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The 2019 Goya Awards, Spain's Oscars

Exploring a country's cinema is a great window into its contemporary culture, and the best of 2018's Spanish movies, were honoured this past Saturday in Seville when the Academy of the Cinema Arts and Sciences of Spain held its 33rd Premios Goya gala awards (named after one of the country’s most famous painters, depicted in the prize statue) – just the second time in its history the academy has ventured away from Madrid for the occasion.

The Spanish film industry has been marked by masterpieces for much of the late 20th century but especially in recent decades evolved into one of Europe’s – and indeed, the world’s – most dynamic and distinguished. Over these last three-plus decades, these prizes have provided a showcase for many thousands of onscreen and behind-the-scenes talents, and a growing number of these – both Spanish and foreign – are famous names across much of the world, such as directors Pedro Almodóvar, Carlos Saura, and Guillermo del Toro, as well as actors like Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem, Juliette Binoche, Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Carmen Maura, Viggo Mortensen, Benicio del Toro, and Rachel Weisz.