The 5 Minutos section of the 29th Festival de Málaga concluded this Friday, 13 March, at the Rectorate of the University of Malaga with the presentation of two projects in different stages of production:  Homenaje by Sergio Cánovas and La Rueda by Miguel Muñoz.

The day began with the series Homenaje, the new project by producer and director Sergio Cánovas, which will be released on 23 April 2026. Comprising eight episodes, the series tells the story of Adolfo Novak (Eusebio Poncela), patriarch of one of the most powerful families in the country, who invites his family and friends to celebrate his 80th birthday. The evening will end in chaos, revealing an unexpected truth.

Cánovas explained that the project also originated as a tribute to Eusebio Poncela, as the team was aware of his condition. "He told me he wanted to die acting. And we changed the entire shooting schedule to accommodate him and his timeline," he noted. Actress Miriam Giovanelli paid tribute to him, acknowledging his cinematic legacy, his attitude towards life, and his sense of humour.

Similarly, Luisa Mayor said she felt very fortunate to have been able to act with "a legend of Spanish cinema," and that the experience was special. "I think he gave us the gift of being able to enjoy it and to share his love for the craft," Mayor explained.

SkyShowtime's Director of Content, Juan Mayne, explained that this project "addresses difficult themes, as it deals with a dysfunctional family." The renowned actress Juana Acosta, in this vein, remarked that all the characters in this series are “broken characters, with many wounds.”

“No one is neutral when it comes to family; for better or worse, we all have one, and it leaves its mark on us all. My character decides to expedite the pain through humour,” Giovanelli explained.

Acosta also explained that, for her, one of the most memorable moments of filming was being able to act alongside her 19-year-old daughter, Lola, in her debut, and confessed that it was “very special” for her to have been supported by the team.

The section concluded with the first feature film by director Miguel Muñoz Vallés, La Rueda (The Wheel), a psychological horror thriller where fears, guilt, and traumas are the fundamental pillars. After her sister's suicide, Eva falls into a deep depression that leads her to travel to Mexico with her partner in search of answers. During their adventure, two elderly people invite them to participate in a strange game governed by an ancient wheel, where their lives are also at stake. After years in which fiction and genre films have driven most of his projects, this time the Spanish director Miguel Muñoz Vallés has made his feature film debut.

It is a project still in development, with 60% of the filming already completed in Mexico. "The goal was to empower our elders, who are not useless people, but whom we tend to discard in society," Muñoz stated.

Actress Carmen Muga added that: "This film is a journey of self-improvement, the journey a person takes to be free," while Ixtzel Covarrubias emphasised the metaphorical weight of the story.

During the discussion, actor Cristian Gamero explained that his character is "very different" from himself in real life, as he "constantly gets into trouble, to the point where it could cost him his life."