Renowned Spanish actors, writers, and directors stood in solidarity with Palestine and called for a ceasefire in Gaza during the Goya Awards ceremony.
Many celebrities at the event sported stickers on their hands featuring a watermelon image and the words "Gaza. Stop the supply of weapons. Stop the war now."
Penelope Cruz adorned her Chanel dress with this sticker, reaffirming her consistent support for Palestinians. In 2014, she and her husband, Javier Bardem, signed an open letter demanding an end to Israeli aggression against Gaza.
Actress Alba Flores, best known for her role as Nairobi in Money Heist, also attended the ceremony with a pro-Gaza sticker, urging the Spanish government to take action against the war. "It's difficult to celebrate when 30,000 people have died," she stated.
Director and writer Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, honored with the Goya Award for Best Young Director for the film "20 Thousand Species of Bees," delivered an emotional speech in support of Palestinians.
"If the film stands for anything, it's about speaking truthfully. I want to take this opportunity to denounce what's happening in Gaza as genocide and urge governments to stop it," she passionately declared.
Singer Amaya Romero concluded her performance by announcing the winner for Best Original Song with the plea "have a good evening and peace to Palestine, please," drawing applause from the audience.
The highlight of the awards ceremony was the film "Society of the Snow," directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, which also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film this year.
The movie depicts the survival story of a rugby team stranded in the Andes after a plane crash in 1972. "Society of the Snow" earned twelve out of thirteen nominations.
The best European film award went to "Anatomy of a Fall" by Justine Trieu, while "Robot Dreams" clinched the title of Cartoon of the Year along with the adapted screenplay.
American actress Sigourney Weaver received the International Goya Award.
Established in 1987, the Goya Award is Spain's national film award presented by the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences.
