A Spanish queer epic wins the London Film Festival’s audience award — and the tears in the theatre aren’t just for drama.
La Bola Negra has won the audience award at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival — and the tears in the theatre aren’t just for drama. The Spanish queer epic, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (collectively known as Los Javis), took home the top crowd-pleaser honour after its October 8 gala premiere, where audiences packed every screening.
The film, which debuted at Cannes and later earned best director there, is now Spain’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 2027 Oscars. It also picked up the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, a key bellwether for the Academy Awards. Now, with this latest win, it’s being positioned as a serious contender in the global awards race.
Variety reported that the film had already grossed over $43 million worldwide since its release. Altitude will release it in U.K. And Irish cinemas on November 6. The recognition comes after sold-out screenings during the festival’s 12-day run, which saw record attendance across the country. Festival director Kirsty Matheson said audiences flocked to local cinemas for LFF on Tour, while London venues hit their highest-ever levels of turnout.
The film stars Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, Lola Dueñas, Carlos González, and Guitarricadelafuente, who makes his feature film acting debut. Inspired by the unfinished final work of Federico García Lorca and a play by Alberto Conejero, La Bola Negra traces three generations of queer men across 1932, 1937, and 2017, exploring forbidden love, identity, and how personal histories are preserved or erased over time.
The filmmakers called the award ‘particularly meaningful,’ saying they were grateful to audiences who came to see the film and voted for it. In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Los Javis said: “It was a real pleasure to bring the film to London in October, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who came to see it and voted for us.” The win follows other major accolades: Sergei Loznitsa’s Imperium took the Best Film award in the Official Competition, Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s 9 Temples to Heaven won Best First Feature, and Asmahan Bkerat’s Concrete Land claimed Best Documentary.
Grace Harper Brighouse’s Dependence was named winner of the Audience Award for Best British Discovery, an experimental documentary about her father’s OxyContin addiction, told through decades of home movies. The film premiered at the Camden Film Festival, where it won the Harrell Award. The festival screened 258 titles from 87 countries, featuring 249 languages.
Forty-three percent of the works were directed by women. And yes, Ramayana is doing well in London too, but that’s another story. For now, La Bola Negra is the one people are walking out of theatres talking about. Not because it’s flashy.
Because it feels true.
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