Malaga Festival gave the Ricardo Franco - Film Academy Award to art director Ana Alvargonzález this Saturday, the 2nd of March, at a gala at Teatro Cervantes. This award, presented by the Festival for the sixteenth consecutive year, recognises the different film professionals and renowned technicians who, with their work behind the scenes, contribute to the most interesting films in Spanish filmmaking.
 
The host of the gala was Noemí Ruiz, from Malaga. When coming on stage, she highlighted Alvargonzález's career over the last 30 years: she started in costume design with the director Carlos Saura, and soon made the leap to the art department with titles such as ‘El amante bilingüe’, by Vicente Aranda; ‘La Celestina’, by Gerardo Vera; ‘La Caja 507’, by Enrique Urbizu; or ‘Pa negre’, by Agustí Villaronga, for which she won a Goya Award in 2010. 'For all these reasons, from Malaga Festival, we present this well-deserved award, with which we pay tribute to the most technical profiles of our industry in every edition', said Noemí.
 
Afterwards, a video was played in which the honoured artist herself told her story: 'I was going to study Fine Arts, but I didn't get in, and I ended up in image. It's a miracle that I'm in this profession. My job is to design the whole look and the visual criteria of the film, as well as managing the art budget. And for all of this, it is essential that all the departments related to image are closely connected: photography, make-up, costume... we all have to work together', said Alvargonzález.
 
After the moving video, friends and colleagues of the production designer took the stage: Fernando Méndez-Leite, president of the Film Academy; directors Juan Luis Iborra and Eugenio Mira; Llorenç Miquel, art director; and producer Isona Pasola. ‘I worked with Ana on my first four films. In ‘Tiempos de azúcar’ she had to recreate the memories of my childhood, a pastry shop, and Ana got it just right. You deserve this award like no one else, and I hope that cinema will bring us together again very soon,' said director Juan Luis Iborra.
 
After the loving words of her friends, Ana Alvargonzález took the stage and received the award from the hands of Méndez-Leite: 'I want to thank the Festival and the Academy for considering me for this award, which is a great tribute. I would like to share it with the teachers I have learned from, such as Agustí Villaronga and Yvonne Blake, with all the great teams I have had throughout my career, and of course, with my family. Thank you all very much, it's an incredible moment', said an overjoyed Alvargonzález.
 
‘Pa negre’, ‘El verano que vivimos’ or ‘La Celestina’ are just some of the legendary Spanish films on which Ana Alvargonzález has worked as art director. She has also participated in international productions such as ‘Land and Freedom’, by the British director Ken Loach, and ‘Game of Thrones’.
 
In past editions, the Festival has given the Ricardo Franco Award to such renowned names in Spanish film as the screenwriter Yuyi Beringola, the costume designer Tatiana Hernández and the production director Sol Carnicero.