Los Tigres (The Tigers, Alberto Rodríguez, 2025) has been named the winner of the Premio del Público (Audience Choice Award) at the 25th edition of Instituto Cervantes’ PELÍCULA>PELIKULA Spanish Film Festival.
Directed by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez, the Spanish thriller disembarks into the perilous world of industrial diving, where family ties collide with financial desperation and a dangerous discovery forces two siblings to confront the limits of their loyalty to one another.
Starring Antonio de la Torre, Bárbara Lennie, and Joaquín Núñez, Los Tigres follows siblings Antonio and Estrella, whose lives revolve around the sea. Antonio, known as “El Tigre,” is a highly skilled industrial diver, while Estrella works alongside him aboard a barge.
Despite years of experience in a demanding and hazardous profession, the siblings face financial uncertainty. When an accident threatens Antonio’s diving career, they discover a stash of cocaine hidden in the hull of an oil tanker, presenting an opportunity that could change their fortunes. However, what initially appears to be a way out of their difficulties soon forces them to confront the risks of their decision, testing their relationship and their resolve.
Written by Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos, the 109-minute film blends the tension of a maritime thriller with a character-driven narrative about family, desperation, and the consequences of pursuing a better life. Cinematography by Pau Esteve Birba and an original score by Julio de la Rosa further heighten the film’s atmosphere, immersing audiences in the unforgiving environment beneath the sea.
The film premiered in the Official Selection of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2025, earning recognition for its technical and cinematic achievements. At the 40th Goya Awards in 2026, Spain’s premier film awards, Los Tigres won Best Special Effects and received seven nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and Best Production Supervision. The accolades highlight the film’s technical craft and its contribution to contemporary Spanish cinema.
The PELÍCULA > PELIKULA Spanish Film Festival is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila and presented by the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
The festival is held in collaboration with the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Intramuros Administration, the National Book Development Board Philippines, QCinema, the Quezon City Film Commission, the embassies of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile in the Philippines, Power Plant Cinema, Ayala Museum, the University of the Philippines Film Institute, De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Mapúa University School of Multimedia and Digital Arts, Mint College, the College of Innovation and Integrated Technology, Far Eastern University, the UP Department of European Languages, UP Círculo Hispánico, the UST Department of Modern Languages, and SOFA Design Institute. The festival is sponsored by Acciona, Boysen, and Fundador.
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 at the 25th edition of Instituto Cervantes' PELÍCULA>PELIKULA Spanish Film Festival.){kind=link}