistar Plus acquires it in Spain

Cuba has chosen Malecón, directed by Carlos Larrazabal, as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. At the same time, Movistar Plus has acquired the streaming rights for the film in Spain. The announcement comes as the film is playing at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, after screenings in Mar del Plata, Miami and Havana.

Malecón follows Elvis, who returns to Havana after ten years in prison. He reunites with his childhood love and gets drawn into the city’s criminal underworld, forced to decide how far he will go to fund his escape and what he is willing to sacrifice. The screenplay, co-written by Larrazabal and Cuban screenwriter Fabián Suárez through the Sundance Collab program, features an all-Cuban cast - César Domínguez, Camila Rodhes, Omar Rolando, Yordanka Ariosa - and a local production crew.